A little kindness can go a long way

It's Fathers' Day but whole families came to help in the distribution of rations organized by Project Awareness today. For the first time, the volunteers were brought along to help in buying the rations from NTUC. Almost entire shelves were cleared of the items needed and once the items were checked, packing began at the nearby void area. 

The children volunteers got busy doing their part in stuffing the bags with bread, biscuits, noodles and canned food. In the midst of packing, MP Baey Yam Keng and SDA's Desmond Lim dropped by for a surprise visit and showed their support. It is to the residents' benefit when political affiliations do not stand in the way of attending to their welfare. Indeed, that is the way forward to foster greater social unity, trust and respect.

100 bags of rations were prepared for distribution and most of these were distributed to the needy residents in two blocks of rental flats in Tampines. A regular volunteer, Belinda, volunteered to visit a resident in Hougang to pass him a bag of rations. We bid the volunteers a Happy Fathers's Day at the end of the Tampines event and went on to visit some residents in French Road, King George and Bendemeer.  Besides visiting their homes to pass them rations, we also handed out rations to some lonely elderly people on the streets. 

I received a warm welcome from everyone I meet. Even the children remember my name and do not shy away from me. It was exceptionally heartwarming when they call out to me "Mr. Tan" and then break out into their precocious smiles. It was time well spent on Father's Day.

Along the way to Bendemeer, I came across an elderly lady struggling to make her way up a gradual slope near the traffic junction. As I wheeled her along to the market where we were all heading, she told me she came from China 8 years ago and had broken her spine. She lives with her son who came here 11 years ago and works as a cook. Interestingly, she was making her way to the market to buy noodles to cook for her son despite her incapacity. It was a touching act of motherly love indeed.

At my last stop at Bendemeer Road, we visited a Malay family that was too poor to buy paint to do up their house for Hari Raya Puasa. Madam Faridah's husband works as a cleaner and has 4 children, 3 of whom are still schooling. The eldest child, a daughter, has been working part-time. Crying, she related to us her family's dire financial circumstances but what pains her most is that they cannot afford to paint their house to celebrate such an important Malay festival. 

Another resident at Bendemeer Road, 43 year-old Than, was lying in bed with his aged parents visiting. He is single and lives alone. He suffers from muscular dystrophy, a degenerative condition that worsened 8 years ago. He used to be a building technician but now sells tissues from his wheelchair. He is drawing down his CPF savings and is worried that it may not last him more than a year. Touch Community has been liaising with him via email but he said he is still trying to get them to rectify his particulars in their record and to provide some assistance to him.

The people who need help may not always know where or how to get help. Some may feel no one cares but Singaporeans are generous lot. They are just busy coping with the pace of living in Singapore but they are always ready to show a little kindness when there is an opportunity. Even on a Sunday and on Fathers' Day. We see that spirit of giving in our volunteers. Be it a kind word of encouragement or just extending a helping hand or providing resources, the volunteers all believe that a little kindness can go a long way.