Singapore Red Cross Volunteers Uplift Families

The Singapore Red Cross assists 3 different family groups with the help of youth volunteers

As part of our community service, Red Cross provides Family LifeAid with the purpose of building social, emotional and financial resilience of vulnerable families in Singapore through a holistic network of programmes. These vulnerable families fall into 3 categories, which are:

1. Skipped Generation

2. Single Parent

3. Working Poor

To find out more about these 3 categories and what our volunteers do for them, tune in to the 3rd Cross Talk episode, “We Rise By Uplifting Others”, a local podcast proudly brought to you by Republic Polytechnic Diploma in Mass Communication and the Singapore Red Cross.

(Photo Credit: Red Cross and RP DMC, Lya)

Skipped Generation

Skipped generation is when there is an entire generation missing from the family. Common cases would include grandparents raising their grandchildren with no support and assistance from the child’s parents. Most of the time, the grandparents would struggle juggling a job while taking care of the child.

There is one grandmother who is looking after 12 children, aged 2 to 12 in a one-room flat. Well, the Red Cross provided vouchers and got volunteers to visit her house to spend time with the kids, teaching them how to read as well as listening to the children.

(A single mom in her one-room flat with her 3 kids. Photo Credit: Red Cross)

Single Parent

As a single parent, all the responsibilities fall onto them. There is the financial strain, the fatigue and custody problems that they have to handle. The Red Cross is currently helping out a single father with 2 children who had no financial assistance, no job and was kicked out of his flat.

Our team provided him vouchers for groceries and even offered a job as a Red Cross member. This allowed him to fix his schedule and take care of his kids. To find out more about his situation and why he was kicked out of his flat, tune in to our podcast episode.

Working Poor

The working poor are working individuals whose income falls below a given poverty line due to low-income jobs and low familial household income. Red Cross are helping these families by giving them vouchers for groceries and also educating them on the financial schemes that they can apply for.

(A student volunteer volunteering for Red Cross at a park, reading to the kids.

Photo Credit: Red Cross)

Volunteering

It is no surprise that the Red Cross is not doing this alone. Most of our volunteers are youths that help out with the activities and you can be a part of it too. Here are some reasons why should you join us:

1. Expand your knowledge and experiences in life/ expand your outlook on life

A.) Volunteering allows you to build and groom on the skills you already have for the benefit of the community.

B.) Increases your self-confidence as the satisfaction of doing good for others in the community may be key to giving yourself a sense of pride and identity.

2. Make new friends and build social skills

A.) Volunteering strengthens your ties with the community as it exposes you to people with common interests

B.) It helps you to practice and develop your social skills as volunteering requires you to engage with the community while collaborating with a team.

Worried about the commitment period? Do not fret as you do not have to commit right away! You can try volunteering to see whether you like the experience, and if you do, you can continue with it. Our volunteers help to give those in need a platform to explore their interests and even provide tuition for the children.

Although it might seem small, it does play a massive role in changing the children’s lives. So join the Red Cross now to make a difference to someone’s life.

(Photo Credit: Red Cross and RP DMC, Lya)

If you would like to hear more heartwarming stories, stay tuned to the 3rd episode from Cross Talk, “We rise by uplifting others”. We will be talking about the families mentioned above, how the Red Cross its volunteers impacted their lives for the better. Buckle up and listen closely to the podcast to stand a chance to win a prize when answering our social media quiz.