Breathing New Life into Old Circumstances

Many of us have just enjoyed a long weekend over the Good Friday and Easter break. The season celebrates the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross and the resulting New Life that grew out of that self-giving act.

While I am sure that the public holiday gave us some much-appreciated time to pursue our various interests and passions, it also presents a good opportunity to reflect on the little sacrifices we can be making to breathe some new life into the circumstances of the people around us. The willingness to reach out a helping hand or go an extra mile to make someone else’s day better can be a life-changing experience both for ourselves, and for the people whose lives we are touching.

In keeping with the theme of the Good Friday and Easter season, Growing Needs Sg caught up with the volunteers of Project Amica to find out about their experiences with the seniors they had been reaching out to. Project Amica is a youth ground up initiative aiming to befriend seniors in need and help them with daily chores which they are unable to manage by themselves. (Read more about Project Amica in our blog post here.)

The following are some personal sharing from Ethan, Jan Sze and Isabelle who volunteered at the first Project Amica outreach:

Ethan Chua

“The senior I had the chance to connect with had some mobility issues so we brought her to Jurong library to borrow books for her to read in her free time. I truly understood the trials and tribulations many of the elderly face on a day-to-day basis. I realised how a simple action like going to the library could bring so much joy to someone in her position. I felt fortunate to have had the opportunity to make a difference in my community and this made me want to step up in more ways to see how I can help those around me.”

Jan Sze

“My group mates and I cleaned Mr Chua’s home. At first it was intimidating and challenging cleaning a stranger’s house. However, the whole experience proved to be extremely gratifying as although it was a short 2 hours of doing basic household chores such as mopping and dusting, it made a huge difference to the state of the house. Seeing the smile on Mr Chua’s face also made me realise how much power we as individuals have to make a big difference to other people’s lives. This whole experience really inspired me to want to come down more and to continue to do my part in helping the community”

Isabelle Koh

“After helping a senior tidy up her place and get rid of leftover food items, we followed her down to the nearby stalls in the Yuhua region to shop, get dinner as well as accompany her to purchase a new pair of spectacles. Being able to interact with her and understand her circumstances was a very humbling experience and I had a lot of fun yes!”

It is heartening to see how younger generations of Singaporeans are stepping up to make a difference in the lives of others and not simply getting caught in a rat race to get ahead in life. At Growing Needs Sg, we believe that ground up initiatives such as these goes a long way in making Singapore a place where seniors can grow older with grace and dignity.

As part of our efforts to support ground up movements focused on meeting the growing needs of seniors in Singapore, Growing Needs Sg will be donating $500 to Project Amica. The disbursement of the funds will be managed through the Residents Committee of the estate that Project Amica reaches out to.

As a follow up from the Easter Holidays, what New Life can you breathe into to the circumstances of the people you meet on the streets each day to make our world a better place to live in? Perhaps opportunities might arise in the coming weeks for you to make such a difference. When they appear, remember to seize the opportunity and do some good!