Contents - YWCA of Singapore

“
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,
bearing with one another in love. Make every effort
to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of
peace.
Ephesians 4:2-3
”
Contents
President’s Message
Credits
Upcoming Events
YWCA News
Events
Community Services
Childcare: Bishan CDC
Compliments
Announcements
Spotlight: Ms Evelyn Yeo
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3
4
6
9
11
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12
July September
Issue
Muzikalthon 2014
WoW-ESU with New Partner
Punggol Primary
June Holidays at Bishan CDC
A quarterly newsletter of the YWCA — Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore
www.ywca.org.sg
President’s Message
Y WCA News
This quarter’s issue is full of exciting news of the events and activities of YWCA,
the most recent being the Muzikalthon. The 2014 Muzikalthon was a success as we
were able to raise more than our target amount. I like to thank the staff, volunteers,
participants and donors of the Muzikalthon for their effort. It was much enjoyed by
everyone who attended the event and the mini-carnival which took place at the same
time. We were impressed by the talent of the participants and one of the participants
was Ms Lily Goh who sang two songs by sign language and it was indeed a beautiful
performance!
Ms Tan (right) at the recent Muzikalthon 2014
with 2nd Vice President, Mrs Dancy Thong
Relaunch of YWCA Website: 10 New Functions
The official YWCA website was
relaunched on 24 June with a brand
new look and many useful features.
The homepage is now enhanced
with the following functions aimed at
improving your browsing experience:
The other activities for this quarter were the extensive programmes provided by our
Community Services team to our beneficiaries. The team had been working hard
during the June holidays to provide a variety of programmes to our beneficiares which
were well received.
1. Events Calendar:
With comprehensive listings of all
events across the Association, keep
yourself abreast of activities at YWCA.
2. Features Panel:
Three of our most important news
shortlisted so you will not miss out.
3. Contribute > Wishlist:
A wishlist of items has been created for
our beneficiaries and the Association
to support donations in kind.
4. Careers:
Updated monthly, come explore job
and internship opportunities with us.
5. Contact Us:
Location maps are now available, as
well as a feedback/enquiry form.
6. Search Bar:
Search any term throughout the site to
access information at once.
7. Facebook Box:
Immediately ‘like’ our Official YWCA
Facebook page and be updated on
current news and happenings.
8. Upcoming Events:
The next three events from the Event
Calendar appears here.
9. Popular/Latest/Tags Posts:
Tune in to the most read and current
posts, as well as key tags and topics.
10. Sitemap:
With one click, get the big picture of
everything going on at the website.
The next major fundraising event is our Flag Day on 20 September 2014. Please
donate generously when you see one of our collectors wearing a turquoise YWCA
T-shirt. The monies received from the Muzikalthon and Flag Day will be used to fund our community services. For more details of
our community services, please check our website.
The YWCA website has been revamped and relaunched. Information on the new features of the website is given in this issue. You
are encouraged to keep up-to-date by checking our website regularly.
The YWCA is thankful that the staff, members, volunteers and donors have been so supportive and committed to the YWCA so
that she can continue to carry out her mission.
To God be the Glory. Tan Kee Leng, PBM
President
YWCA of Singapore
Credits
Upcoming Events
Published by YWCA
AQUA AEROBICS CLASS
YWCA annual flag day 2014
Editor
Ms Tan Kee Leng
Editorial Committee Members
Mrs Gan Soh Huan, Mrs Dancy Thong,
Ms Mavis Tsoi
Editorial Coordinators
Mrs Leung Yee Ping, Ms Gladys Foo,
Ms Ling Goh, Ms Stephanie Hung
(New classes starting from October)
Every WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY
Venue: YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Swimming Pool (Level 3)
Time : 7pm - 8pm (Wednesdays), 7pm - 8pm (Thursdays),
6.45pm - 7.45pm (Fridays)
20 September (saturday)
Venue: YWCA Fort Canning Lodge,
Ang Mo Kio MRT Station,
Jurong East MRT Station,
Novena Square
Pasir Ris MRT Station,
Time : 8am – 5pm
254 Outram Road Singapore 169051
Tel: 6223 1227 Fax: 6227 3650
Email: admin@ywca.org.sg
Website: www.ywca.org.sg
Articles
may
be
reproduced
but
acknowledgement must be given to YWCA/
Young Women’s Christian Association of
Singapore, and a copy of the publication
should be sent to the
Editor.
Articles express the opinions of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions
or policies of the YWCA/Young Women’s
Christian Association of Singapore.
All information correct at the time of printing.
All rights reserved. © YWCA of Singapore 2014.
MCI (P) 031/04/2014
Apology
We would like to sincerely apologise for
misnaming Mr Peter Proft, Community
Involvement Committee (CIC)/CSR
Chairman of UPS Singapore in the UPS
Foundation Grant Cheque Presentation
article on page 7 of our previous issue.
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AQUA SPIN CLASS
Every MONDAY & Tuesday
Venue: YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Swimming Pool (Level 3)
Time : 7.45pm - 8.30pm (Mondays),
7.30pm - 8.15pm (Tuesdays),
8.15pm - 9pm (Tuesdays)
staff dinner & dance
6 september (saturDAY)
Venue: YWCA Fort Canning Lodge
Sophia Cooke Ballroom (Level 2)
Time : 6pm – 11pm
kids’ club: september school
holidayS programme
12-13 september
(FRIday & saturDAY)
Venue: YWCA Outram
Youth Centre (Level 1)
Time : 2pm – 5pm (Friday)
10am - 1pm (Saturday)
By Ling Goh
senior citizens’ lunch
24 october (friDAY)
Venue: YWCA Fort Canning Lodge
Multi-purpose Hall (Level 1)
Time : 11am - 3pm
Our various application forms have
been provided for easy download
access as well and information is
updated every fortnight.
VOLUnteers’ & donors’ appreciation
night
31 october (friDAY)
Venue: YWCA Fort Canning Lodge
Sophia Cooke Ballroom (Level 2)
Time : 6pm - 9.30pm
Dedicated subsites for Fort Canning Lodge and Childcare are also being created and eventually, visitors will be able to access
the subsites separately for a user-specific experience. Go visit www.ywca.org.sg now!
For more information, please visit our
website at: www.ywca.org.sg
Exciting Perks for Members
Venues
YWCA OUTRAM
254 Outram Road Singapore 169051
YWCA FORT CANNING LODGE
6 Fort Canning Road Singapore 179494
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to
peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15
By Kwok Shuyi
YWCA is pleased to announce a revamped list of exclusive member perks. Members can
take advantage of discounts on an exciting range of products and services offered by our
partners. These include:
• Donna Beauty
• Intune Music
• SKS Books
• The Patissier
• Zalora
(Refer to our insert for more details!)
We will be rolling out and adding more member perks to the list, so be sure to stay tuned
for these updates!
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what
is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18
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Y WCA News
Events
YWCA Annual Flag Day 2014
By Nicole Chua
“Love without action is dead; Let’s CARE, Let’s SHARE
Let your LOVE be known; Let your LOVE be flown!”
YWCA will be holding her annual Flag Day on Saturday,
20 September 2014. The target is to raise $50,000 to
support our various community services. Operation
centres will be set up across the island with Fort Canning
Lodge as the headquarters. Fundraisers will be spread
out all around Singapore to appeal to the public for their
generous support.
Aqua Spin
By Kwok Shuyi
Some of you would have signed up and been to the Aqua Spin
classes at our YWCA Fort Canning Lodge swimming pool.
Others might have seen the sessions being conducted; with
13 bikes placed in the pool, it is quite an amazing sight!
What is Aqua Spin?
Aqua Spin is one of Europe’s hottest fitness crazes which
takes traditional spinning underwater for a low-impact, highresistance workout that burns up to 800 calories an hour. It
also boosts blood circulation, improves cardio fitness and
builds muscular strength.
The Benefits of Aqua Spin
Aqua Spin instructor, Yannick Dedigama expresses that “your
weight is supported by the buoyancy so there is zero strain on
the joints. Spinning underwater also generates a massaging
effect that reduces cellulite, water retention and best of all,
reduces muscle aches.”
Given that Aqua Spin uses the benefits of water buoyancy
and resistance, this ensures that the exercise motions and
sequences are especially gentle, making for a great vigorous
workout suitable for everyone!
Furthermore, Aqua Spin is an exercise technique which
gives you a full body exercise, using cycling movements to
strengthen your legs, as well as arm movements to strengthen
and tone your arms.
Orange Day Beach Picnic at Sentosa
By Nicole Chua
As part of the Care & Share movement, the YWCA
has been invited to participate in the bazaar for
the ComChest Orange Day 2014 Beach Picnic
at Palawan Beach, Sentosa on Saturday, 6
September, from 9am to 1pm.
Orange Day is a community event for the Care &
Share movement initiated by the National Council
of Social Services, which will be matching every
donation we receive during the bazaar. The
movement aims to encourage Singaporeans to
contribute to worthwhile causes and in particular,
promote social services for the needy.
YWCA will be setting up a booth selling
Vietnamese Rolls, Stuffed Tau Pok, Chocolate
Chip Cookies and Butter Cookies. Come and
support us at our booth as we prepare to embark
on a remarkable and exciting journey in 2015 to
celebrate Singapore’s 50th and YWCA’s 140th
Anniversaries!
We hope to see you there!
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You can make an impact in someone’s life!
Muzikalthon 2014
By Nicole Chua & Stephanie Hung
Contact Details
For more information, you can visit www.aquaspin.sg, email
Alicia@aquaspin.sg, or call +65 96989202.
Events
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If you would like to make a donation, please download
our donation form on our website at www.ywca.org.sg.
Alternatively, if you would like to volunteer and offer your
time to join our fundraising teams at Ang Mo Kio, Dhoby
Ghaut, Jurong East, Novena, or Pasir Ris drop us an
email at volunteer@ywca.org.sg!
“For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” Psalm 149:4
On Saturday, 16 August, the YWCA held her biennial
fundraising event, Muzikalthon 2014, at Fort Canning Lodge’s
Sophia Cooke Ballroom. It was fun-filled day packed with
much joy, laughter and smiles. As early as 9.30am, participants
started filing into the event venue in high spirits and an air of
excitement filled the place.
The event was split into two concerts running from 10am to
12pm and 2pm to 4pm, featuring 16 and 19 performing acts
respectively. There were a great variety of performers who
entertained the audience by putting on acts such as singing,
playing musical instruments and dancing -- all in the name of
raising funds for the underprivileged in our community.
Children and staff from many of our Child Development
Centres came forward to perform. We were also joined by
groups from NPS International School and individuals who
stepped forward to do their bit for charity. Indeed, there was
much musical talent unleashed throughout the day!
In particular, we were privileged to welcome Ms Lily Goh,
winner of the 2014 Singapore Woman Award and proponent
for deaf arts, who performed as part of the YMCA Deaf
Generation and used sign language to “sing” two songs.
Outside the Ballroom, many YWCA staff and volunteers
bustled about manning booths at the lively mini carnival. This
consisted of food stalls selling an array of goodies, from hot dogs
to burgers, muffins and cakes. There were also multiple funtastic game booths which challenged the little ones and provided
face painting, balloon sculpting and nail art. On top of this, many
visited the White Elephant thrift shop, which sold an array of
second-hand steals ranging from apparel to household items.
Indeed, the event was a huge success and we managed to
surpass our goal of raising $50,000 to channel into sustaining
and supporting the YWCA’s wide range of community services!
For more photos of the event and all our other events, head
on over to our Official YWCA Singapore Facebook page now!
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such
things.” Philippians 4:8
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Events
community services
Volunteers’ Gathering: A New Initiative
Everyone was on task during the packing,
and in no time, the volunteer drivers
zoomed out to the homes of the elderly
who were eagerly waiting for their simple,
yet delicious lunch made with love.
By Alice Chua
We will be holding our very first Volunteers’ Gathering on Friday,
29 August from 7pm to 9pm at the Fort Canning Lodge Multipurpose Hall.
Of course, everyone was treated to the
fruits of their labour before wrapping things
up. We certainly started our weekend on
the right foot by doing a good deed for the
less fortunate, and are definitely looking
forward to the next two Cook-Outs in
September and October. The team will
have a great time brainstorming the next
menu, so look out!
As we are expanding our community services and programmes,
volunteers can take this opportunity to know more about YWCA
and what they can do to make a difference in the community.
There will be individual booths featuring our various community
services and programmes, with staff stationed at each booth
so that volunteers can walk around and find out more about the
programmes they are interested in.
We will use this platform to seek feedback from volunteers and
look forward to meeting like-minded people, so as to improve
our services and programmes. Updates on the actual event will
be available in our next issue.
Come on down; we hope you are as excited to meet us as we
are! Together we can make a difference!
Acknowledgement:
We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the
volunteer designer of our e-invite (left), Miss Yi Xuan, for offering
her time and effort to produce this lovely piece of creative work. community services
UPS Cook-Out 2
By Kwok Shuyi
Despite kick-starting our 2nd Cook-Out of the
year as early as 7.30am on a Saturday morning,
YWCA staff and 28 UPS volunteers alike had a
spring in their steps and a bright smile planted
on their faces. The UPS corporate volunteers and
their kids gathered into a happy chatter, which
made the morning exceptionally cheerful!
After being briefed on their roles and the menu,
everyone went to their respective stations to start
the meaningful task of cooking for our 250 elderly
beneficiaries. The menu was prepared by our
volunteer chef Ms Gladys Foo and featured Tau
Cheo Chicken with Mushroom, Baby Asparagus
with Dried Shrimps, Fried Tofu with Thai Chilli
Lime Sauce and Green Bean Soup as dessert.
With the bulk of food preparations completed the
previous afternoon by another team of nine UPS
volunteers and the addition of experienced hands
on-site, the cooking was a breeze with minimal
hiccups. It is amazing what teamwork can do –
indeed more hands make the load lighter!
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“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
John 6:37 Baking Frenzy at YWCA Youth Centre
By Nicole Chua
A baking series of workshops was planned and conducted
at the YWCA Youth Centre during the June school holidays.
The first session was on 10 June, during which our youths
made Vanilla Cookies filled with delicious Nutella. By
the end of the session, the cookies were adorned with
coloured rice and looked beautiful!
The next day, the youths each baked a mouthwatering
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache, along with Red
Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. Doses of
endorphins were most definitely released after each bite!
After all the baking frenzy, the youths once again headed
down to the Singapore Discovery Centre for the 2014
YOUTHphoria Festival on 28 June to mark the end of the
school holidays. They had a fun-filled day participating in
carnival games and watching the movie ‘How to Train Your
Dragon 2’ in 3D.
In addition, we had two sessions with the AG Home in
June. The girls were taught how to cook Sesame Chicken
Noodles and bake perennial favourite, Chocolate Cake
with Chocolate Ganache. They even decorated their cakes
with Marshmallow Pops, a technique that was taught
several weeks back. It was very heartwarming to witness
their innovation through improvising upon things that they
had learned in the past.
Sustenance with Standard Chartered Bank
By Carol Tan
On Friday, 4 July, the Sustenance for Families programme
welcomed a new group of corporate volunteers from Standard
Chartered Bank, one of the leading banks in Singapore. It was
their first time volunteering with the YWCA and like many other
companies seeking to do corporate social responsibility, they
elected to assist in packing the monthly distribution of dry
rations for our beneficiaries.
They braved the heat and humidity to pack at our Adult Day
Centre with a positive and thankful heart. We are glad to have
them join us and hope to be able to collaborate with them again
in future. They join the ranks of new 2014 Sustenance partners
like Grundfos, Ralph Lauren and Yellow Pages. We are grateful
for such avid support and will continue to commit this effort to
the over 1000 families islandwide whom we serve!
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
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community services
C h i l d ca r e : B i s h a n c d c
Mother’s Day Celebration
By Rebecca Au
At the Bishan Child Development Centre (CDC), Mother’s Day
was celebrated with the important intent of teaching children to
appreciate their mothers’ love and care for them. Our children
made lovely Mother’s Day cards and wrote words of appreciation
in them which would melt any mother’s heart. In the days
beforehand, the children were asked to brainstorm ways by which
they could thank their mothers and make them happy on that
significant day.
WoW-ESU with New Partner Punggol Primary
By Alice Chua
Punggol Primary is one of our new partners for this year. The
school counsellor contacted us for the Workz-on-Wheels
(WoW) programme after reading about us in the Children’s
Social and Emotional Well-being (CSEW) Directory by
Singapore Children’s Society.
We were engaged to work with their students with special
needs, called the ‘Twinkles’, with the aim of raising the pupils’
self-esteem whilst inculcating life skills and independence in
them. Besides that, we also hoped to provide these pupils with
a platform to promote empathy, a sense of belonging and an
avenue to voice their opinions and share their thoughts.
We worked closely with our Educational Support Unit (ESU),
especially Yen, to tailor a curriculum designed to boost the
children’s confidence in life according to their individual and
unique profiles. Yen has over 10 years of experience working
with children with special needs so it was a real treat to see her
expertise in action during this inter-department collaboration.
On 16 July, we had our first session with the children, playing
games like Twister and other activities. They were grouped
according to the similarity of their conditions and prior to
this, different methods were imparted to the YWCA staff and
volunteers present to equip them with the knowledge of how
best to handle the children’s needs.
After the session, feedback received from the Allied Educator
and school counsellor was well worth all the effort. They shared
that this was the first time the children were fully engaged in
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the activities, during which the teachers observed that some of
the children were trying very hard to complete the tasks. This
was very positive as it indicated that they trusted themselves
to achieve the results.
The second workshop, a baking class, was conducted at the
YWCA Youth Centre on 30 July. The children were briefed on
the process of making cookies, and some ground rules for
safety (such as no walking near the ovens) were set before the
session began.
In accordance with the children’s suggestions, mothers were
asked to wait outside the classroom. Inside, the children gathered
at the entrance and shouted “Surprise!” whilst releasing the
balloons they held in their hands as the door opened. They then
sang a ‘thank you’ song to all mothers present. Every mother
beamed with joy as she was touched by her child’s kind gestures.
In adherence to the Chinese tradition, the children served their
mothers tea and expressed words of gratitude and love to them.
Subsequently, there was a session of fun and games where both
mother and child cheered each other on. This was followed by a
colouring contest between both parties and a drawing session
centred upon the ways that mothers love to spend free time with
their child and vice versa.
A total of 18 children joined this Butter Cookie baking session
where they each had the chance to decorate their own cookies.
Some cookies were baked for the children to taste beforehand,
so that they knew what the end-product was like.
This group of children responded well to visual aids, simple
instructions and positive encouragement. They were divided
into six groups of three, and practised sharing and teamwork
by helping each other. All the children enjoyed the session very
much, with many taking to the simple act of kneading dough
with sheer therapeutic joy! They were thrilled to bring their
cookies home to share with their friends and family. Some of
them generously shared their cookies with the volunteers too!
The WoW sessions with Punggol Primary’s ‘Twinkles’ run
on alternate Wednesdays. As the year progresses, we look
forward to further collaborations with Punggol Primary and
ESU for these deserving children!
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding...” Proverbs 3:5
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C h i l d ca r e : B i s h a n c d c
Compliments
MA ART THERAPY CLINICAL PLACEMENT
4 June 2014
Dear Ms Alice Chua,
I am writing to extend our gratitude and appreciation for hosting an art
therapy placement at your workplace and for kindly supervising our MA
Art Therapy student Chen Yishan Amanda.
The placement is a vital component of our Programme and indeed to the
overall growth, development and experience of our students. Through
practice-based learning our aim is to develop competent, professional
and ethical art therapists that successfully integrate best-practices and
international standards into their services.
June Holidays at Bishan CDC
By Rebecca Au
During the June holidays programme, the children at Bishan CDC
explored the theme “Children of the World.” They learned about
different cultures around the world and their respective food,
costume and way of life. It was an enriching experience for them
as the children uncovered a different world and learnt to appreciate
these differences in the process.
Additionally, an art programme was introduced to encourage
children to explore their artistic talents. During these sessions, the
K2 children created beautiful artwork featuring different costumes
of children from around the world.
The June holiday programme excursions had to be postponed to the
month of July due to an outbreak of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
at the Centre in June. Nevertheless, the children’s day at Kidsmaze
at SAFRA Toa Payoh was filled with much fun and laughter as they
expended all their energy on the playground, which challenged their
fine and gross motor skills.
On a separate occasion, they also had an exciting time making pizza
at Doughworkz, Pastamania at NEX. The well-trained staff gave an
interesting talk about the history of pasta and demonstrated pizzamaking. The children were each given a piece of dough to make
their own personal pizza, and their creativity flowed as they created
interesting patterns with the ingredients.
With the children all dressed up in their chef hats and aprons, they
looked very much the part! Every plate was licked clean and they
enjoyed themselves greatly.
During their next outing at the Science Centre, the children had a
ball exploring the nature exhibits, which featured robotic animals
and insects. They also learned about the properties of water in an
unconventional manner as they splashed about in the water at the
WaterWorks Park!
We can hardly wait for the next school holiday now!
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“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1
We greatly appreciate all of the support, guidance and mentoring that
you have provided as this also benefits all those clients receiving art
therapy.
...
We welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have on how
best to improve our services. Once again, thank-you for assisting the
continued development of art therapy in Singapore.
Most Sincerely,
Ronald P.M.H. Lay, MA, AThR, ATR-BC
Programme Leader, MA Art Therapy Programme
Faculty for the Creative Industries, LASALLE College of the Arts
1 July 2014
Dear Mr Ravi,
Thank you for your email.
The comment about the bed and
pillow was not really a complaint,
more an observation.
Thank you very much for the wonderful
stay that myself and my group of
former British Army schoolchildren
had for our 50th anniversary reunion.
You were very tolerant of a noisy
bunch of over excited veterans!!
If I ever return to Singapore I will
certainly stay at the YWCA again.
With regards,
Lynne Copping
30 June 2014
Dear Gladys and Alice:
Thank you for organising the Italian Pasta and Baked Pasta cooking sessions for our Care Club children and youths at YWCA
Youth Centre on 19 June 2014 (10:00am to 12:00pm and 2:00pm to 4:00pm) during their June School Holiday.
Please kindly convey our gratitude to the rest of the YWCA staff and volunteers who participated in the cooking session. ... We
are encouraged by your support in our effort to touch more lives. ... Once again, thank you for your contribution.
Grace and peace,
Christine Tan
Executive Director, Prison Fellowship Singapore
Announcements
Welcome on Board
The YWCA is pleased to welcome new staff to the team. We welcome Lim Chian Hung Janice as Para Educarer at Ang Mo Kio
CDC; Shahmardani Shireen Rentoy as Teacher and Lee Lek Hui Dorothy as Principal at Bedok CDC; Villagracia Angelli Vapor as
Teacher at Bukit Gombak CDC; Li Weina as Attendant and Diaz Mariedel Francheska Castro as Teacher at Bishan CDC; Noor
Ferina Binte Feroz Albasrawy as Para Educarer, Su Jinghua as Language Teacher, and Veronica Kashmir as Principal at Jurong
East CDC; Liu Kun as Language Teacher and Ye Hongmei as Attendant at McNair CDC; Lim Xiu Li as Principal, Chua Su Wei as
Senior Teacher, Yuan LiangMei as Language Teacher, Yu Xiaoling as Attendant cum Cook, and Sim Si Jun Lisa as Para Educarer
at Marine Drive CDC; Navas Rheysan Marie Sison as Teacher at Outram Kindergarten; Zhang Aqian as Language Teacher and
Low Seck Kiang as Para Educarer at Pasir Ris CDC; Wu Peili as Language Teacher at West Coast CDC; Chua Ling Long Christina
as Admin Officer at CPA; Latha Nagarajan and Oh Boon Chin as Learning Support Teachers at ESU.
At Fort Canning Lodge, we welcome Gunasegaran A/P Ramsamy as Technician, Natalia Bhakti Tjondro as Banquet Sales
Executive, Sin Wai Leng as Accounts Executive, Lu Jie as Purchaser Cum Cost Officer, Tay Siew Hong as Reservations Executive,
Iskandar Bin Mohamed as Guest Service Officer, Wang Jeremy as Duty Manager, Patrick Leong Yek Ming as Guest Relations
Assistant, Prasannah A/P Balakrishnan as Room Attendant, and Buenaventura Simon Juanito as General Manager.
At the National Office, we welcome Liu Xiajun as IT Administrator and Stephanie Hung as Corporate Communications Executive.
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house
of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6
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S p o t l i g h t : M s E v e ly n Y e o
A dedicated member of the YWCA Board, Ms Evelyn Yeo has been volunteering
with us since April 2011. She has over a decade of experience in external/internal
audit and finance. Ms Yeo is a regular face in the Audit Committee and has sat in
the Membership & Programmes, Projects, and the Young Adults Committees too.
How do you come to be involved in the YWCA?
When one of my friends was approached by the Centre for Non-Profit Leadership
(CNPL) for a volunteering opportunity with YWCA in April 2011, she thought it
would be something I would be interested in given my Christian belief. At that time,
I was transitioning to a new role in my ex-company that would give me more time
in Singapore. I was then looking to spend some time on more meaningful pursuits
outside of work. When Mrs. Ma and Mrs. Leung shared about YWCA’s focus on the
elderly, women and children, I thought this was a good organisation to volunteer
with as its causes resonate with my interests.
What made you interested in such community work?
I came from a working-class family. Although we didn’t have much, my parents always found ways to generously share with
others. The Christian and traditional values they inculcated in my brother and me kept us down-to-earth. Especially my mum
who helped us see that there would always be someone less unfortunate than us and we would find joy in looking out for others
than to focus on oneself.
When I was growing up, there were also more opportunities for social mobility if one was equipped with a reasonable level of
ability and was willing to work hard. However, I recognise that Singapore today presents a different environment. Although there
is still a big focus on meritocracy, not every child has the opportunity to start from the same point in the Singapore race. It is
heartening to know that there are children-focused charities in Singapore which provide support to help meet their basic needs
and give them a leg up.
I would love to be more involved in the activities with direct interaction with the beneficiaries, but unfortunately, because of my
work commitments, I am unable to do so. The alternative is to volunteer using my professional skills to support an organisation
whose values I’m aligned with.
What have you learnt from your experiences in the YWCA so far?
Working and laughing lots with the other volunteers keeps one young! On a more serious note, the commitment of the ladies who
have spent many years volunteering with YWCA is admirable. Interacting with these ladies from different backgrounds gave me
insights into the different perspectives and approaches different people bring to the table to address issues. It is also energizing
to witness the drive and dedication the YWCA staff take to their planning and execution of the many community projects.
It is also an interesting experience to volunteer with YWCA given the exposure to both the social needs of society as well as
learning about how a social enterprise is run. I was involved in the Projects team when I first started volunteering with YWCA;
it gave me a better understanding of the current social issues and the needs of certain segments of society. On the business
side, having come from a different industry, it is also an eye-opener to learn about the day-to-day challenges faced in running
the Lodge.
Could you share what are some things/issues that really tug at your heart?
Despite the wealth Singapore has amassed in the last few decades and the accolades it has received globally, there are still
pockets of society which may not have directly benefitted much from the country’s economic development. Paradoxically, this
has also given rise to new social issues, e.g., increasing divorce rates, fractured family relationships, etc.
While the government has taken steps to address these needs, there may be some who fall through the cracks. The good work
carried out by many charitable organisations in Singapore helps to provide another layer of safety net for them. I am grateful
for the opportunity to volunteer with YWCA which has a number of initiatives to meet such needs, e.g., the YWCA House (Girls’
Hostel) established in 2013.
How do your family/friends feel about your contributions to community service?
Talking to family and friends about the work YWCA does has increased their awareness of the organisation and the societal issues
the organisation is trying to address. Some have also expressed their interest to identify and take on volunteering opportunities,
whether with YWCA or other organisations.
How would you like to influence the world?
In the recent century, there are many revolutionary ideas and advancements which change the world. While cutting-edge
technologies can help make the world a comfortable place, the human touch is still something that makes a difference in
someone’s life. I believe, however small one’s contribution may seem, it is still a positive step taken in the right direction to make
the larger society a better place. On a personal note, I hope to be able to encourage others around me to contribute back to their
communities in their own ways.
12 Jul - Sep 2014 •
ywLink
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God
will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9