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Bag a Bargain: The Singapore Red Cross Thrift Stores

4/22/2018

Everyone loves a bargain and Singaporeans are no exception. The Singapore Red Cross Thrift stores are a bargain hunters dream come true! And every dollar spent helps to support the Red Cross in their disaster aid and relief efforts throughout the region. A win-win we say!

Piqued your interest? We promise you it’s rewarding, fun and something everyone should try at least once!

The Singapore Red Cross operates two thrift stores, one at 62 JalanKhairuddin and the other at 15 Penang Lane. Both of these offer new and pre-loved merchandise and at almost unbelievably discounted prices.

I spent weeks volunteering at the Penang Lane Shop and was asked to work on Mondays or Wednesdays or both. During the course of my days I saw newly received merchandise sorted, priced and stocked on Mondays. On Wednesdays from 10am to 4pm the store is open to the public and volunteers such as myself, helped customers locate items, try on clothes or shoes and bag or carry purchased merchandise.
Think volunteering needs a lot of time? As a volunteer at The Singapore Red Cross one is not required to stay for the entire day but simply to help out as long as one can. There’s also a $5.00 stipend to pay for lunch.

Most of the merchandise itself is new and donated by shops and stores in Singapore. When I was working there in January, a shipment of branded women's tops from Macy's arrived. All were priced at $1. Dozens of pairs of new women's shoes also came in and were priced at $1 per pair. Now that is a bargain!
In addition to clothing and shoes, the store also carries small kitchen appliances and dishware, costume jewellery and sunglasses and many toys and stuffed animals for the children.
The permanent staff members are friendly and very helpful so there is no need to be nervous or to feel awkward about coming in to help.

If you’ve got bargain shopping on your mind, head there soon or better still, give a part of your valuable time as a volunteer! If you are interested in volunteer opportunities at the Singapore Red Cross Shop, visit the expatgiving website or just click here to fill out a brief application. Giving back and scoring a bargain - what’s not to love!

Shoppers showing off their purchases at the Geylang store.

Author

Brian Worrell

Singapore Red Cross: O-negative blood stock is low

3/15/2018

#dogood this Christmas in Singapore

12/5/2017

With Christmas coming close, here are some ideas of #dogood things you can do in Singapore:

If you're looking for an alternative Christmas holiday, we offer a variety of different volunteering projects which run throughout the festive period. Check out our current openings here.
Get ready for 2018 with this gorgeous calendar from Action for Singapore Dogs featuring some of the dogs that were re-homed and fostered by ASD over the past years!
Find unique gifts ideas and shop for a good cause in the Singapore Committee for UN Women shop, while you help to transform the lives of women and girls both within Singapore and the region.
Give a gift of love! You can contribute to CCF’s fundraising efforts by purchasing exclusive merchandise for your loved ones or special occasions whilst showing your support for children with cancer and their families.
Donate your pre-loved baby items (in good condition) to Babes and help teenage pregnant girls in need of help and support.
Buy your Greeting Cards from Bizlink, they specially crafted by People with Disabilities (PWDs) and Needy, Disadvantaged People (NDP).
Support The Boys' Brigade Share-a-Gift project and promote the spirit of caring and sharing among Singaporeans during the Christmas season.
We may not have snow here but that shouldn’t stop us from having fun! In this holiday themed workshop with Playeum, children will be able to make and design their own Christmas sleigh with hand-made ornaments using recycled materials.

"Have a Heart, Share a Gift"

12/4/2017

The Boys' Brigade Share-a-Gift project is a national community service project organized annually by The Boys' Brigade in Singapore, and is supported by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

This project is:

A high profile national community service project that promotes the spirit of caring and sharing among Singaporeans during the Christmas season.
It is a significant annual event that mobilises more than 3,500 BB officers and Boys, and hundreds of other volunteers to collect gifts from thousands of Singaporeans, for distribution to the needy in Singapore.
A unique project as donors have to go beyond purely financial giving; they would be challenged to make the extra effort to buy presents for the less privileged in our society.

The theme: "Have a Heart, Share a Gift" clearly summaries the project's purposes. Since the launch of BBSG in 1988, the objectives of the project are:

Bring cheer and relief to the less fortunate in Singapore during the Christmas season;
Inculcate the spirit of community service among members of The Boys' Brigade; and
Promote the spirit of caring and sharing among Singaporeans.

The BBSG was inaugurated in 1988, with a collection of 7,000 gifts.This year marks the 30th anniversary for BBSG. Held during the Christmas season this has proven to be a very effective way to promote the spirit of caring and sharing among Singaporeans.

Get involved here

Want to host your own film screening?

8/4/2017

Last year’s Earth Film Festival, Singapore’s first crowd-based film festival, was a success with more than 250 private screenings of internationally-acclaimed sustainability films hosted in homes and offices across Singapore. This year, its organisers have decided to merge with the Singapore Eco Film Festival (SGEFF).

The Earth Film Festival is now known as the SGEFF’s crowd-based arm. Inspire yourself and your friends, family, and colleagues by hosting one of seven environmental films in your home or other private venue. It's free and as easy as 1, 2, 3 at their website. Registration closes Sept 8 or earlier for some films they have limited copies of.

Why host? We often don't talk about sustainability with people close to us, even though many of us are concerned! This event helps get the conversation started, and hopefully leads to a lifelong journey to sustainability that you support each other in :)

Choose a film and register here: http://www.sgeff.com/host-a-screening

Whats the impact?

Organiser of the crowd-based film festival and founder of Earth Film Festival Michael Broadhead said joining SGEFF is a “positive way to help inspire effective change while being part of a larger movement. By having a crowd-based film festival, families and friends can have a fun, shared experience that empowers them to support and motivate each other.

Nominate: ASEAN Social Impact Awards

7/9/2017

The ASEAN Social Impact Awards will be launched for the first time in 2017 in partnership with Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC), NUS Department of Social Work, Ee Peng Liang Memorial Fund and Ashoka.

This Award identifies and further encourages individuals from the citizen sector with a strong drive and vision to resolve social issues, thereby creating positive social impact in their respective communities in the ASEAN region.

The inaugural ASEAN Social Impact Award will honour Dr. Ee Peng Liang’s generous contributions as the founding father of the charity sector in Singapore. The award is inspired by an individual with a selfless drive to uplift communities in need as well as an active philanthropist who focused on supporting causes that made a lasting change. Hence, the Award will not only celebrate social impact organizations but will also convene philanthropists committed to collective action for community betterment in the ASEAN region.

Candidates and their initiatives would also be assessed based on social impact, entrepreneurial quality, innovation quality and sustainability. The candidate’s area of work can include sectors such as economic development, migrants, environment, health and nutrition, ageing, learning and education and others.

Three winners will be selected, and each winner will receive a cash prize of up to S$50,000 to further scale the impact of their work.

We ask you to take a few minutes and nominate social entrepreneurs making a difference in the ASEAN community today.

Click here to: apply or nominate now for the ASEAN Social Impact Awards

Applications are open until 29 July 2017. You can apply directly or nominate a social entrepreneur for the award.

Could you be a blood hero?

6/21/2017

Donate now. 60 minutes of your time can save three lives.

Last week, millions of people across the world took an hour out of their day, overcame their fears, and let a stranger stick a needle into their vein. In doing so, these people were helping to save a life. Potentially three lives. These people were donating their blood.

Wednesday 14 June was World Blood Donor Day 2017. You may have seen Singapore Red Cross’ campaign posters in the MRT station on your way to work. You may have seen the large format image of a bag filled with deep red blood, shuddered, and thought “not for me”. You may have simply walked straight past it, your head down as you checked your inbox. You wouldn’t have been alone. Many people are turned off by giving blood for a number of reasons: they’re scared of needles; are too busy; don’t want to feel weak afterwards; don’t think they have any blood to spare; don’t think their blood is needed; don’t want to catch AIDS.

The actual donation of a pint of whole blood unit takes no more than ten minutes

I hate needles
Trypanophobia, a phobia of needles and injections, is a very real thing experienced by 10 percent of the population. But actually, most donors will tell you that you feel only an initial pinch as the needle goes in, and then seven to 10 minutes later you’re done. Including registration, the whole process takes an hour. One hour. This could mean a lifetime to a premature baby, a cancer sufferer having to go through chemotherapy, or someone who has been severely injured in an accident. Suddenly your fear of needles doesn’t compare with the fear of losing a child, a parent, or a spouse, because you can’t get a blood transfusion for them.

Your body will replace the donated blood within 24 hours

I don’t have enough blood
The average adult body has 10-12 pints of blood. You will donate less than one pint, and your body, which constantly makes new blood, will replace the donated volume within 24 hours. Most people continue their usual activities after donating. You just might need a biscuit and a drink to give you a boost and help you on your way. You can give blood every 56 days. Many donors give five times a year.

They don’t need my blood
If you think that you’re blood isn’t needed, because it’s a common blood group, then think again. Every type of blood is needed daily to meet patient needs. If you have a common blood type, there are many patients who need it, so it is in high demand. If you have a less common blood type, there are fewer donors available to give it, so it is in short supply.

I don’t want to catch anything
There is a stigma associated with giving blood that has been hanging around since the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic was at its peak and when researchers knew very little about how HIV was contracted or transmitted. These days, blood donations are fully screened and the risk of catching a virus or any blood-borne infection from a blood transfusion is very low; the odds of getting HIV through donated blood are about one in 2 million. It is not possible to get HIV or any other virus when giving blood since a new sterile needle is used and discarded afterwards.

“I totally hate needles poking my skin and I don’t like to look at blood flowing out of anyone’s body. But, I know that one of the greatest things that I can share is my own blood. I wanted to battle my fear head on. After comparing the veins in both arms, the nurse decided to draw blood from my right arm. She applied alcohol and anaesthesia, then waited for a minute before inserting the needle into my vein. Instead of looking away as I usually do, I stared right at the needle. Now, I am officially a blood hero. Blood represents life. It is not only great, but noble to give a part of you - a part of your body to someone in need.” - Wilma Lapuz

Why should I donate blood?
Every hour of the day, 15 units of blood are used in Singapore. That’s more than 400 units of blood a day, and 120,000 units of blood every year. With an ageing population, more advanced life-saving medical procedures, and new hospitals being established, more blood will be needed every year.

Currently, only about 1.8 per cent of Singapore's residential population are blood donors

What happens to the blood I donate?
Your donation goes a long way. After blood is collected, it goes through stringent testing at the laboratories of the Health Sciences Authority to check for various diseases and blood typing.
It also gets separated into the three components — red blood cells, platelets, and plasma — for storage and distribution to hospitals.

But World Blood Donor Day was last week
It doesn’t matter. Singapore Red Cross collects blood donations throughout the year to be able to meet the transfusion needs of patients. You can make a blood donation at any blood bank across Singapore or at a community blood donation drive near you.

How do I find out more?
Check out Singapore Red Cross to become a blood hero.

Have a watch of the video below too to see the journey that your blood will take from your vein to another's.

Author

Emma Nobes

Volunteering: a gig for the whole family

5/25/2017

As parents, we want to raise responsible and empathic adults who will think of the environment around them and the people in it, who will overcome struggles and strive to be the best they can be, and who will, ultimately, be emotionally and physically happy and healthy. I am sure that I’m not wrong in suggesting that most of us who aren’t parents want the same of other people’s kids, since they are the generation that will, one day, be our politicians, economists, bankers, law enforcers, medical workers, scientists, teachers, and artists. I would even go so far as to say that nobody wants a generation of power-hungry money-grabbing narcissists helping to run or ruin the world in forty years time; we are all decent people here. I hope.

So how do we help our offspring to develop into thoughtful and caring individuals who will protect the environment and the animals and plants within it, who will understand their own privileges and care about the rights of all people, particularly when we live such busy and stressful lives?

Learning by example

There is one way to spend time with our children, strengthen that bond, and build social awareness and responsibility for the world around us: volunteering as a family. By volunteering with our children, we can help them to widen their perspective from the immediate bubble of their daily lives and to understand the bigger picture. We can provide them with an opportunity to develop relationships with different people from different cultures. Teach commitment. Help them to feel good about themselves. And, raise adults who are kind, respectful and empathic.

Once children are exposed to helping other people, it starts to become a habit.
Ellen Sabin, author of "The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving"

So where do I start?

Expatgiving can help. We can put you in touch with Boys’ Town, a registered charity that supports children and young adults who come from disadvantaged families, who may have faced hardships due to financial struggles, emotional trauma and abuse.

The money that you and your family raise could help vulnerable children to learn strategies and skills to cope with their traumas and lives.

Boys’ Town needs people like you to help raise much-needed funds by selling flags for their national event, Flag Day 2017, on 31st May. The minimum age to get involved is 15 years. It’s a one-off island-wide event, so you can sell flags across Singapore. All that we ask is that you return your donation tin to your chosen volunteer centre. The money that you raise can help fund family-based care, counselling, and residential care to boys to help them to discover and develop their strengths and talents.

Let’s help our children to help others to fulfil their rights. Let’s show them how their actions can help make other people’s lives better. After all, they are the ones who will be running the show in a few years time.

For more information, click here.

To find out how you and your family can help Boys’ Town make a difference, watch the video below.

Author

Emma Nobes

Are you bilingual? Do you believe in family?

5/11/2017

In this day and age, there are many different types of families. Some consist of two parents and children. Some are extended and have aunties, uncles and grandparents living under one roof. Some families have only one parent looking after children. Others merge together to create a new family unit. There is no right or wrong family structure; as long as the members of that family love and support each other to thrive and to be successful then that should be all that matters.

Building blocks of the community

Care Corner Singapore is a registered charity that believes that strong and stable families are the foundation upon which a community is built, and that a vibrant family life is fundamental to personal growth. They support more than 50,000 people across the country through a network of services, including children and youth, elderly, special needs, counselling and family intervention.

The charity is working with the The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to reach out to transnational couples and spouses, that is to say a relationship or marriage between two people from different countries. The number of transnational marriages between a Singapore citizen and a person from another country (excluding permanent residents) has been growing steadily, from 23 percent of all marriages in 2003 to 30 percent in 2013.

Eight in 10 transnational marriages are between Singaporean grooms and
non-resident brides.

Overcoming cultural barriers

When people from different countries or cultures come together to form a family unit the actual practicalities of daily life can often be somewhat challenging. They may indeed speak the language of love, but face linguistic and cultural hurdles, and see and understand the world in different ways. Once the couple chooses to settle in Singapore then they must face the additional issues of immigration, unemployment and the stress of adapting to a new environment. According to counsellors and divorce lawyers, these cross-country unions are likely to collapse if they do not have a stable foundation.

“What we hope to do is have the people start out on a proper footing to have
as great a chance for success in their marriages, as much as possible.”
Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing

This is where Care Corner comes in. The charity helps new couples to open the lines of communication, to manage their expectations of each other and to strengthen their bond through a series of marriage preparation programmes and marriage support programmes. The programmes also help couples to focus on preparing to settle down in Singapore, changing citizenship, negotiating the laws and language of a new country, and on managing finances. Transnational couples are encouraged to attend these programmes, which consist of workshops, activities, group sharing and mini lectures, on a voluntary basis. The programmes are open to all couples, regardless of their financial situation.

Share your language skills

If you are proficient in Tamil, Malay, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai or Tagalog, have empathy towards other cultures and can commit one day a week or when needed, then Care Corner needs you. They are looking for volunteers to translate these marriage programmes. Your translation skills could support spouses who have recently arrived in Singapore and help transnational couples to learn about each other, learn how to live with each other and learn how to live and get involved in Singapore life. Your support could help build families, build communities and build the Singapore of tomorrow.

For more information, click here.

Not a translator but still want to help?

No problem. Care Corner Singapore is also looking for volunteers with other skills. Take a look at the links below for more information.

Want to help Care Corner centres to reach out and help the community? Volunteer as Community Liaisons Office/Receptionist
Love children and know the current primary school syllabus? Volunteer as Evergreen Bees Mentors - Care Corner Singapore
Have video production experience and want to inspire others to take action in social good? Volunteer with Filmmakers 4 Good - Care Corner Singapore

Author

Emma Nobes

Do you have an old laptop that you don’t use anymore?

4/17/2017

A Singapore-based non profit organisation is looking for pre-loved and new laptops to help blind children in Laos learn valuable computer skills to help them not only in school, but also university, and to even increase their work opportunities later in life.

Etch Empathy, an organisation that believes in social inclusion for everyone, will be giving the laptops to Home of Light, a school in the capital Vientiane that supports children between seven and 16 years who have varying degrees of sight loss.

Currently, 50 pupils are sharing just two computers. Etch Empathy wants to build a computer lab of a further 11 laptops for the school. The impact of this would be huge for the children. Not only would they not have to wait so long to use a laptop, but the teacher would be able to teach 13 pupils at any one time, instead of only two.

Your laptop donation will help children who are blind to empower themselves at school, university and in their careers. Image credit: Etch Empathy

People with disabilities, such as blindness, face challenges of all types everyday. These laptops will help the children to empower themselves to live a more independent and fulfilling life. They will be able to communicate with others through email and social media, use multimedia like sound or video, use the Internet, and read and write documents. This means that children with total blindness will not be left behind and will be able to improve their literacy skills by accessing audio storybooks. Pupils who continue into higher education will be able to keep up in lectures by writing notes on a laptop, research essays online and submit work via email. School-leavers will fare better in the job market as employers prefer employees who can perform computer-aided tasks in a world that is increasingly dependent on technology. With your help, these children could learn skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

The Home of Light school for blind children in Vientiane, Laos currently has just two computers between 50 pupils. Your donation could change lives for the better. Image credit: Etch Empathy

If you have an old laptop lying around at home, because you’ve upgraded to the latest model, or indeed you want to donate a new one, please contact Aaron Yeoh, Co-founder and CEO of Etch Empathy, at
+65 9737 7837 or a aron@etch.sg

Your preloved laptops must be functioning, have speakers in good working condition, come with a battery and power adaptor, and have OS Windows 7 or above. Please donate your laptop by 7 May.

Look in your storage cupboards, search your bomb shelters, hunt around your old drawers, because that piece of (fully-functioning) junk that you haven’t used since 2011 might be someone else’s treasure and could change a child’s life for the better.

Find out more about Etch Empathy at www.etch.sg

If you have a laptop to donate or any queries, call Aaron Yeoh, Co-founder and CEO of Etch Empathy, on +65 9737 7837 or email him at aaron@etch.sg

Author

Emma Nobes