06 Jan 2017
As the year came to a close and another beckoned, DSTA members reached out to society, bringing joy and smiles to many.
From sorting information in office, volunteers from the DSTA Chief Information Office went sorting food at the Food From the Heart warehouse on 13 December 2016. This was part of a food distribution programme that feeds the less fortunate.
The volunteers took on a variety of duties at the warehouse, which was certainly no mean feat given the large amount of food. They first had to operate a portable manual forklift to tidy up piles of unsorted food items, which then allowed them to strategise and how best to pack the food items. They even went the extra mile to organise and label shelves in the food bank.
The packed food rations would be transported to a collection centre the next day. The hours of manual labour were certainly worth the while, as Senior Engineer Henry Koh summed up the experience: "This is exhaustion for a good cause!"
From the Enterprise IT Programme Centre, volunteers put on their Santa hats on 23 December 2016, bringing some gifts to spread the festive cheer to close to 60 underprivileged families. Earlier, they had worked with @27 Family Service Centre to gather a wish list of household essentials and food items for the families through a month-long donation drive.
The volunteers found the experience both meaningful and memorable. Senior Engineer Kent Chng said: "The smiles from the beneficiaries were the best Christmas presents I could receive."
With a new year comes new hope, and that was what a group of volunteers from Building and Infrastructure Programme Centre sought to share with the elderly from St Luke’s ElderCare (Telok Blangah Centre) with a trip to River Safari on 6 January 2017.
The day started with an ice breaker session. Together with the Telok Blangah Centre workers, the volunteers led the elderly in a singalong session where they belted out classic oldies and Lunar New Year tunes.
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The trip to River Safari began after a hearty lunch, and the elderly visited all the exhibits in the park, including the highlight of the day: the panda enclosure.
Before bidding farewell, the volunteers distributed goodie bags enclosing neck cushions, milk and biscuits. In return, the elderly beneficiaries expressed warm words of gratitude for the day spent together.
Elaborating on the rewarding and meaningful experience, Engineer Joshua Ang said: “It was very heartwarming to see the volunteers’ spontaneity when rousing the elderly with song and dance. But it was even more encouraging to see that joy on the elderly’s faces as they clapped along, and have the more adventurous ones join us.”
Engineer Koh Hong Meng added: “I am grateful for the opportunity to take part in this activity, and knowing that our small gesture of goodwill can bring joy and a memorable experience to the elderly makes me happy as well.”