Volunteer at Young Women’s Christian Association (Hitachi Construction Machinery Asia and Pacific)
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Singapore is a voluntary welfare organization that has always been committed to meeting the needs of society through active involvement in community services and its many programs and activities. Its mission is to serve the Community regardless of race, belief or religion, with love and compassion and provide quality programs, facilities and services to advance the development of women and girls in body, mind and spirit, and to benefit the Community.
On 27 Nov 2014, 9 volunteers from HMAP Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) committee members spent a meaningful day at one of the YWCA centers located at Outram Road. Volunteers were involved in two of the community services and programs, which are Hungry No More: Meals-on-Wheels for Elderly and Children and Workz-On-Wheels. One of the volunteers joined their team to distribute free nutritious packet lunches for elderly and disabled, and children respectively from low-income families island wide. The meals are delivered directly to the beneficiaries’ homes or to partnering agencies on daily basis.
The volunteers also participated in two baking sessions with the children and youths respectively for the Workz-On-Wheels program, which aims to impart essential and useful craft and life skills to build the confidence and self-esteem of them, aged between 5 and 16. These children are from the Prison Fellowship Singapore (PFS) Care Club and KayCan. They come from disadvantaged family backgrounds with either both parents in prison or parents who have discharged from prison. The workshops are therapeutic and its achievability helps foster self-esteem in the children.
Under the guidance of the facilitator at the center, the volunteers baked thumbprint jam cookies with the children and macaroons with the youths. It was a very fun learning experience together with them. Children were well behaved and independent. They took initiative to wash and dry all the baking tools after use. In addition, HMAP contributed in buying all the ingredients for the baking sessions, sponsoring burger lunch for the children, sketchbooks and glitter pens as gifts for the youths. Volunteers also wrote motivational quotes on gift cards for all the children. The sessions are filled with much joy and laughter.
It was a good experience spending time and interacting with the children, seeing them enjoyed the baking sessions with our committee members for the day.
