When someone thinks of volunteering, they are often acquainted with money. Offering sponsorships like giving private tuition to underprivileged kids is the most common way of helping people in Singapore.
But a lot of people don’t realise that there are plenty of opportunities to reach out in the community. Here are some means of contributions all of us can make.
- Impart Your Skills
Talents are meant to be shared. If you are into arts and music, you can teach others to play any musical instruments or paint. If not, there are still other skills you can pass on like reading and writing, baking and sewing, even coding and web designing.
These valuable skills will help them gain an additional source of income to uplift their lives. Apart from providing workshops and/or vocational training sessions, you can also extend service as a physician, lawyer, IT specialist, or engineer.
- Offer Your Time
If you are a foreigner who’s looking for something worthwhile to do while waiting to file a PR Appeal or any updates from your PR application agency, then you can spend your time providing services that can be of great benefit to others.
Many NGOs in Singapore are seeking volunteers to assist them with daily operations. For example, Trash Hero Singapore where they need a workforce to clean up the beaches and promote a toxic waste-free community. You can also collect bread and toys then deliver them to the beneficiaries of Food from the Heart. If you love pets, you can foster care for young animals too in Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
- Donate Spare Belongings
Do you have any books that you no longer read? Do you have bags that no longer suit your taste? How about your kids’ toys that they no longer need?
Why not donate those stuff instead of junking them inside your cabinet? It will only consume space and collect dust and dirt anyway. By donating, many children or less fortunate people will be glad as they will surely find those items useful.
You can also add clothes, shoes, grocery items, electronic gadgets, furniture, and many more.
- Lead Your Network
You don’t have to help the community alone. Things will be a lot easier and happier when done together with your family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Invite your network to raise awareness for a cause through any platform like social media.
Initiate a collection drive in the office, in your neighborhood, or even at your home. Their hearts will certainly be ignited to join the movement with you.
How to Start?
If you worry about having not enough money to reach out, just look at the surroundings and you will see that there are plenty of ways to help without even spending a cent. Sharing your skills, gifting your time, donating items, mobilizing your network, and many more. There’s no little or big help. Each contribution can make a difference. So, go out of your shell, search for any charity events, and begin from there!