Fitness instructor helps fire victim student raise money
For a group of fitness instructors and students who come together once a week for a fitness class, their relationship seldom went beyond the usual greetings and goodbyes.
However, after hearing about a student’s misfortune, freelance fitness instructor Jeslyn Law took it upon herself to start a charitable initiative. Her student had lost her home in a fire, which was only covered by basic fire insurance, and the student’s husband even suffered burns.
Reaching out on Facebook to friends and other students, 42-year-old Law managed to secure donations. She raised over $1,300 and gathered household items such as a dining table and washing machine for the family. Law even created a campaign on crowdfunding platform, gogetfunding.com.
Cafe staffed by special-needs trainees goes the extra mile for charity
A social enterprise launched by the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN), the Mystical Cafe For All is a cafe manned by five ASPN trainees and an instructor.
Founded with the philanthropic goal of equipping their trainees with relatable experience and transferable skills for the working environment, Mystical Cafe For All carries on that charitable spirit with a pay-it-forward initiative for patrons to buy a meal voucher for the less fortunate.
And on Mar 10, these trainees banded together to help others like themselves. Clocking in five extra hours, they donated their day’s earnings of $900 to TODAY’s Enable Fund, a charity fund for the special-needs community.
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A spoonful of laughter: Just what the doctor ordered
Recognising that the positive power of hope, humour and joy can help heal one’s soul and body, the “clown doctors” of the Caring Clown Unit (CCU) strive to spread cheer to sick children at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Founded in 2004, this volunteer group visits the paediatric ward every last Saturday of the month where they perform magic tricks and make balloon sculptures. The group also performs at birthdays as a tie-in with Star PALS (Paediatric Advance Life Support), a palliative care service dedicated to improving the quality of life of terminally-ill children in the comfort of their homes.
Tan Shumin, 26, the youngest member of CCU, told The Straits Times: “It’s sad to know that the child may be celebrating his or her last birthday, but I try my best to sing, dance and bring colour to the party and smiles to the caregivers. I hope our presence will give the families some nice memories.”
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Migrant workers get a free exchange for upgraded phones
With the cessation of the 2G connectivity in Singapore next month, migrant workers using basic mobile phones without 3G would be unable to call home.
To address this issue, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) organised a six-month campaign to get more advanced phones for these workers. Their campaign culminated in a giveaway in March for nearly 200 workers who had been identified as most in need.
TWC2 will also donate some of the phones received in the campaign to two other advocacy groups for migrant workers.
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Soldier gets soaking wet so elderly woman in a wheelchair doesn’t
He went beyond giving up his seat on public transport.
During a heavy downpour on Mar 11, a member of the STOMP team spotted this kind-hearted young man pushing an elderly woman’s wheelchair towards the nearest shelter. This happened just outside the Pasir Laba camp where guests were arriving for a graduation parade for a batch of army recruits.
STOMP staff also revealed that while the passers-by ran for shelter, there were other soldiers and army personnel busy directing traffic and the crowd in the rain. Major kudos to our brothers in the Singapore Armed Forces!