Stories of Volunteer Dedication and Impact #CRSvolunteers
Introducing Fiona, one of our volunteers from our 30th Anniversary Birthday Bash, she then joined Camp Rainbow as one of our volunteers.
Fiona is also a speech therapist, who has experience working with children and youths, who have Autism, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions. She helped to produce content on “Understanding and Managing Children with special needs” which will be part of our e-training materials for new volunteers.
CRS: When did you start your volunteering journey and why did you decide to do it?
Fiona: I believe that no man is an island; its important to receive help and its equally crucial to reach out to others to build that community. Thus, after I settled into my first job after uni (and after the height of COVID), I decided to start volunteering at CRS. I started off with helping out randomly at the 30th anniversary carnival, then the rest is history!
CRS: What is volunteering to you?
Fiona: To me, its a sharing of hearts and hands in order to bring a smile on others' face, or make life better for another.
CRS: What contribution or achievement are you most proud of ?
Fiona: Hmmmm probably volunteering at CRS camp and creating a positive camp experience for my camper/group! It was my first time at the CRS camp this year, and I really saw how this camp was a significant event to both the beneficiaries and families. :')
CRS: What was the best thing about your time volunteering?
Fiona: Learning so much (big and small) from the beneficiaries, their families and other volunteers. And of course, all the positive relationships built in the process of the work done.
CRS: What skills did you gained through volunteering?
Fiona: It would be to listen closely and taking time to always put myself in the shoes of the beneficiary, instead of rushing to complete a task/objective.
CRS: What words of encouragement do you have for those that are starting their volunteering journey out there?
Fiona: My advice would be to not think about it anymore and just try! Sometimes we over-think the possibilities or doubt our ability to contribute or connect to others. But your presence itself can be a present to others - so just show up and get involved.
Introducing Steve, one of our volunteer tutors for our beneficiaries.
Steve has been a volunteer tutor with Club Rainbow (Singapore) for a year.
CRS: Can you tell me about yourself?
Steve: My name is Steve and I’m an American who’s lived in Singapore for just over three years. I am a professor of political science at Yale-NUS College. I love to read, play and watch basketball, and discover new restaurants with my amazing fiancée Marina.
CRS: How long have you been a volunteer?
Steve: I have been a volunteer for almost one year
CRS: What is volunteering to you?
Steve: Volunteering is an opportunity to give back and contribute to something greater than oneself.
CRS: How have you benefitted from the volunteering experience?
Steve: By working towards a greater and collective goal, volunteering helps broaden my perspective of what matters in life. The rat race of work and my busy social life often narrows my interests towards what’s immediately in front of me. Volunteering puts my day-to-day life in perspective. It also makes me feel better about my week. No matter the week’s ups and downs, when I volunteer I know that I did at least one thing that week that hopefully helped someone else. Finally, as an expat, tutoring has been a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Singapore.
CRS: Were there any challenging moments?
Steve: Thankfully there have not been too many challenging moments. My tutee has been excellent. The hardest times for me were waking up very early in the morning for tutoring sessions when I was traveling to Singapore.
CRS: What motivates you to continue volunteering?
Steve: Volunteering adds meaning to my life by helping me contribute to something bigger than myself. It’s also an opportunity to give back. I would not be where I am today without the guidance of countless teachers, coaches and mentors. By volunteering, I strive to give back similar guidance and support to new generations of youth.
Introducing Chantel, one of our volunteers of Camp Rainbow 2023, Chantel was one of the co-heads of the programmes team during camp.
CRS: Can you tell me about yourself?
Chantel: Hello! I am Chantel, a year 2 Business Management Student in Singapore Management University (SMU). Some things I like to do during my free time would be watching true-crime podcasts and spending time with my loved ones
CRS: How long have you been volunteering?
Chantel: I became a volunteer at Club Rainbow since the beginning of this year, mainly for Camp Rainbow!
CRS: Why did you decide to volunteer for Camp Rainbow?
Chantel: It began with me wanting to help out in the community, and since I enjoy working with kids, I felt that a children's camp would suit me best! But as I was given more opportunities to interact with the beneficiaries of Club Rainbow (ie. Camp Prep Tea), I could see the amount of joy and fun they were having with the programmes that were meaningfully curated by my team and the staff. That really made me strive to make this year's Camp Rainbow a camp that would be unforgettable for all.
CRS: How was it like taking up leadership roles?
Chantel: Initially it was rather daunting as I had no experience with planning activities for kids with special needs. I was worried that my activities planned would not be engaging enough for them. But with the help of the staff and the rest of the volunteers, we managed to tweak our activities in a way where it would better cater to the kids at Club Rainbow. At the end of the day, it was a fulfilling experience and one filled with growth
CRS: What did you learn from volunteering for Camp Rainbow?
Chantel: I learnt that the beneficiaries at Club Rainbow are just like any other child, they are young spirited individuals that are capable of having as much fun as any other could. There has always been a stigma against individuals with special needs, and through the planning and execution of Camp Rainbow, I feel more inclined to do what I can to break that stigma and help provide opportunities to the kids at Club Rainbow to live an equally fulfilling life.
CRS: How would you encourage others to start volunteering?
Chantel: Be brave and take that first step! You will find that the your efforts as a volunteer leave a positive impact on these kids, and I am sure you will be coming back for more
Choose to be Happy!
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy!”
Everybody tends to say this to someone having a wrong time, but what does happy mean? Is it that easy to be satisfied?
The word happy is generally defined as a feeling of pleasure or contentment. Such feelings could arise from something as simple as eating something delicious or seeing something beautiful; and can be immediately felt by a child who just got a new toy.
So, what do we do when we are having a bad day and finding it challenging to feel happy? Although we are told that it is fine to embrace our negative feelings, we could always go a step further by embracing those bad feelings and then taking action to exchange them for more positive thoughts. A bad day is no reason to ignore all other good parts of life. Many studies have linked happiness to health as a good mood helps us smile more, sleep better, and feel more energetic.
One easy way to feel pleasure and contentment is to be thankful. I like to keep a gratitude journal to remind myself of things I am grateful for throughout the day. Small mundane things, like the bus arriving on time or remembering to bring an umbrella on a rainy day. By doing so, you will likely realise that you are luckier than you think. I also know someone who practices ‘gratitude hour’ where he spends an hour every Friday sending emails thanking people who helped him throughout the week.
Most people have also heard of the adage – It’s better to give than to receive. While rewarding ourselves, we must also remember that we are all capable of spreading happiness by building a more compassionate world and not forgetting the needy. You could start by gifting to those who need it or volunteering your time, as experiences provide a higher level of happiness than material items.
If there is one particular day each year where we should put in extra effort to purge all negative emotions from our system, that would be 20 March, also known as the International Day of Happiness. First celebrated on 20 March 2013, the United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Happiness to make people worldwide realise the importance of happiness in their lives. Building on the idea, the United Nations also launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals aiming to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and protect our planet to make people’s lives happier. (More information can be found here: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals)
Here at Club Rainbow, we hope that our beneficiaries can live as happily as possible despite the challenges they face in their lives. In conjunction with this year’s International Day of Happiness, we would appreciate your support for our efforts to make this world a better place for children in Singapore living with chronic illnesses. Actions matter, and you can make happiness a choice every day!
Written by: Tang Su Yen
Edited by: Club Rainbow (Singapore)
We welcome volunteers to support our beneficiaries and passionate individuals who like to kickstart creative fundraising initiatives. Email us at crscpm@clubrainbow.org to start your journey with us today! Other ways you can be part of - https://www.clubrainbow.org/take-action.