5 ways to give back to the community this festive season

The season of giving is a good time to share joy and warmth with those around, even those beyond our friend and family groups.

Here are five ways you can give back to the community this Christmas:

Youth Corps offers volunteering opportunities with beneficiaries from both local and international communities. Volunteer programmes range from short-term or single-day events to long-term commitments over multiple sessions.

One of its upcoming events, PLAY FOR ALL @ APSN, will happen on Dec 9. Youths can sign up to be volunteer befrienders to engage with trainees at the Association for People with Special Needs (ASPN) Centre For Adults. 

Those interested must be between 15 to 35 years old to sign up. Registration closes on Dec 5, at 12pm. 

Shifts will run for a total of three hours from 2.30pm to 5pm at the APSN Centre For Adults Centre located at Block 4, 11 Jalan Ubi #01-31 Kembangan-Chai Chee Community Hub, Singapore 409074.

Those unable to make the date can also participate in other efforts as part of Youth Corps’ Do Good Fest, which offers over 2,500 volunteering opportunities with different communities including children, seniors and those with special needs. 

The Do Good Fest will run until the end of December, so there’s plenty of time to sign up to support a cause you believe in.

The Salvation Army’s signature event, Christmas Kettling, will be held until Dec 22. The iconic red kettle pots can be spotted at various locations including NEX, Bugis Junction and Tiong Bahru Plaza.

Donations from the Christmas Kettling event will go towards The Salvation Army’s beneficiaries, which include vulnerable children, underprivileged families, isolated migrant workers and the elderly.

If you’re unable to find these locations, you can still donate through Paynow via the Christmas Kettling website.

You can also support the cause by joining The Salvation Army as a bell ringer, which will require you to volunteer two hours of your time to raise funds.

The Boys’ Brigade (BB) Share-a-Gift Project takes place annually, mobilising over 3,500 BB Officers and members and hundreds of volunteers to collect grocery items and gifts for distribution to the needy.

Interested donors can visit the Share-a-Gift Project website to view the platforms available or donate via the Paynow QR code. They can also go to a physical AXS station to make the donation.

Gift hampers for donation can be purchased on Fairprice’s online store by selecting the delivery location as BB’s Donation Drive. 

Additionally, collection boxes for donations of Halal canned food, tin biscuits, instant beverages, noodles and rice are located at FairPrice Xtra at Ang Mo Kio Hub, FairPrice Finest at Bedok Mall, FairPrice Xtra at Jurong Point and FairPrice Finest at Thomson Plaza.

The boxes will be open daily from 1pm to 5pm, until Dec 19.

The Children’s Wishing Well supports children from low-income families and disadvantaged backgrounds. Founded in 2002, they now run programmes such as the Children Enrichment Programme.

The Children Enrichment Programme provides academic support to children through tuition conducted by MOE-registered former school teachers and additional one-on-one sessions with volunteers for students struggling in certain areas.

The Children’s Wishing Well also holds birthday celebrations for the children they support. According to their page, a donation of $50 provides a birthday cake and a gift for one child.

You can volunteer to teach with the Children Enrichment Programme or participate in other programmes via the form on its website. Monetary donations are accepted online or via mailed cheques.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has an ongoing campaign to plant trees and restore corals in Singapore.

The trees that are planted during the campaign will help reduce the impact of climate change and expand the habitats of critically endangered biodiversity in Singapore, such as straw-headed bulbuls and Sunda pangolins.

Coral restoration will be done through growing corals at nursery sites in Singapore’s Southern Islands and transplanting them to restoration sites around the islands.

Donations are accepted through WWF’s campaign website.