Meet our Volunteers
Volunteers in the admin department
Volunteering behind the scenes
SPD has many volunteering opportunities to suit people with different groups and interests. In this article published in the April 2007 issue of ExtraPage, we introduce you to some of our volunteers who help in the administrative department.
SPD relies on our volunteers to help in many different areas. Many volunteers provide direct help to the clients as befrienders, bringing them on outings or visiting them at the SPD Ability Centre. However, equally important are the volunteers who give their time to provide support behind the scenes in such work as administration.
Often viewed as not really helping disabled people, such support keeps costs low at SPD, and allows resources and funds to be channelled to areas most in need of them. Here, we highlight volunteers who have given time to volunteer in the administrative departments.
Anandhi Ravendran
Ms Anandhi Ravendran helps out at SPD on an ad-hoc basis. A homemaker with a daughter, she has been volunteering her services here for less than a year. In this time, she has helped in various projects, making calls to various organisations to get more volunteers for the SPD Flag Day last year, and approaching schools to do their Community Involvement Programme at SPD.
Her most recent project was to make calls daily over three weeks to get kindergartens to participate in SPD's Charity Hongbao. Her positive work attitude and desire to help is much appreciated.
“I like volunteering and it’s quite interesting to help out. I get to talk to a lot of people, and interact with them. I’m happy helping out in small ways, to help SPD get sponsors. It’s meaningful and I’m glad to be able to contribute in any way I can,” she said.
Poh Gwat Eng
Ms Poh Gwat Eng has been a regular and committed volunteer with SPD for three years, coming at least three times a week to provide help in administrative support. She volunteers in counting and sorting money in addition to other daily tasks. So familiar is she with operations here that she helps to manage the student volunteers, greatly relieving the workload of the staff. A wheelchair-user, Gwat Eng finds volunteering meaningful, and feels that she has benefited much from it. Her willingness to serve and bubbly enthusiasm has brightened up the place and inspired all those working with her.
When asked why she volunteers, she says, “There are many areas to contribute. I enjoy helping, and am glad to be able to contribute well in this area. Volunteering also allows me to meet people and interact with them, and keeps me active and engaged. Volunteering is a form of giving back to society, because when I was younger, people have helped me a lot. It’s a joy to give back and bless, more so since I’ve received so much.”
Ho Geok Bin
Ms Ho Geok Bin volunteers on an ad-hoc basis at SPD. She started out helping to pack magazines at the Sheltered Workshop three years ago. Most recently she was seen counting and sorting money collected for the Charity Hongbao project.
When asked why she volunteers, her matter-of-fact reply was, “I have the free time.” But she added, “I’m happy to help at the Sheltered Workshop as it is a place that benefits the clients. When they are here, they are productive and happy. It also frees their caregiver at home to work.”