With our limited resources, volunteers play an important role, helping to provide additional help to SPD’s programmes and services from time to time. A happy volunteering experience comes from a good partnership between both the organisation and the volunteer. Here, regular volunteer Koh Sok Cheng (extreme right) shares her volunteering experience at SPD.

I resigned from my full-time job in 2007 and after two years as a homemaker, I was looking for a part-time job and some volunteering opportunities. I was browsing through several volunteer organisations before deciding to sign up online as a volunteer with SPD doing administrative work as I had experience in this area for many years.

Soon, Alice from SPD’s volunteer management department contacted me and I popped by SPD for a visit. My first project was to help in selling handmade souvenirs at schools. I would co-ordinate and contact the schools to allow us to sell the souvenirs during their students’ recess hours. The project stopped eventually when we were no longer allowed to enter the schools due to Hand Foot Mouth Disease. I now volunteer whenever there are big packing projects at SPD’s Sheltered Workshop or special outings organised by the Freedom Adventure Club for SPD’s clients.

What I love about volunteering at SPD are the people I meet there. I always receive warm greetings and feel welcome by SPD’s staff and clients. I learnt a lot and feel happy and meaningful when I volunteer. I even invited my friends and my elder sister to volunteer and we always have fun working together and bonding with the clients at the Sheltered Workshop. We would go to the nearby food centre for good food and chit chat after volunteering and before going home. I also gained more knowledge by attending the networking workshops organised by SPD.

Volunteering at SPD has become part of my life’s routine. Whenever I receive e-mails on volunteering opportunities from SPD, I would forward the information to my friends and ask them to join me for the projects. I am happy and thankful to be given the opportunity to volunteer and will continue do so with SPD as long as I am able to.

SPD’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Day was held on 3 December 2016 where volunteers were invited for breakfast and the screening of the local comedy ‘Lulu The Movie’. We take this opportunity to thank all our volunteers for giving us a hand and for helping us to improve the lives of people with disabilities.