Close to 130 SPD volunteers were invited to attend an exclusive screening of ‘The Peanuts Movie’ and a reception on 12 December at the Cathay Cineleisure Orchard. The event was organised in celebration and recognition of the volunteers’ gift of time and effort in the year which have enriched the lives of many clients of SPD.

The impact of the volunteers’ actions was described through the personal sharing by 19-year-old Mohamed Najulah, a Microsoft YouthSpark scholar. Najulah has osteogenesis imperfecta and relies on a wheelchair to move around. Currently a second-year Business Information Technology student at Singapore Polytechnic, he attributes his current active and positive lifestyle to the many friends who volunteered to help and encourage him.

“To me, friends are the closest to volunteers anyone can ask for. However, not many people with special needs are as fortunate. This is where volunteers like you can play a very important role in their lives. Sometimes, be their carer, other times a minder, but very often, just a friend to talk to and hang out with.” He implored the volunteers to “continue to give your time and effort to help make an impact on someone’s life through volunteerism.”

A volunteer who helps out at SPD events for several years, Mr Alan Poon was glad to have been invited for the screening. “As much as Charlie Brown builds his self-esteem and lives a happier life in the movie, I have also built up mine by volunteering with SPD in terms of contributing time and effort in helping people with disabilities live better and happier lives,” he said.

“We thank all our volunteers for being a part of the SPD family and for selflessly giving time to care for them and providing much-needed help to our staff. We are indeed grateful that they consider SPD worthy of their time and effort,”

said SPD executive director Mr Abhimanyau Pal.

Our sincere thanks go out to all SPD volunteers and we look forward to another great year ahead!