Our 1st Year Anniversary - Recap kia kia outing

hello volunteers...
Have you ever wonder how our All Saints volunteer group was formed last year?

Let's recap the Voyage-kia kia outing project on 30th July 2005! When our dear Eric, Jiahao, Weini, Sze Li, Tien Chee, Sharon, Esther and many others become 1st time volunteers...

The introduction to elderly sector volunteering and welcome briefing at All Saints Chapel.

Wheelchair training and practice session, remembered huh??

The TP students with Uncle Koh...

From Chinatown to UOB Plaza podium, coz some water from the sky on that day.

And our dear old folks enjoying the good dinner!

So what is next? This is only the beginning, let's continue to bring joy and care to the beneficiaries, also glad to know so many friends. Loving you all, kind souls...

Stay tune to our Volunteer 1st anniversary BBQ gathering.

Volunteering at All Saints Home - Tampines

Mass Games at A.S.H

SO WASSUP TODAE????Wow...it's really a "tough" day for all our volunteers today..LOLZ.. Today was the first time we tried out the BALL GAMES etc and everyone ah really sweat+perspire+pant+smell?(hee) like mad!! hee..however, cfm plus chop..EVERYONE DID ENJOY THOSE "TIRING" GAMES..haha... Today, alot of us came down for volunteering..there are teck ee lah, meng hwee lah, eric lah, me(weini), carolyn(akaweini's sister--->dunno?they say de..), kee teck, michelle, edmund, weizhong(jiahao's+weini's fren) and zhengsheng(aka alan who is jiahao's fren as well... haha), sharon and...did i miss out any one??hmm...dun tink so..lolz..10 pple leh..that's a lot as compared to previous saturday..cool eh? hope that we can maintain these number every sat..actually the purposes of having these games are meant to help to improve the old folks' hands and brain coordinations and as well as to avoid occurances of parkinson's and alzehmier's(did i spell wrongly) diseases...in addition, the game somehow also help the old folks to build a better realtionship with one another...cool eh?den we will see alot of good frens among the old folks..haha.. lolz..so now u guys noe why i said that it's tiring?? coz we played for an hour non-stop!!! haha..picking up fallen cans and restacked them back again for more "bowling", picking up sand bags from the box and redistributed them to the old folks for more "basketball scoring", passing and throwing balls to old folks and joining them in the mini-floorball..HITO NON STOP FOR AN HOUR~~~that's why we SWEAT+PANT+PESPIRE+SMELL.. but den u noe wad?? WE'VE FOUND THEM VERY EFFECTIVE!!! and THEREFORE for the coming month, we have decided to carry out another mass games for the old folks!!! YEAH~~so maybe teck ee and the rest go train their stamina...lolz..kidding la.. and hopefully ar..that day we will have COUNTLESS NUMBER OF PPLE(haha) coming down to join us for these "tough" cum fun games...hee

STILL>>>>THERE'S OUR WEEKLY SONG-SINGING SESSION with all our "players"(old folks and volunteers) at the CANTEEN... we made all the old folks formed a big circle with volunteers standing inside and we sang for almost an hour with a little help from the karaoke system(for the Ai Pian Jia Eh Eia song only lor...haha). Quite happening sia~~ and after that we helped to push them back to their respective wards before their dinner was ready..

ARE WE ENOUGH???? NO~~~~NO~~coz we visited some of the wards for a short song-singing session..haha..if not ar....e old folks upstairs complain leh..coz we have neglected them ma...muz be fair..lolz..and we gotta bear in mind that no matter wad we muz still carry out befriending everyweek..juz to find out how's the old folks are doing and if they are fine and u noe stuff like tt..lolz..(muz not get naggy..haha)

ARE WE DONE???? YES~~~ LIBRARY DISCUSSION...commented on the mass games and tink of ways to improve them lor...lolz..den HOME SWEET HOMW LOR...

Anyway, sze li...we noe that u are really busy wif ya work..but it's okay..dun worry..ya spirit is with us...WE CAN SENSE YOUR PRESENCE...eeewwww..lolz..kidding la..seriously if u need help from us..can email us..we are there to help!! WE are at YOUR service!!! COZ REMEMBER?? s'pore needa improve their customer service!!!! HAHAHHAHA..okok..anyway..heard from michelle about the cards stuff..maybe u email us the details lor..
Jiahao..do take care ar..auntie pui ling WARNS you to take good care of yourself andd your body!!! HEALTH IS VERY IMPORTANT...rem? she always remind us these..

OKAY!! cya guys nxt week!! have a great weekend!!!

Sign off>>>>> WEINI

Song Practises 24 June 2006

Haha, how time flies! ASH's volunteer group is almost 1 year old! I really didn't anticipate that I'll volunteer for so long because I thought that it would only be a 3 day event spread over 3 Saturday. We signed up for the Volunteer-A-Day 2005 programme and the first session started on 16 July 2005 and the outdoor trip planned to Chinatown on 30 July. Hmm, I was pretty aloof or so is now, but haha I have enjoyed throughly during the one year of volunteering. You know knowing so many wonderful friends like Eric, Jiahao, Weini, Carolyn and the elderly who freely dispensed advice on good health and life.

Anyway, back to today session, we went around the home to sing. It is one of the most anticipated singing session that the elderly look forward too. Hehe, we must also learn new songs lest the elderly get bored by the usual songs though there are the most requested song like the Hokkian song- Strive Hard to Win. Today, we practised Stand by me, Never on Sunday and many more. Hmm, we learnt alot of new songs today.

Hey, just feel free to join us on Saturday afternoon. It start at 2.30 pm to about 5 pm. As the saying goes; the more the merrier. I include the song lyrics of Stand by Me, one of the songs we practised today.

Stand by Me - Ben E. King

When the night has come
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light
we'll seeNo I won't be afraid,
no I won't be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me,
oh now now stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea

I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me,
oh now now stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me,
stand by me

Darlin', darlin', stand by me-e, stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Friends

My Most Memorable Volunteering Experience- 10 June 2006

Last Sat, I arrived at the ASH with a heavy heart as I intended to stop volunteering indefinitely. My heavy workload is getting on me. I was wondering if I could commit on Sat.

I arrived from work and was really late for the meeting on ASH fund-raising event which will be held in November. For your information, there will be games, some handicraft stalls and food stalls to be set up for this fund-raising event. After the discussion on the ASH fund-raising event which was complemented with some snacks; courtesy of Surin, we proceeded to our usual singing session.

At level 3, one elderly uncle pointed at us, the regular volunteers and excitedly exclaimed that we were there last week and the week before. He also wondered when the next handicraft classes will start. It was at that moment that I realised the significant of volunteering.

Volunteering is a commitment. From the elderly response, I realised that though they are happy to see volunteers, they are MOST happy when they see familiar faces - the regular volunteers as it signified that they are sincere in befriending them, keeping the friendship alive and are committed. It indicates that they are so important that volunteers willingly spend the precious Saturday with them. It meant that they are not forsaken.

Last Saturday was the most memorable experience as it dawned on me that I should continue where possible as it meant a lot to the elderly. Also, I realised that it is important to ensure the continuity of any activities implemented as long as the activity serves its purpose in engaging the elderly and satisfying their needs. During the public talk held on Sunday at Henderson Community Centre, I shared my most memorable volunteering experience though I don't really know all of the volunteers. However, I believe that, being senior volunteers, they could share with me their advice and experience.

Volunteering is a committment. I will continue where possible.