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“Everyone can play a part to build a better world, no matter how big or small. Every action counts. I am proud to be a Singapore International Volunteer, making meaningful connections with the global communities to create positive social change,” said Ms Lisa Loo, a volunteer in the SIF Words on Wheels community programme. Ms Loo’s ethos underpins the value that volunteers bring with them.

To show our deep appreciation for our volunteers who enable the SIF’s work, we celebrated International Volunteer Day, which falls on 5 December every year. Almost 40 of SIF’s community and friends gathered over lunch at our premises on 3 December 2022. The diverse group reconnected with old friends and made new ones. We also updated them on what they can look forward to in the new year.

Citizen Ambassador and SIF Arts for Good Fellow Jeffrey Tan said: “It was a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon, meeting my fellow volunteers and making friends with volunteers from other SIF programmes. We spoke about our volunteering experiences and how we collaborated with our overseas counterparts to mutually enrich lives. It was also interesting to learn about other cultures and be reminded about gratitude and being present for each other.”

The giving ethos and good cheer continued into SG Cares Giving Week, organised annually by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). Our volunteers joined us to man a booth at the Main Giving Hub as part of the month-long Great Bay Fiesta carnival at the Bayfront Event Space, in partnership with NVPC. The Fiesta attracted thousands of people and the SIF was among 10 organisations that manned booths to raise awareness about the importance of giving back.

SG Cares Giving Week was opened by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law on 1 December. The Minister, together with some leaders from the social services sector, also stopped by the SIF booth where our volunteers told them about the impact of our community programmes such as Water for Life (WFL) and Words on Wheels Southeast Asia Art (WOW SEA Art).

WOW SEA Art combines art, storytelling, and community-building activities to deliver culture-based and values-based art workshops to students in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Water for Life (WFL) is a clean-water project that aims to bring clean drinking water to rural communities in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

About 200 visitors to our booth also pledged to create a better world, sharing our vision of a world that is peaceful, inclusive and offers opportunities for all.

If you would like to join our community of volunteers and learn more about the two programmes, please click the links below to register your interest:

Words on Wheels Southeast Asia Art

Water for Life