Established as the Singapore Branch of the British Red Cross in 1949, and incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1973, the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has come a long way in serving humanity and saving lives.
While the brand is synonymous with disaster relief, blood donor recruitment and first aid, it has been quietly serving some of the most vulnerable in Singapore over the past 68 years.
Besides running Singapore’s only residential home and day activity centre for persons with severe and multiple disability, the charity also runs a suite of essential services to uplift those who fall through the cracks of social safety net. They include seniors living on their own, the skipped generation (grandparents caring for grandchildren), the working poor, low-income families, as well as persons with disability.
Empowering the lives of the disadvantaged
The Red Cross Home for the Disabled provides round-the-clock care to over 100 residents, including children. Its beneficiaries are cared for by a team of nursing professionals, therapy and healthcare aides, physiotherapists and occupational and speech therapists, leaving family members with the peace of mind to go about their daily activities.
Mdm Koh Bee Eng, 82, is grateful to RCHD for taking care of her daughter, Chua Sor Bee, 56, whose high fever at nine left her with permanent physical and mental disability. Mdm Koh is grateful that her daughter’s meals, medication, and needs are well taken care of, and feels happy that Sor Bee is engaged in physical, creative and social activities that bring joy. Most of all, Mdm Koh is relieved that Sor Bee will be cared for when she is “no longer around.”
Behind the scenes, round the clock, the SRC delivers Community FirstAid, FoodAid, ElderAid, TransportAid to those who need a helping hand.
For wheelchair-bound persons with economic challenges, getting to and from medical appointments can be a constant challenge. SRC’s TransportAid chaperones these patients from their doorstep to their healthcare facility, and back. Last year, SRC delivered over 12,000 life-sustaining trips, at an annual operating cost of S$650,000.
SRC rolled out FoodAid in 2013, to ensure needy families with children and elders have access to a nutritious diet. Volunteer befrienders visit monthly, not only to put healthy food on the table, but also to offer a listening ear, a helping hand and practical advice to the families in need. In 2016, SRC extended S$201,870 in food vouchers to disadvantaged families.
“It is getting more difficult to get healthy food at a reasonable price. The monthly food vouchers take a big load off our shoulders. Now, we can use the money that we normally spend on food to supplement other household expenditure,” shared Mdm Fatimah*, whose household of eight lives on the S$700 monthly salary of Mdm Fatimah’s husband, who works as a cleaner, and S$200 of the S$480 monthly allowance from National Service, contributed by Ali*, her eldest child.
A whooping 41,000 seniors in Singapore live alone. SRC launched the ElderAid service in 2014, mobilising community volunteers to befriend the elderly, reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience to achieve a community ageing-in-place. SRC empowers the neighbourhood-based network of volunteers with skills in first response/aid, psychological support, eldercare and befriending, for them to conduct fortnightly visits to beneficiaries. Last year, these volunteers clocked 922 man hours in community service.
Enhancing Community Resilience
The need to strengthen resilience is especially relevant to Singapore, given its ageing population and the global security threat of terrorism. SRC empowers people and organisations to be resilient in times of crisis, through its training academy, as well as volunteer and youth development. Today, the Red Cross Youth is 12,000-strong, and provides an integrated and seamless volunteering experience for the youth as they progress up the education and career ladder.
The SRC Academy offers a suite of new-to-market first aid courses, customisable for groups and industries. These include Southeast Asia’s first public Psychological First Aid course, Eldercare First Aid for caregivers, Young / Junior First Aid, and Singapore’s first certifiable Citizen First Responder Training Programme.
Appointed the National Blood Donor Recruiter since 2001, SRC mobilises blood donors as well as community bloodmobile organisers to ensure a safe and robust blood supply to meet transfusion needs at all times, and to keep Singapore strong.
Beyond the shores, SRC mobilises and translates contributions from the donor community to relief and recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, with the aim of helping communities affected by disasters.
Together for Humanity. Connect with andrew.ang@redcross.sg for volunteering opportunities, and/or to bring your philanthropic ideas to life, for a more empowered and resilient Singapore. For more heartwarming stories of the impact of your donation, visit redcross.sg today.
This article was first published in Millionaire Asia.
