Volunteers feted for giving back to the community

AGE has not deterred volunteers such as Tok Aik Hong, 47 and Mohamad Miqa Ariyan Bin Mohamad Nizal, 16, from giving back to the community.

Tok has been a volunteer at Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist Association (Singapore) for over 15 years, and among his duties was the distribution of food to needy residents.

“Volunteerism strengthens the bonds among people and impacts everyone to care for one another. My social network has expanded with the friends I made, and it is extra meaningful when we volunteer together to help and fundraise for those who are in need,” he said.

For Miqa, a student at Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School, his volunteering journey has inspired his friends to join him in helping to organise events such as food distributions to seniors and lower-income residents and activities for students with special needs.

They were among the 1,500 volunteers who were feted at the annual President’s Challenge Volunteer Drive on Saturday (Aug 19).

The event, called Let’s Carnival, was organised by Adam Road Presbyterian Church (ARPC).

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President Halimah Yacob, who was the guest of honour, received a donation of S$100,000 from ARPC, with the amount going towards the President’s Challenge and helping 10 agencies.

“Volunteering is a visible demonstration of our social compact in action. Over the past six years, I have been very heartened to see more Singaporeans embracing volunteerism as a way of life, and I hope to see more volunteers step up to make a difference in the community,” said Madam Halimah.

Since its inception in 2012, the President’s Challenge Volunteer Drive has rallied a total of of more than 90,000 volunteers.