The heart of volunteerism beats strong with nEbO youths

Online volunteerism and Masks For All happening in July!

Singapore, 17 July 2020 – nEbO turns 13 this July! To celebrate this special occasion, nEbO hopes to bring joy to others through its initiatives, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out how nEbO youths are adapting their volunteer efforts in this ‘new normal’!

Befriending with nEbO 

Safe distancing does not mean no socialising! Even though social distancing measures are in place, nEbO youths wish to ensure that seniors are not distanced from society. To achieve that goal, over 120 nEbO youths will be taking volunteerism online through Google Meet.

The month-long, youth-led initiative will see them interacting with over 150 senior beneficiaries from various homes. Planned activities led by the youths include chat sessions, song performances, simple exercises and more, to engage the seniors during this period when visits by volunteers are reduced.

Mentoring this initiative is Joseph Chow, 29, from the nEbO engagement team. He shares, “Social distancing and spending long periods of time alone may be detrimental to the seniors’ well-being, and especially those in nursing homes who do not have their family members by their side. Befriending with nEbO fills that gap through online engagement in the form of social support, keeping seniors company and guiding them through simple exercises to keep their spirits up. It can help make their day and provide them with much needed social support. The response so far has been positive, and both our nEbO volunteers and beneficiaries have been enjoying the sessions thus far.”

nEbO volunteer Victoria Zheng, 19, signed up for this initiative as she felt that seniors needed more social support now than ever. She said, “Seniors living alone, or without their families are particularly vulnerable and may feel anxious due to decreased interactions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Befriending with nEbO allows volunteers like myself to engage in conversations with seniors, and provide a listening ear for them to share their worries. Even though volunteering through online means does have its challenges, it makes volunteering easier for those who have less time to spare, especially in our busy lives. Ultimately the goal is the same, which is to help boost their moods and cheer them up!”

Schedule:

Masks For All 

Making masks, to make a difference. Recognising that not all members of society have the same access to masks, Masks For All aims to provide 1,300 hand-sewn masks for 650 underprivileged students in Singapore. These masks will be sewn by 300 volunteers comprising nEbO youths and members of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC).

The masks will be distributed to underprivileged students from U Club, Lakeside Family Service Centre, and agencies under the North East Community Development Council which include Pertapis Children’s Home, Pertapis Centre for Women & Girls, Trybe (Tampines), Trybe Hostel (Sengkang) and the Malay Youth Literary Association 4PM.

Mak Fong Yee, 22, nEbO Champion, said, “I decided to volunteer for nEbO’s Masks For All as I've never tried sewing before and this could be a great opportunity for me to give it a try, while at the same time contributing to the society, killing two birds with a stone. With many different do-good initiatives, nEbO encourages youths to discover the potential they did not know they possess."

Hayati Binte Maszeman, 19, volunteer from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central’s nEbO Youth Club, shared similar sentiments, “Volunteering for nEbO’s Masks For All is especially meaningful as mask wearing has become a norm in our lives. While the majority of us are able to buy disposable masks for our daily use, there are underprivileged groups who may not have the resources to do so. I believe that it is more crucial for us to help each other now more than before, and through this initiative, we hope to make masks more accessible to those in need.”

nEbO volunteers have begun sewing the masks since the start of July and are looking to distribute the completed masks from 24 July 2020 onwards. Mr Kelvin Thong, General Manager of North East Community Development Council and Ms Gigi Low, Head of Department for Membership Engagement at NTUC Club, will join volunteers to physically distribute the masks to selected beneficiaries such as Pertapis Children’s Home, Pertapis Centre for Women & Girls, Malay Youth Literary Association and Lakeside Family Services, from the first week of August onwards.

nEbO’s 13th Birthday Treats

Youths between the ages of 12 and 25 interested in joining this vibrant community can sign up at a discounted rate at $29 (U.P. $42) for a nEbO MAX Membership this July! The membership entitles them to a suite of privileges, such as free entry to Wild Wild Wet among other benefits for live, work and play! Find out more information at nebo.sg.