Volunteering in Singapore
With Valentine’s day just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about date activities for you and bae or you and the besties. Even better if it’s an activity that’s memorable and will make you feel good – like helping those who are less fortunate. Well, Giving.sg has 5 great volunteering date ideas for you that’ll not only make your Vday but also others’ as well.
As if that wasn’t great enough, you even stand a chance to win a limited edition set of adorable Singa the Kindness Lion plushies just by posting about your volunteering date activities on either Instagram or TikTok. Here are some of the volunteering opportunities available this Valentine’s Day.
1. Promote Assistance Dogs for the Disabled
Image credit: K9 Assistance Ltd Singapore
K9Assistance helps to partner disabled individuals with assistance dogs. Assistance dogs provide help for people with disabilities like those who are hard of hearing and seeing, people who are handicapped, and even those with autism. A furry little helper can go a long way in relieving the effort these individuals need for daily tasks.
Image credit: K9 Assistance Ltd Singapore
There are many ways you can help give visibility to these assistance dogs – aspiring influencers can create social media content such as videos which K9 Assistance can then use to promote their worthy cause and educate others on the purpose of assistance dogs.
Image credit: K9 Assistance Ltd Singapore
Another way in which you can help is to volunteer your time in K9Assistance’s outreach events. These events help to educate organisations and the general public about how useful assistance dogs are.
If you don’t, however, have the time or artistic skills to volunteer, you can also create a fundraiser or make a donation to help K9Assistance in their efforts.
Volunteer to promote assistance dogs for K9Assistance.
2. Create infographics for HealthServe
Image credit: HealthServe
Let’s get digital. For all the creative couples out there, this one’s for you. HealthServe is a charity that functions to help migrant workers in Singapore with their mental and physical health. If you have an expertise in digital design and production in infographics, put those skills to noble use with this virtual volunteering opportunity.
Image adapted from: HealthServe
Get those creative juices flowing to produce at least 4-6 infographics a month about HealthServe’s services based on the information they will provide to you. You will also work with volunteer facilitators to guide you through the process and help you meet deadlines.
Volunteer as an infographic designer for HealthServe.
3. Instil the joy of learning in young children
Image credit: New Life Stories
If you love spending time with children, you’ll want to check out becoming a Learning Friend with New Life Stories. This entails teaching young children aged 3-12 years old how to read in English. You’ll also get the opportunity to make learning a fun experience for them through conversations, storytelling, games, and activities.
Image credit: New Life Stories
The aim is not only to help to improve their English language and literacy skills, but also improve their confidence and prepare them for interactions once they head off for school. Here’s your chance to make an impact on a child’s development and develop a meaningful bond with them this Valentine’s day.
Volunteer as a Learning Friend for New Life Stories.
4. Encourage senior citizens to be active through games
Image credit: Project Kalon
This isn’t like your regular under-the-block Tai Chi. Project Kalon encourages senior citizens to be active and interact with their peers through fun games such as Petanque. Petanque is a team game where players form a large circle and take turns throwing mini metal balls towards a wooden ball in the middle. The player that throws the ball closest to the wooden ball wins.
Image credit: Project Kalon
With this volunteering opportunity, all you have to do is take the time out to befriend senior citizens in senior centres and community clubs and play a friendly game of Petanque with them. Nothing like some junior-senior bonding through sports to bring out their youthful side.
Volunteer to help senior citizens be active with Project Kalon.
5. Provide guidance to senior citizens learning digital mobile skills
Image credit: Sathya Sai Social Service
If you’ve ever had to help your parents or grandparents with their smartphones, you’ll definitely know how to be a Digital Clinic Ambassador for Sathya Sai Social Service.
These digital Clinics are in place to help teach senior citizens how to use their mobile phones. This includes navigating apps that facilitate cashless payments as well as exploring social media apps such as Facebook – things that we do daily without batting an eyelid.
Image credit: Sathya Sai Social Service – 4S
Volunteer your time and become a Digital Clinic Ambassador to help facilitate the learning process for the elderly for whom smartphones can be tough to understand and use. Apart from befriending them, you’ll also be tasked with providing one-to-one assistance and answering their questions whenever necessary.
Volunteer to be a Digital Clinic Ambassador for Sathya Sai Social Service.
Volunteer with your loved ones as a date idea this Valentine’s Day
These are just a few of the many ways you can contribute your time and skills to helping others in our community. The possibilities are endless.
Designed in collaboration with Singapore Kindness Movement.
Image credit: National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre
While you and bae are on your volunteering date, share your experience on your social media for a chance to win a limited edition set of Singa the Kindness Lion plushies as an extra keepsake of your volunteering adventure. These plushies are one of a kind, designed exclusively for Valentine’s Day to promote kindness and volunteerism.
The contest runs from 14th February to 14th March 2023 on Instagram and TikTok. Simply be one of the first 100 to share with others on stories, reels or posts how you’ve been helping to uplift those in our community this Valentine’s Day. Be sure to use the hashtag #begreaterinthecityofgood and tag @cityofgoodsg as well as @kindnesssg.
So, make a date with a loved one, friends, family or even colleagues and classmates by volunteering through Giving.sg.
Sign up to volunteer at Giving.sg
This post was brought to you by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre.
Cover image adapted from: Sathya Sai Social Service, K9 Assistance Ltd Singapore