Sharings from Volunteers
2021 May - Blossom Seeds Centre and CBP Volunteer Sabaria
Testimonials
I worked in Singtel for 44 years and retired at the age of 62 years old.
I noticed that there are many needy seniors who needed support. Sometimes, the older generation may not understand recent policies and the young people may not be able to understand the seniors. I have ageing parents and one day I will also grow old.
If I stay at home, I will only be watching TV. Volunteering at Blossom Seeds allows me to make friends with people from all walks of life. Other than the daily activities, I also enjoy the festival celebrations and get to understand other cultures. I also attended the befriending sharing, excel course and talks on infection control, emergency response, amongst others.
Blossom Seeds support needy seniors from all races and religion and I feel welcome in Blossom Seeds. I am grateful that I am able to contribute by visiting them.
~ Senior Volunteer, Sabaria ~
It has been an eye-opening experience volunteering at Blossom Seeds, seeing the struggles of everyday Singaporean seniors from numerous medical disabilities and co-morbidities, to poor family support networks, to socio-economic or financial challenges
During the orientation, I was told that these medical escorts were not simply logistical trips to and fro the clinics. These trips offered opportunities to lend a listening ear and an open heart to the elderly. Social health is a crucial aspect to healthy ageing, and we as volunteers played an important role.
The seniors thanked me for my effort and care. However, I am the one thanking them for granting me the opportunity to give back to the community.
I feel that volunteering is something that should be a baseline expectation of everyone as members of society. As a current medical student and future leader in healthcare, volunteering at Blossom Seeds lets me draw upon these experiences and understand better what it is like on the patient side of the consultation table. It reaffirms how physicians play significant roles in healthcare experiences and that empathy is indispensable.
~ MET Volunteer, Andrew S Chung ~
I first joined Blossom Seeds (BSL) in 2018 volunteering as a Medical Escort.
Every trip I make is significant as it’s always a different perspective and personality of the beneficiary that I get to encounter. These experiences have provided me with snippets of the reality of the elderly community in our society and the challenges they face. This inspires me to think and take action.
It really strikes me that in our peaceful and comfortable everyday lives, there lies the vulnerable that we don’t see, who sometimes fall through the gaps. There are groups of elderly seniors who have barely any support, or do not know where to find help and waiting for you to reach out your helping hand.
~ MET Volunteer, Tsou Hao ~
