Reach Out ¢ Welfare Services By the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) Communications Team / Photo courtesy of MWS
Senior volunteerism
Making the most of one’s golden years
Leong Imm said that serving the needs of the community through volunteering is not only fulfilling God’s calling Seniors are mobilised as community befrienders to conduct home visits and provide psychosocial support for vulnerable older adults
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in her life, but is also a meaningful way to spend her golden years. Her outreach efforts are part of the Community Befriending Service run by MWS, which connects volunteer befrienders with vulnerable seniors. Besides befriending, senior volunteers with MWS also serve in other ways such as tutoring disadvantaged children hen
67-year-old
Loo
Leong
Imm
started
volunteering as a befriender with Methodist
and leading recreational activities to increase social engagement and promote active aging.
Welfare Services (MWS) in 2017, she faced
rejection from one of the elderly beneficiaries.
MWS believes that every person—including our seniors— possess innate strengths and treasured abilities, and can
“I was paired with Mdm Tan, who has dementia and
be empowered to make a positive difference.
is battling depression. She speaks Hokkien, so I tried conversing with her in broken Hokkien. Initially, she refused
Volunteers are trained to fulfil their given roles, with
to talk to me as she thought that I was after her money,”
guidance on understanding seniors and identifying their
recounted Leong Imm. “But after several visits, she came to
unmet needs for follow-up care. To support volunteers,
realise that that wasn’t the case, and she began to warm
MWS periodically hosts thematic webinars such as
up to me.”
‘Understanding Dementia’, ‘Diabetes’ and ‘How to be Equipped as Befrienders’. It also launched the MWS
Leong Imm continued to visit Mdm Tan every week over 3
Befriender’s Toolkit to guide volunteers in reaching out to
years, engaging her in conversations and exercising with
different befriendee profiles.
her at home. Often, Mdm Tan would experience mood swings, and Leong Imm would lend her an empathetic ear and try to calm her down.
Be the light of the world During the Covid-19 pandemic, when home visits were
Jesus told his followers to “let your light shine
halted, Mdm Tan’s dementia deteriorated to the extent that
before others” (Matthew 5:16), calling us to
when Leong Imm resumed visiting her, the senior could
live out our faith. One way of doing so is by
no longer recognise her. Still, Leong Imm kept visiting the
being generous with our time and serving the
senior every week, and became a steadfast pillar of support
needs of the community through volunteering.
to one of Mdm Tan’s sons, her main caregiver.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve another, as
To alleviate his stress, Leong Imm allowed him to vent
good stewards of God’s varied grace.” Even
his feelings freely. “He was stressed from taking care of
small acts of love can make a big difference to
his mother. As I was once a caregiver to my mother-in-
the lives of our beneficiaries.
law who had dementia, I was able to relate and share with him my own experiences of caring for someone with
To sign up as a volunteer or befriender,
dementia,” she shared. “This helped him to cope better
email volunteer@mws.sg
with his caregiving duties. I’m glad that my volunteering
or visit mws.sg/volunteer
has benefitted this family in some way.” METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022
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