5 minute read
Welfare Services
invites you to be a friend to someone in need 2021
Every year, The Giving Methodist, spearheaded by The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) and Methodist Welfare Services (MWS), provides a platform to galvanise all Methodists for acts of love. Against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s theme encourages every Methodist to “Persevere in Doing Good”.
As part of the Methodist family, we have the opportunity to do good by giving generously especially during the current circumstances. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9).
Let us answer the call to do good by rallying our family and friends to reach deep into our hearts and extend warmth and friendship to someone in need during these tough times.
We invite you to join MWS’s Persevere in Doing Good campaign by befriending those who are disadvantaged and distressed for a period of six to 12 months.
MWS will connect you with distressed families and individuals, socially isolated seniors, and disadvantaged children in need of meaningful, longerterm friendship, advice and emotional support in their lives. Go to https://thegivingmethodist.sg/ or scan the QR code to sign up as a befriender or find out more about The Giving Methodist.
JOIN THE GIVING METHODIST CAMPAIGN IN THESE THREE WAYS:
GIVE TIME
Volunteer your time to be a befriender and walk alongside our beneficiaries who need help. You can offer some companionship to someone in need. Journey with a befriendee from a participating MWS centre or Methodist church ministry today! Registration has been extended to 30 October 2021.
GIVE A DONATION
Uplift those whose circumstances remain dire with a regular giving of $40 a month, or a one-time donation. Your giving could potentially impact the lives of more than 8,000 we serve through our MWS centres and programmes.
GIVE VOICE
Lend your voice to the disadvantaged and distressed by spreading the word about The Giving Methodist on your social media channels or group chats. Do get others involved too! For further enquiries on The Giving Methodist, please email tgm@mws.sg.
HELP
AT EVERY LEVEL
Asafe and homely place to live in; love, care and support from family and the community. Many consider these to be the essentials for a happy, healthy and fulfilling life. But the sad reality is that these basic needs for a dignified life are beyond the grasp of some individuals, for reasons or circumstances outside of their control.
Andrea has benefitted from a trauma-informed therapeutic programme at MWS Girls’ Residence
Giving hope to a youth in crisis
Take 16-year-old Andrea*, for example. Neglected by her single mother who struggled to make ends meet, she sought comfort in the wrong places in her younger days—such as taking drugs, stealing and playing truant. Her situation was worsened by a neighbour who sexually exploited her. She was eventually referred to the MWS Girls’ Residence (GR) which is managed by Methodist Welfare Services (MWS), where she was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The MWS GR care team took almost two months to gain Andrea’s trust, and helped her learn coping strategies and regulate her emotions. Andrea discovered her love and talent for music, and was encouraged to enrol in an Arts Incubation programme. While the path to recovery is long, she knows that she is not alone, and expresses more hope for her future.
“I am really proud of myself and thankful for the support that I have received from MWS GR. Without their guidance, I would have been lost,” shared Andrea.
Saras with an artwork she made during art class
Photo by Agency for Integrated Care
Caring for a senior under duress
Another struggling individual is Mdm Saraswathy, 73. Saras, as she likes to be known—was a former nurse who cared for patients for 45 years. While she has retired, the nursing role never left her as she became a full-time caregiver to her ailing 94-year-old mother and 82-year-old husband.
When her mother had a hip replacement surgery, Saras was there to nurse her back to health. Her husband, who had a heart bypass surgery, is also reliant on her for many daily activities such as walking and bathing. Under the immense strain of full-time caregiving, Saras felt greatly stressed and totally alone.
When MWS Charis Activity Centre for Elders – Geylang East opened below Saras’ flat in 2014, she decided to join as a member. There, Saras is able to enjoy respite from her daily caregiving responsibilities by participating in various activities that engage her mind, keep her healthy and enable her to connect with friends and family.
HELP US TO HELP AT EVERY LEVEL
Make a big-hearted donation to support the running of MWS’ holistic programmes. Besides offering services and programmes to address presenting problems, we also provide psychosocial and emotional support, and pastoral care to work through deep-seated issues.
to donate.
On behalf of those we serve, thank you for your kindness and generosity.
“Before this, I didn’t have anyone to talk to. Now I can share my problems with my friends here, and listening about their problems has somehow made me feel that mine aren’t the worst; instead, it makes me feel grateful,” said Saras.
A long helping journey
Andrea and Saras are just two of the many we serve at MWS. As the social concerns arm of The Methodist Church in Singapore, we are here to provide help at every level—the disadvantaged young or a vulnerable and isolated senior, the sick and frail or a distressed family. Our holistic and person-centred approach empowers our beneficiaries to take critical steps out of poverty brought on by financial distress, emptiness, trauma, illness, dysfunctional relationships or neglect. It is often a long arduous journey that requires perseverance, patience, love and kindness.
As a Methodist family, consider partnering with MWS in helping those in need.
*Not her real name.
