“No gift is too small to make a difference – you have your own set of wonderful gifts waiting to be mobilised for good.”
In these unprecedented times, never have we been more appreciative of having a home to retreat to. Unfortunately, not everyone has a proper home to turn to. Since the start of the circuit breaker, the number of rough sleepers in Singapore has increased. Luckily, our #SGStrong grantees, the team at Skillseed has connected with the Safe, Sound, Sleeping Place (S3 Place) who has opened the doors of Yio Chu Kang Chapel to these rough sleepers.
Liyana commented, “I thought to myself: How would you feel if, almost overnight, you lost everything? Your job, your house, and to make matters worse, you couldn’t seek shelter with any family? That was when my husband and I tentatively raised the possibility of supporting the stayers during this time to our team members, I was delighted (but hardly surprised) to find them welcome the idea without a moment of hesitation.”
Housing 20 rough sleepers, the team is planning on using the fund to buy halal meals for the stayers. Partnering with local hawker stalls and businesses, this project not only helps the stayers stay nourished but also supports these local businesses who may be struggling financially because of the virus.
“No gift is too small to make a difference – you have your own set of wonderful gifts waiting to be mobilised for good. Trust yourself to speak up for the vulnerable, and trust that there will be others who will heed your call and work alongside you.”
Furthermore, they have also engaged courier services to deliver the meals from the kitchens straight to the sleepers so as to adhere to the government regulations. In more ways than one, this collaboration between the S3 Place and our grantees has alleviated the stress of these rough sleepers. We hope that S3 Place’s Project will inspire you to also look out for the vulnerable groups in your community. Together, we are stronger than COVID-19.