“One of the first elderly residents “(‘Uncle Tan’) I visited lives with his helper, as his wife was recently diagnosed with dementia. He had reluctantly brought her to live in a nursing home so she could be cared for by professional healthcare workers. It was truly a tough decision for him to make.
Uncle Tan’s care and love for his wife goes so far that he refuses to go for his family’s reunion dinners because he can’t bear to eat the well-prepared delicacies while his wife is stuck in a nursing home with perhaps less tasty meals. As he was talking to us, I could clearly see his eyes welling up…
Uncle Tan told me that he continues to visit his wife daily, without fail.”
– One of our volunteers, reflecting on his card distribution with Montfort GoodLife! and Hey, You’ve Got Mail!
Come rain or shine… will you be there for the elderly?
One of our volunteers reflects that many of us rarely even see our grandparents, and when we do, some of us are “glued to our phones” while others can’t get past the language barrier.
“None of us want to be in a situation where we regret not having known our grandparents better.”
But it’s never too late to make the first step. No need to use big words – a simple “Have you eaten?” or “What did you do last week?” can set off a conversation that both of you will cherish forever.
Think about the various elderly in your life – your grandparents, the Coffeeshop Uncle, the Auntie selling tissues. How can you reach out to them today?
At HYGM!, our main mission is to alleviate social isolation among seniors. Social isolation is a quiet yet concerning issue in Singapore, and was aggravated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Seniors are a vulnerable group and more often than not, they stay alone or away from their families which may lead to heightened loneliness and can affect their mental and physical health. Through handwritten cards, we hope to spark a moment of joy and brighten up their day and remind them that they are not alone. We believe that every small effort by our volunteers can create a huge impact.
Our volunteers hand write and decorate each and every card with love to seniors residing at our partner beneficiaries. Occasionally, we have card distribution events where volunteers come down to personally deliver the cards to seniors staying at their own flats. These distributions provide volunteers an opportunity to interact with seniors and get to know a little more about them. With the aim of reducing social isolation among seniors, we hope that these interactions can enable our volunteers to learn to reach out and care for seniors around them.
Scrapbook Edition:
Other than our usual volunteer sessions and distributions, our side-project, Scrapbook Edition, encourages volunteers to personally head down to our partner nursing homes or senior activity centres and interact with seniors there. During the course of the program, volunteers are attached to a senior and together, they will co-create a scrapbook. Our scrapbook functions as an icebreaker to provide an avenue for meaningful conversations. This enables volunteers to build friendships with a senior and possibly form long-term relationships with them. Volunteers in Scrapbook Edition engage with seniors for a minimum of 4 sessions over the course of 1-2 months depending on our partner organization. The end-product of the personalized scrapbook serves as a physical memento for the senior to keep and reminisce.
FAQ on Volunteering (as of June 20th 2021)
How else can I help other than purchasing cards and donating?
You can volunteer with us! Our team is always looking to expand our volunteer base. Activities include making cards with other volunteers, or contributing your skills such as designing, drawing or dancing! Click here to learn more and sign up to be a volunteer with us!
I signed up as a volunteer but its been a while and I have not received any news, when will you get back to me?
Due to the high volume of sign-ups, it takes awhile for us to process each application! We usually process volunteer applications once a month.
I do not have a Telegram handle. How will you contact me?
As Telegram is our main medium for volunteer announcements, please download Telegram and send us your telegram username e.g @herberthygm. It is difficult for us to coordinate on other platforms, we hope you understand!
How do I get VIA hours from volunteering with HYGM?
First, please seek approval from your teacher-in-charge that volunteering at HYGM! is a VIA activity that aligns with your school. We would like to clarify that HYGM! is NOT a charity organization. We are a non-profit ground up initiative. While we are able to provide an official documentation of your VIA hours spent volunteering with us, it is ultimately the school’s decision to approve this documentation.
In addition, if there are any school forms that require our comments/feedback for your VIA submission, please hand it to us during our volunteer sessions.
How do I get this official documentation under HYGM?
You may claim your VIA hours in the form of a Volunteer Certificate by filling in the form at this link. You will receive a soft copy certificate which you may use as Official Documentation of your VIA hours.
I have previously volunteered at HYGM! before the VIA forms were rolled out on 27th March 2021. Will I be able to claim my hours from the previous months?
Unfortunately, as there is no proper form previously to document your hours, we are unable to officially validate your past contributions.
Would it be possible if I could engage with you on my school VIA project?
Yes. Please send us an email at [email protected] on your proposal and we will view accordingly. Do make sure that you have your school’s approval first before approaching us.
Find more details about Collaborations with Hey, You Got Mail! here
