“JUST WANT to make life better for our neighbours lah.” This is the refrain Petir keeps hearing these few months, whenever we interview our Meet-the-People Session volunteers.
These are our rank-and-file PAP activists. Unsung heroes who serve tirelessly and quietly, helping their fellow Singaporeans.
Volunteers like Dharma, who sprang into action when an abuse victim — a struggling single mum — came to MPS at PAP Kampong Chai Chee branch for help.
Together with his fellow volunteers, Dharma secured for her a regular supply of groceries, as well as book vouchers from Popular bookstore. “Because [she has] four children. Just imagine,” he told Petir quietly.
A fellow Kampong Chai Chee activist, Denise, shared when her branch defused a difficult situation with firmness and – equally vital — empathy: A resident had failed his hawker application again, and threatened to go to the media about his situation.
“I was very taken aback,” Denise told us. “Why did he threaten us? But Mr Tan [Kiat How, MP for Kampong Chai Chee,] handled the case very calmly.”
There is also Marsha, an activist with PAP Joo Chiat branch, who has been volunteering from a young age. For her, serving residents means helping vulnerable people navigate systems which can often make them feel like a statistic.
“These are actual people with actual lives,” she shared. And when she’s called upon to help a resident find much-needed housing and shelter, the personal touch goes a long way.
“I think it’s important that everybody can talk friendly with every single person,” she added.
And there’s Fayyaz from PAP Geylang Serai branch, who assisted a very elderly man in Geylang Serai after the man’s heart surgery. He also takes special care of youths who come to MPS seeking support with their mental health. “Mental health is becoming a bigger issue these days, and more youths actually need a lot of support,” he shared with Petir in an upcoming video.
These volunteer stories repeat every week at PAP branches all over Singapore.
No system is perfect, and there will always be Singaporeans who fall through the cracks, or who need help temporarily. That’s why MPS is such an important part of our spirit of service. It is a direct line where residents can come and seek help from their MPs.
As Guru from PAP Kampong Chai Chee branch explained: “Because [residents] know that when they come here, something will be done.”
Watch our volunteer videos, and if you are inspired, come down to your nearest PAP Branch and start your volunteering journey today!
It is an opportunity to help your fellow Singaporeans.
