Volunteering is a family affair

While many families spend time relaxing together on Sunday mornings, this family of four is up before 7am to distribute porridge to over 150 needy residents in housing estates around Singapore.

Mr Lim Wee Kee, 44, and his family have been volunteers with informal volunteer group Keeping Hope Alive (KHA) since 2012.

Along with 60 regular volunteers from KHA consisting of doctors, plumbers and carpenters, the assistant superintendent with the Singapore Police Force and his wife, Madam Evelyn Hung, 41, daughter Reane, 12, and son Reven, eight, spend Sunday mornings painting homes, checking for expired medication and replacing faulty appliances.

"It's important that the children have their eyes opened to family environments outside their own so they don't always remain in their comfort zones."

Mr Lim shared with The New Paper that his children were initially reluctant to wake up early every Sunday morning but subsequently changed their minds after a few weeks: "It took them a few visits to see what others' lives were like before they could appreciate the meaning in our volunteering work."

KHA is one of the groups mentioned in Parliament at Thursday's (March 9)Committee of Supply debate by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in light of its announcement to develop SG Cares, an initiative to grow more volunteering opportunities for individuals like Mr Lim and his family and equip them with necessary skills and training.

KHA founder Madam Fion Phua, 47, welcomes the SG Cares movement, telling TNP: "As a group who is volunteering on the ground, we see, hear and know what are the needs to be met so I'm glad the government wants to partner individual groups like us."