Basic Caregiver Home Care Skills Training - July '13

With a greying population, it is becoming increasingly important for us to be equipped with caregiving skills so as to better care for our aged grandparents, parents and elderly in the community. This Basic Caregiver Home Care Skills Training organized by NUSS and AIC (Aaxonn as the service provider) on Sat 27 July 2013 (10am - 5pm) taught us many essential skills on how to take care of an older person with limited mobility and detect or treat certain health issues.
6 Leos from the Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan and 4 volunteers attended this training. The best thing was, the skills learnt are also applicable to us, the younger generation! Some of the caregiving skills and methods taught were:

• Mobility Transfer
• Hygiene
• Medication Management
• Communication and Vital signs
• Fall Prevention- safety and hazards
• Usage of Assistive devices

Front Row From Left: NUSS Volunteer, Sze Chan, Althea, Michelle, Trainer, Jannice, Shurlene, Anna

Back Row From Left: NUSS Volunteer, Yishan, William, Tih Yong, Tiong Hui

We are really appreciative towards our dear Lion Archie Ong, Vice-President of NUSS and Chairperson of the NUSS Community Care Committee, for this wonderful opportunity to take up this Basic Caregiver Home Care Skills Training free of charge (otherwise we would need to apply for Caregivers’ Training Grant, available for Singaporeans with older adults at home and it would also be FOC). Being equipped with more knowledge would certainly help us better in supporting the community, especially when volunteering with elderly! :)

NUSS Groceries on Wheels - July' 13

On 20th July 2013, 20 Metro Leos, Lions and volunteers volunteered their time to help deliver bags of donated groceries to the needy residents of Merpati Road.

Organised by the NUS Society’s Community Care Sub-Committee, Groceries on Wheels is an annual event which was started in 2010, with the objective of delivering basic necessities such as food and consumables to the disadvantaged, low-income and housebound residents. 

This year, about 2000 grocery bags were delivered to the needy and elderly residents in the South East District. In addition to the services rendered, our Metro Leos put together a small sum of money to donate a total of 7 grocery bags this year!:)


NUSS Groceries on Wheels 2013

A small portion of the 2000 groceries bags...

Content of the groceries bags...

Our Leos and volunteers helping to load the groceries into the bus...

efficient human chain!

Before we set off!

Let's go! with our dearest Lions!

A group picture with the groceries bags before delivering them to the needy residents.

Lion Yong and wife:)

*knock knock* "is anyone home?"

A nice chat with the very friendly granny.

This is the second time I have participated in the NUSS Groceries on wheels. As always, the feeling is special for this event is a philanthropic and benevolent one as it is about the providence of basic needs and goods to the low income group. As a guy, we thought the event is just about flexing our muscle, but as stated, we are not a postman or a deliveryman. We are volunteers that care and discern. Hence, it is not the physical part but the emphasis is also on the empathy and communication. In a society like Singapore where we have become a developed country, it is always easy for us to forget that there is a group of under-privileged people like the elders or even low income family that requires support and help. I have learnt the true concept of abundance and always to appreciate and cherish what we have in life and now. If possible, I will definitely participate in this meaningful outreach again.

- Leo William

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the Metro Leos, Lions and volunteers who have contributed and supported this activity, by either donating groceries bags or helping to deliver the groceries!:D


Thank you Leos and volunteers for waking up early and volunteering your time and help!:)

Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan Amazing Race 2013 - June '13

Leos from the Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan organised our 5th Annual Amazing Race on 15 June 2013, Saturday, with the primary school students from Students Care Service (Hougang Centre). The theme for this year's Amazing Race was “Racial Harmony”, with the aims 1) to enhance the participants with more knowledge of Singapore cultural heritage, 2) to engage participants’ interests in learning more about Singapore, 3) to highlight the importance of teamwork and cooperation, 4) to help participants develop self-confidence, communication and interaction skills as they approach public for help and 5) to ensure that the participants spend their holidays meaningfully.

Our 5 stations are situated in cultural hot spots around Singapore - Chinatown, Kampong Glam, Little India, Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall and Peranakan Musuem. These locations were chosen to enrich the children's understanding of the different cultures in Singapore and what are the places that they can visit to enhance their cultural knowledge.




Briefing before the Race starts!:)



Ice-breaking.



Topping up their Ezlink cards before setting off.

"Hi Aunty, do you know how to go to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall?"







Carrying out their task in front of Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall.

Little India Station.







Asking for help!





Vanakkam, yen peyar Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan, unggal peyar yenna?:)

 



Where are we now?!!

 



In Peranakan Museum.

 



How do we get there?!!

 



Welcome to Chinatown Station!



Goodies and prizes for the children!:)



Scissors paper stone! yay, I win!:D

As station masters of the Amazing Race, we realized that living in the current face pace society of ours, we tend to miss out of the sights and sounds of our beloved society. While interacting with the children, we saw how easily contented they were. Simple gifts and treats can make them happy. Overall, we find that the Amazing Race is very well organized in terms of communication. Instructions given were clear and logistics are well planned. We are glad to be part of this event.

- Yi Qing & Martin, Station Masters at Chinatown Station

It was my first time doing volunteer work and it felt really nice to be able to see the happy and excited faces on the kids when they arrive at my station. Even though the race overran the scheduled timings, I am glad to be able to have all the teams arrive at my station. It is a refreshing experience and I would love to volunteer to work with kids again!

- Zheng Rui, Station Master at Little India Station

In conclusion, our Amazing Race was a huge success as the children and our volunteers have enjoyed themselves and we hope that this event will be a memorable one for everyone. On behalf of the Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan, we would like to thank Lions Club of Singapore Metropolitan for the kind sponsorship of lunch for the children and our volunteers, Leo Evon for her kind sponsorship of snacks, 3M for their kind sponsorship of stationeries sets and NUS Society of Social Work Students for the notebooks for the goodie bags, Chewy Junior for their kind sponsorship of chewy puffs and Home’s Favourite for their handmade cookies! All these will not be possible without their continuous support and generosity. We would also like to thank the dedicated social workers from Students Care Service (Hougang Centre) for coordinating and helping us out with the activity.

Most importantly, we would like to thank all our Metropolitan Leos and volunteers for their help and enthusiasm. Without the volunteers, this Amazing Race will definitely not be a success! We look forward to our next Amazing Race in 2014! :)

 


Thank you everybody! :)

If you are interested in viewing more photos from this event, do visit our Album on our Facebook Page at the following links: Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan Annual Amazing Race 2013

Visits to Sunlove Home & SiLRA Home - June '13

On the 8th of June 2013, our Leos from the Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan joined the National University of Singapore Society's Community Care Committee in their quarterly visit to the Sunlove Home. The Sunlove Home is a charitable home for the intellectually-infirmed, which shelters mainly middle-aged to elder residents. During the visit, live music entertainment and sing-along sessions were performed to bring the residents little joy in their life. Our Leos and volunteers also helped to distribute the vegetarian lunch sponsored by NUSS graduates to the residents.

Immediately after the visit to Sunlove Home, our passionate Leos went on to visit SiLRA (Singapore Leprosy Relief Assocation), which is located just next to Sunlove Home. It was a simple visit to catch up with the residents and share with them their favourite snacks - coffee and biscuits.

Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan organizes regular visits to the SiLRA to interact with the the elder residents who have recovered from Leprosy and have become destitutes due to the loss of their loved ones, discrimination by society and the loss of their homes. Through our regular visits since 2006, we have built a trusting relationship with them and we hope to provide a listening ear for them.

We had a great time chatting and knowing more about the friendly elderly in SiLRA. I am happy that they still remember us and our previous visits especially the Christmas decorations sight-seeing tour in town area last year.

- Leo Vice President Jannice Peh

I feel its a very good experience for me to have the chance to meet them, help them and know them .

- Volunteer Bao Xue 

  

Heartfelt thanks to our volunteers (Leo Jannice, Leo Shurlene, Bao Xue, Diana and Kevin) for taking your time off to join us for the home visits!:)

If you are interested in viewing more photos from this event, do visit our Album on our Facebook Page at the following links: Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan Sunlove Home Visit (June '13)

What I've learnt from volunteering at SiLRA with Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan

Ah Gong Lee would have been a promising young musician who plays the Yang Qin if the fearful infectious disease - Leprosy, did not strike him. It was just shortly after World War 2 in the late 1940s that he realised the leisions and numbing of his limbs were symptoms of Leprosy. With the lack of advanced medical assistance, lack of knowledge and financial means, Ah Gong Lee could only let Leprosy consume him and suffer from deep social stigma and shunning by the people around him. After being tormented by Leprosy for many years and having recovered from it after a cure was introduced in Singapore, the Singapore Leprosy Relief Association was finally set up, and it became Ah Gong Lee's home for more than 5 decades, so are the 30 other elder residents in SiLRA.

I wouldn't have known about Leprosy - the horrifying disease of the past, if I had not volunteered with the Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan since 2007. As time went by, people knew more about Leprosy and more people have recovered from it. Though it is no longer an existent infectious disease in Singapore, the elder residents at SiLRA who have recovered from this disease may still be discriminated by the people who lack awareness on this disease, maybe due to the disfigurement and loss of limbs caused by Leprosy. Knowing this, most elder residents had no place to stay even after they have recovered from this disease, and SiLRA became their home, and us, volunteers became their occasional companions and friends.

Volunteering has always been very fulfilling because it can make one feel the importance of our contribution, but through many activities, I realised that even more than the self-fulfillment is how us, as Leo Club volunteers play a role in providing informal social support and entertainers (haha) for the elder residents at SiLRA. Through our bi-monthly and festive visits, we managed to build rapport and provide some entertainment and joy to the elder residents in the home. Maybe this takes up 2-3 hours of our time every few months (or 10hours+ if planning of activity is included), but Ah Gong Lee and many elder residents appreciated it to the max. (How about us?) If i imagine myself growing old and having no family members to support me emotionally, physically and financially, I would feel really devastated. But the ah gong ah mas at SiLRA have proven me so wrong, they have shown me the positiveness of life and how they try to make the best of it - Ah Gong Lee even performed for President's Star Charity in the 2000s when he was still ambulant, the Ah Mas make handicrafts for leisure, and Ah Gong Wang sings very well! It is definitely not easy to look on the bright side when everything seems dark, but there are cracks because this is how the light comes in, and they have made it thus far. Their strength reminded me every time to be appreciative of my health and what I have. I believe they have influenced some of our Leos in the same ways too, I was especially heartened when some Leos and volunteers shared with me how they felt after their visits. So many life lessons to learn from these elder residents and this makes me look forward to visiting them again next month (or in May). 

This time, 13 of us Leos and volunteers celebrated Chinese New Year with the SiLRA residents. With a budget of ~$150, we brought along 45 comfortable seat pillows, coffee and tea sachets, biscuits and cakes to share with them. We were also honoured to have some of our volunteers (Boon Hock and Kay Paw) to sing a few Chinese New Year Songs such as 大地回春 and 春風吻上我的臉 for us. We also played some games to share the new year goodies! Some photos have been uploaded on here: Visit to SiLRA (February '13)

Here's what some of our Leos who attended the visit would like to share with all of you:

The visit to Silra home this time round much more significant, we were glad that we brought some joy to the elderly during this CNY festive season!
Moroever, this visit was carried out on a weekday whereby most of the elderly were around, hence we could engage more of them in our games and activities. We shall try to visit during weekdays as much as we can.
It was not the gifts we have brought for them but rather, the interaction with them using my limited dialect skills, which was the most endearing. It was heartwarming that they mentioned that even though they do not remember our faces from past visits, they know that we have visited them before

- Leo Assistant Treasurer Anna Yeo

This was my first time at SiLRA and it was doubly special because it also marked my first participation in one of the Leo Club’s activities. Prior to my trip, I have never met patients of Leprosy and only knew what it was the day before the trip when I Googled the term. And certainly, reading about them was not the same as actually meeting them. Despite what they have been through, the patients staying at the home were extremely friendly and engaging. Although there were some difficulties in communicating with a few of them, I still tried my best to try to decipher what they were trying to say and when all else failed, a smile really did go a long way! It was certainly a memorable experience and I look forward to participating in future activities.

- Leo Sita Yang

Front row from Left: Leo Sita, Leo Immediate Past President Shurlene, Kimberly

Back row from Left: Leo President Tiong Hui, Shamini, Joanne, Leo Asst. Treasurer Anna, Diana, Louise, Hui Wen, Boon Hock

I am sure we all have so many more stories to share. Shall invite other Leos to share more of their experience next time! Right now, many of us Leos who are studying in the Universities are experiencing the super hectic period of our school term as deadlines and examinations are approaching. Of course, we would have to focus on and prioritize our studies and work first. We gotta ensure we can help ourselves before we lend our support to others right? :) And what heartens me through these years is the compassion and enthusiasm that our Leo members and volunteers have toward serving the community despite some of us holding on to many responsibilities. This is the true spirit of serving, and we shall continue to serve, with <3. 

Ohh... and did I mention how volunteerism have brought like-minded leos together and that our Past President Leo Alan Tam has just married his wife who is from our sister club in Hong Kong - Leo Club of Hong Kong Host? Here's one of their blissful ROM photo! Congratulations to the both of you! :D Volunteering is amazing isn't it? You meet many people from all wards of life and countries, and who knows, you may just meet the love of your life who has the same interest in supporting others and similar life purpose as you. <3 

So, ALL THE WAY, Leos from Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan!! Continue to impact lives in all ways possible, and through the process, enhance and strengthen ourselves. :D

Loads of leove,
Shurlene
Leo IPP
Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations with Lions Befrienders Seniors - September '12

On the 29th of September 2012, the Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan organized Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations for a group of 40 seniors, held at the Lions Befrienders Seniors Activity Centre in Ang Mo Kio.

The event started at 1:00pm and as the seniors walked in, there was a mix of anticipation and nervousness. We had all put in lots of effort into the planning and preparations  and hoped that the seniors would be able to enjoy themselves and leave with good memories.

Seniors showing off their vocal talents, serenading everyone present.

To start things off, we began by serving a delicious lunch, sponsored by our Club. Following that, we began our celebration segment proper. The first segment was the Open Mic segment, where seniors were encouraged to come forward to perform their favourite songs and oldies. The seniors showcased that age definitely did not have any impact on their ability to sound great, leaving many of us Leos impressed!

Mid-Autumn Quiz Time!!!

"Uncle did you say the right answer?"

Volunteers and seniors trying as hard as they can to form the biggest "moon".

The second segment of the events was "Games Time!". The first game played was "Quiz Time!". The quiz consisted first of the "Guess which song!" segment, where seniors were asked to guess a song from their generation, hummed aloud by a Leo who had never heard the song before. The next part was to guess a series of questions involving the history of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Lastly, each table was asked to send up a pair making-up of a senior and a volunteer to form the largest "moon" using only their hands. The seniors were extremely enthusiastic and the atmosphere became more lively as the event progressed.

It was our club's first ever Mid-Autumn celebration with the elderly and we were glad that the elderly enjoyed the impromptu karaoke sessions, had fun playing the games plus 猜灯谜，as well as interacting with us!! Most of us celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by playing with lanterns and eating mooncakes with family and friends, but this will be one of my extraordinary memories of bringing joy and companionship to the elderly during this festive season. They may not need our physical assistance, but emotional support could mean a lot to them. It was heart-warming to see them left with smiles on their faces, which in turn, made us smile too!:)

- Leo Secretary Angelin

Eric and Jannice can consider careers as back-up dancers.

The event gradually drew to a close with some more closing impromptu performances from the seniors themselves.

However, as with all good things, the event had to conclude and with smiles and arms laden with the bags of Mid-Autumn goodies and mooncakes given by us, the seniors took their leave from the centre. Even though, we were worried that the seniors may not enjoy what we had planned for them, our worries were allayed by their smiles and warm handshakes in appreciation for our work, a truly heart-warming moment.

On behalf of the Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors (Home's Favourite, Unisoy and Indocafe) for supporting our event and helping to make it the success it was!

We would of course also like to thank Lions Befrienders for giving us the opportunity to work with their seniors, and last but not least we would like to thank the Lions and volunteers who came to support us!

Leos from Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan and volunteers!

If you are interested in viewing more photos from this event, do visit our Album on Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan's Facebook Page at the following links: Leo Club of Singapore Metropolitan Mid-Autumn Festival with LB seniors