charity Archives - Sengkang Babies

Safra Swim for Hope 2020 is virtual! Like many other “virtual” running events, Covid19 has placed a damper on events with mass participants.

It was challenging for us to complete our laps, unless we have access to a condominium pool. You should try to book a swim slot with MyActiveSg!

General lap swims are only available between 6.30pm to 9.30pm, and slots are snapped up quickly. The afternoon prime slots are taken up by classes.

Who knew swimming could be so tough in Singapore!

Back to Safra Swim For Hope 2020. Event is organised by Safra and sponsored by Liberty Insurance. As with previous editions, Swim For Hope still has the same mission.

You and your family swim, and the proceeds will go to the beneficiaries.
We find the collaboration meaningful, and kids get to enjoy their swims.

Swimmers would choose their own category. The only difference is you can have up to ‘almost” a month to complete the laps!

I had selected Resilience 1km category for two kids, since booking of swimming slots is so difficult. I thought 40 laps would be a stretch. As a reference, we did average 30 laps under 2 hours in 2018.

But their swimming coaches made them swim 30 laps in 1 hour haha! I should have registered No3 for 10 km 🙂

A pity I could not join them in the fun laps.

After completing the swim laps, just go online and register the records.
No rubberband per lap this time, we trust every swimmer’s integrity.

Daddy would like to shoutout for his favourite swim queen too. Joscelin Yeo ruled the pools from 1990 to early 2000! She was my generation’s idol.

I always remembered her leading the Gold medal charges, and her broad masculine shoulder! And she is now a happy mother of 4 kids 🙂

Swim For Hope event ends 15 Nov 2020, we hope all participants and families would enjoy swimming as much as us.

All proceeds and donations will go to ARC (care for autism) , SAF Care Fund (care for injured servicemen) and SSA One Team (enable aquatics exposure). More details on Swim for hope 2020 website.

Do pop by our previous Fun Safra Swim For hope experience from 2018 too (link).

ps All images above credit “Bubbles And Splashes”.
Our swim entries are sponsored by Swim For Hope.

Chinese New Year day 3 and Volunteering at Willing Hearts. It was an extra day off for us and our family decided to do something meaningful.

There are plenty of activities at Willing Hearts, mainly ingredients preparation, food packing, cooking or cleaning.

We rotated vegetable sorting and cutting, cabbage peeling and potatoes peeling. It was a meaningful family activity for us.

Volunteers shifts are generally half day or full day. But we can tell you that 4 hours of vegetables sorting can be quite tiring haha. Besides, kids will get restless after 10 mins at the same station.

I did highlight that cabbage peeling can be therapeutic after the 4th basket. Just peel, no need to think :p

For first timers, please ask around and find a station to help. There might not be any supervisor to tell you what to do. After a while, new joiners will be asking you whether anyone need help 🙂

Kids are not allowed to use knives. We noticed that regulars would be sorting or cooking the meals in the kitchen.

Water and refreshment is available. Kids can also help to sweep the floor.

Volunteering is a good family bonding activity. While doing good, kids learn about empathy and giving back to society.

Some of our volunteering experiences are listed below.

– Boys’ Brigade Share-a-Gift
– Touch Meals On wheels (MOW) (Meals delivery)
– Comchest Fudai 福袋 (Goodies delivery)
– Willing Hearts (Kitchen help)
– Acres (Age 14+, our kids are animal lovers)

Do take note there is only one entrance along Jln Ubi (GPS 1.317522, 103.900424 ). Volunteers who drive are supposed to park outside the compound.

Hearty Nasi Briyani after hard work.

You would need to reserve a slot before you head down. Willing Hearts do not entertain walkin due to the huge number of participants.

More details about volunteering at Willing Hearts can be found on their website and Facebook.

ps.. Although Willing Hearts is started by Christians initiative, everyone is welcome