Ezekiel Goh
BA, Year 2
The Circuit Breaker has been a unique and eye-opening experience for me. Throughout the 2 months, I volunteered at the charity organisation Food from the Heart (FFTH). While many of my friends were confined to their homes, I got to catch some fresh air outside and give back to the community.
Previously, I did my BUILD internship at FFTH in May 2019, leaving with happy memories and a passion to one day return to serve. As such, when the Circuit Breaker commenced, I asked Ms. Sim Bee Hia, CEO of FFTH, whether she required additional help during this trying period. As it turned out, she needed extra hands to support the logistics team.
I was fortunate that both my parents are also working in essential services, which softened their stance towards me being outdoors during this time.
The day before Ramadan began: the last time my Muslim colleagues got to enjoy the warmth of a hot lunch to fuel them before an entire month of fasting
I got a shock when I started volunteering. Welfare packs of food items that were previously around 5-10kg were now 10-15kg, and the number of welfare packs to be delivered had increased exponentially. On one occasion, we delivered about 10,000 kg of food items in a day! Many people had become unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant they now required more aid to tide them through each month. Every single day of volunteering was extremely exhausting, as we were on a tight schedule to make sure everyone would receive their welfare packs. Yet, I found it extremely satisfying.
Our Circuit Breaker situations might have been challenging, but there are others who have different concerns. There are home-based business owners who are out of a job, there are parents who have many to feed, yet are unable to leave the house to work and earn money. My volunteering experience has taught me that my situation may not be so bad after all, comparatively. I am in a position where I am able to give back to others and help them. And doing so made something in my heart just feel right about being able to support others through my volunteering.
COVID-19 was and still is a huge problem not just for us, but for everyone in the world. The number of people who require financial aid will continue to surge. And so, if you feel that you have some spare time to give during these trying times, I encourage you to volunteer anywhere. Manpower will always be an issue when it comes to volunteering. And if we can give back, why not?
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