Volunteering not only keeps our bodies and minds active, but our actions can last a lifetime for ourselves and others. If you have time on your hands, these acts of services not only benefits others, but also gives you the opportunity to connect with new people from all walks of life.
Through volunteering, you get to widen your network of friends and remain engaged in our society.
Not only does volunteering contribute to your cognitive health, engaging in meaningful activities can lower the risk of dementia and health problems in the later years of your life.
You might be wondering what you can do at your age. Whilst we might be worried about fitness levels and how we can really contribute, our advice is to not let that restrict what we want to do for our community. Remember, giving comes from the heart.
To start you off, here are some volunteering opportunities that can help you spend your time more meaningfully.
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1. If you love interacting with others, we got you!
Create new memories and friendships with those in the community. Here are some volunteering opportunities where you can get to connect with new people.
- Programme Assistant @ MWS Senior Activity Centres
Sign up before 1 December 2021
Commitment: 1 day per week on weekday
Location: Islandwide (various locations of MWS Activity Centers) - RSVP Open House Volunteers
Sign up before 30 December 2021
Commitment: Flexible on weekday or weekend, 3 hours per session
Location: 9 Bishan Place Singapore 579837 - Community Telehealth Service (CTS)
Sign up before 1 March 2022
Commitment: Flexible on weekday or weekend, 4 hours per session
Location: 24 Chai Chee Road Singapore 460024
Ms Noorjahan Kamaruddin, 58, who started volunteering with RSVP Singapore since 2014, found his volunteering experiences meaningful.
The freelance tour guide and soft skills trainer said, “With more seniors ageing, we have to help ourselves to help others. Volunteering is one way to know more people and keep ourselves healthy.”
2. Love spending time outdoors surrounded with greenery?
Green spaces are known to levitate one’s mood. Furthermore, these projects provide you the chance to give back to Mother Earth and reconnect with nature.
- Community Aquaponics Project @ AMK Industrial Park 2
Sign up before 1 June 2023
Commitment: Flexible on weekday or weekend, 3 hours per session
Location: Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2 Singapore 569549 - Back to Balance
Sign up before 30 December 2022
Commitment: Flexible on weekday or weekend, 3 hours per session
Location: 91 Lorong Chencharu Singapore 769201
A 62-year-old retiree May Lee, tends to three flourishing community gardens in Bukit Batok. Besides getting to meet like-minded residents, Mdm Lee said the biggest joy of community gardening is seeing the kampung spirit come alive.
3. Looking to inspire the next generation and have always been passionate about children?
With these volunteering opportunities, you get to build relationships with young children with ages starting from preschool.
- Preschooler/Kindergarten Enrichment Program
Sign up before 30 December 2021
Commitment: One day per week on weekend
Location: Islandwide - Teacher Aide for Children with Developmental Needs
Sign up before 1 December 2021
Commitment: One day per week on weekday, 4 hours per session
Location: Islandwide (various locations of THK EIPIC Centre)
There are also volunteering opportunities that you can engage with in the comfort of your own home. Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) is looking for text messaging volunteers, to listen and help someone in need. Click here for more details on how to sign up for this great cause.
Everyone knows the saying, give and you shall receive so if none of these activities are to your liking, Giving.sg website has a wide range of volunteering opportunities. You can be sure to find various opportunities where you can put your wealth of experiences and skills to good use. Some of these activities have limited openings for sign-ups, so don’t hesitate to be part of the giving end if you find something close to your calling!
If you know of any noteworthy volunteer experiences that should be added to this list, write to us at hello@silverstreak.sg. We’d love to hear from you.
