Summary:
- Since the pandemic, 71-year-old Susan Ng has dedicated herself to helping elderly residents near the Care Corner Active Ageing Centre in Toa Payoh, delivering meals, assisting with chores, and providing companionship several times a week.
- She has volunteered over 400 hours with the organisation, fitting her service around her own active lifestyle of wushu practice and social games with friends.
- Despite occasional challenges and ungrateful responses from some seniors, Susan continues volunteering with a practical, easy-going attitude, believing genuine willingness and resilience are essential for such work.
Ever since the pandemic, 71-year-old volunteer Susan Ng has been the eyes, ears, hands and legs of the needy elderly community living near the Care Corner Active Ageing Centre (AAC) in Block 5, Toa Payoh Lorong 7.
At least three times a week, for around two hours at a stretch, you’ll catch her walking along the block’s corridors, delivering packaged meals cooked at the AAC.
You’re just as likely to find her inside one of these seniors’ homes, helping them with daily tasks like cleaning, mending their clothes and reading out letters. Sometimes, she even brings them (willingly or unwillingly) to their doctors’ appointments.
Most of the time though, she’s simply a listening ear and a friendly face – the only one that less-mobile seniors living alone might see that day.
“It’s just a few minutes for me, but they are happy to have someone to talk to."
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Over 400 hours volunteering with Care Corner
The active silver finds time for volunteering between her morning wushu sessions and afternoons playing Rummy-O with her friends.
In fact, she decided to start volunteering at Care Corner with her friends after the Covid-19 pandemic. The non-profit organisation counts more than 8,100 volunteers in its force, though Susan is undoubtedly one of the most consistent.
In the years that followed, she clocked over 400 hours with the organisation alone. Even so, the senior is not your usual soft-hearted volunteer. While she is committed to her work, she doesn’t speak with the fuzzy altruism stereotypically associated with avid volunteers.
When asked if she’d recommend other seniors to volunteer, she replies almost instantly with a blunt “No”.
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The right attitude
Her cryptic statement isn’t just referring to the kind of work that AAC volunteers do – she’s also talking about the people she meets.
While many do express appreciation, Susan says she’s just as likely to receive an unwarranted earful as a pat on the back.
Once, she was scolded by a senior after she made time to escort him to a doctor’s appointment.
However, despite the setbacks, Susan remains cheery about her decision to spend her time volunteering.
