May the spirit of giving survive change

It is heart-warming to know that, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic raging in 2020, which resulted in many in-person fund-raising events being cancelled or scaled back, donations to the more than 2,000 charities in Singapore fell only slightly that year from the year before. It is evident that Singaporeans were motivated to contribute to charities because of the calamitous effects of the pandemic, which included the loss of income for many.

Interestingly, donations collected by religious charities such as churches and temples fell, while donations raised by the social and welfare sector rose. This difference revealed more public interest in giving to those in need because of the financial problems experienced by many families. Health and social welfare expectedly topped the hierarchy of needs brought into focus by an epidemiological disaster that was a material one as well.