CDAC honours 264 volunteers and partners at inaugural combined appreciation day
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Health Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung speaking at CDAC’s inaugural Volunteers and Partners Appreciation Day on July 5.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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SINGAPORE – Dr Chang Shin Yi started questioning her self-worth when her elder daughter started secondary school in 1992.
“Coming from Taiwan, my English was not up to par, making it difficult to find a job in Singapore,” Dr Chang told The Straits Times.
She eventually brushed up on the language and, determined to help others overcome their fear of the Chinese language, Dr Chang jumped at the opportunity when she found out from a friend that the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) was looking for volunteers to help give tuition to less privileged students, workers, seniors and families within the Chinese community.
Today, 33 years later, the grandmother of five, now 70, is the CDAC’s longest-serving volunteer, playing roles on the front line as well as being on the editorial committee of the organisation’s newsletter.
On July 5, she was among 264 individuals and organisations honoured for their unwavering service at CDAC’s inaugural Volunteers and Partners Appreciation Day, held at Gardens by the Bay.
They received their awards from Health Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung.
Dr Chang, who in 2018 got a PhD in counselling and went on the following year to found Friends-In-Deed Counselling Society, a mental health advocate and social service provider, said: “Having volunteered at the CDAC, its staff and volunteers have become my family. It is a place where I was fortunate to have found support and bonding.”
In her more than 30 years with CDAC, Dr Chang has made a deep impact on the ground, particularly in supporting at-risk youth and vulnerable families. She also spearheaded key initiatives such as the Parenting Conference and the support group for families with adolescents.
Although she has been nominated several times for awards and had previously declined all of them, Dr Chang finally decided to accept the CDAC award after much persuasion from CDAC staff.
“I feel both happy and humbled by this,” she said.
Dr Chang Shin Yi was among the 264 individuals and organisations honoured for their unwavering service on July 5.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Mr Ong, who is also the chairman of the CDAC board, said that under the 2017 “Planting Grass, Growing Trees” strategy, CDAC had offered 8,000 bursaries and 15,000 places for tuition and enrichment programmes in 2024, of which 3,500 places were allocated for other student activities, such as learning through play.
“At the same time, we provided more dedicated and customised help to 1,400 families, as well as mentorship and character-building programmes to 320 students,” he added.
At its 33rd annual general meeting on June 18
First, invest in the skills and knowledge of its volunteers by training 600 new volunteers over the next three years in essential mentoring and befriending skills, which are core to the CDAC.
“For example, from the Supervised Homework Group to Project YOUth Can Shine – we have over 180 volunteers guiding our young learners today. Without their help, we won’t be able to make an impact. But your impact can be even greater if you possess the relevant professional skills,” he said.
Second, deploy up to 1,000 volunteers to the 12 CDAC centres and Vibrance @ Yishun by 2030 “to encourage children to pick up hobbies that will help them focus their attention, engage in social groups and learn new skills”.
“Finally, CDAC aims to expand our academic and mentoring programmes through our partners’ networks. CDAC will share our curriculum (and) provide training to our partners, who can then expand our programmes to more beneficiaries, while maintaining the objectives and quality of the programmes,” Mr Ong said.
He added that a social organisation like CDAC can make a difference only with the help of volunteers and partners. “By working together, we hope to strengthen the community spirit of ‘a little from all, together it’s more’,” Mr Ong said, citing the CDAC tagline.
