SINGAPORE - More than 50 rental flats in Marine Parade GRC got spring-cleaned on Sunday (Jan 15), while 2,400 households got donated food.

This One Community Day event saw over 700 volunteers this year - almost five times the 151 volunteers when the event was launched in 2011.

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister for Social and Family Development, said such community events with volunteering opportunities are a good way to promote volunteering.

"The individuals who come forward to help, in fact many of our regular volunteers who come on a weekly basis to help out in our regular programmes actually started out from events like these," said Mr Tan.

Volunteers yesterday included grassroots leaders, residents and students - 25 of whom study at the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds) Towner Garden School.

One such first-time volunteer from Minds was Mr Danial Affandi Johar, 18. "I want to help all people," he said. "I want to do this again."

Volunteers and grassroots advisers including Mr Tan and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong went door to door in Chai Chee, Marine Parade, Geylang Serai and Braddell Heights, distributing food packs to needy families in rental flats there.

Elderly folks, such as Mr Ong Boon Hoo, 68, who needed help sprucing up their flats, had volunteers come in to replace old furniture, repaint and clean the floors.

Mr Ong had a stroke three years ago and now has difficulty doing chores.

The mattresses in his home were infested with bedbugs and were thrown out.

"I've been staying here for about 40 years. It is nice to have young people come and help," he said in Hokkien.