I didn't help them, they helped me.

On 2 January, I went down to the rental block at Toa Payoh for a befriending session. The void deck area was specially arranged to fit about 70 to 100 elderlies for them to engage in activities. Most of them were chit-chatting with one another while having their lunch, while some were reading newspapers or playing chess. I was tasked to give out lunch packs to the elderly since the kitchen was conveniently situated at the same void deck. The kitchen helpers are all volunteers like me and they shared how they enjoyed serving the elderly because unlike other Singaporeans, this area of residents have mobility issues and face financial struggles. With the service of the volunteers, the elderly can enjoy free lunch every day, under their void deck. Who says there is no free lunch? Haha jokes aside, I really felt the passion behind the volunteers who willingly gave their time to serve the elderly at the rental block. They may not go down to volunteer every single day but they come often enough to be able to recognise most elderly who patronise their “free lunch” kitchen.

After giving out lunch, I sat with a group of elderly and had a casual chat with them, hoping to know them better on a personal level as well as their daily needs. It turns out that residents who stay in this block of one-room flat pay a monthly rental fee of $30. Although it may seem like an unrealistically small amount of rent to us, it still makes up a huge portion of their income. In fact, their sources of income come from either cardboard collecting or part-time jobs like cleaning at the hawker centre. It made me realise how there is a vast difference between their lifestyle and mine.

Furthermore, I heard personal stories of the elderly residents living in Blk 5 from Ron and realised that this block of rental flat may be filled with financially poor residents, but they are rich in inspiring and touching stories. There was this story of an elderly man who visits his family in Shanghai every 6 months but he doesn’t stay there with his family because he grew attached to Singapore ever since he came to work here in his early 20s. Many stories are left untold, simply because they are buried under the fast-paced society. If only Singaporeans can hear these stories and reflect on how fortunate we are, the way we live could be different because we would live with grateful hearts.

This befriending session was not me helping them kill boredom, but it was a life lesson for me to be inspired by.