A father of a young child. A stroke survivor. A cofounder of a youth movement. What do these people all have in common?
Although seemingly different, they’re all fundraisers on Giving.sg! We go a step deeper and discover more about their motivations and giving spirit.
1. Stroke can happen at any age: Denise for Stroke Support Station
I felt in the prime of my life, yet barely 30, I suffered a stroke,
Denise Hu
Stroke Support Station
No one expected it to happen. Her limbs, as well as the left side of her body, were greatly weakened, and she had difficulty walking, caring or dressing herself properly. This caused a deep loss of freedom.
Receiving the support from her family, helper and the people that Denise met at Stroke Support Station (S3) was a crucial turning point in her life. “(Because) of the people here, I am regaining my sense of self, and the motivation to regain my life.” As she embarked on her recovery journey, she not only started accepting her condition, but also became an advocate and encourager for others facing similar situations.
Home is about the kindness of people and memories that make our days full of joy. To Denise, S3 is also another form of home – it is where she learnt to cope with her condition, share her ups and downs, and “celebrate every single moment, just like a family”.
Get more bang for your buck: Every dollar you donate to Stroke Support Station’s campaign will be doubled, thanks to a dollar-for-dollar matching scheme from Agape Foundation.
2. Throwing a giving party: Daniel for MINDS
A child’s first birthday party is usually full of decorations, a giant birthday cake and lots of presents. However, Daniel and his wife Adeline decided that they wanted to make their second-born Natalie’s party more meaningful. Rather than give presents, they wanted their friends and families to make donations, thus bringing blessing to others.
Their journey to conceive Natalie was a difficult one, which included seeking fertility help. When she was conceived naturally, they were overjoyed and wanted this fundraising campaign to be a form of celebration.
Daniel himself is no stranger to volunteering. Having volunteered with Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) for the last 20 years, it was a no brainer which charity they wanted to raise funds for. To his surprise, his campaign did so well it raised three times of the target amount raised!
We just wanted to make our daughter’s first birthday more meaningful…so we weren’t too ambitious in setting a high target. We were very inspired by the strong support of our friends.
Daniel
Longtime volunteer and fundraiser for MINDS
Be like Daniel and create meaning in the little moments of celebration by starting a fundraising campaign!
3. Making giving cool again: Rebekah for Pangdemonium
Having started as a volunteer with the Yellow Ribbon Fund in 2011, Rebekah had the privilege to work with many inspiring individuals and quickly found her passion in this space. She then founded The Social Co. in 2014 with her co-founder Cheryl, a youth-initiated movement that believes in raising awareness and funds for different causes in Singapore.
Her most recent fundraising campaign on Giving.sg is for Pangdemonium. “We’re always looking to fundraise creatively for causes that might not be the easiest to fundraise for,” she shares. This is something many arts groups face, especially Pangdemonium – not everyone understands how crucial theatre is in conveying important social messages such as increasing awareness of autism and dementia.
Her tip for aspiring changemakers? Kickstart your giving journey today! After all, in the words of Tom Chi, “Doing is the best kind of thinking”.
Give indie causes a chance and support Pangdemonium today!
4. Try something new for the first time: Glenn for Caritas Singapore
At the cusp of turning 50, Glenn was inspired to do something special to celebrate this life milestone. The idea of starting a campaign on Giving.sg came to mind as “I didn’t want it to be all about me, because it isn’t.”
This is his first fundraising campaign, although previously he has volunteered for charities such as Habitat for Humanity. His volunteering experiences have helped to broaden his perspectives on life, and propelled him on his giving journey. His choice of Caritas Singapore as a charity? After discussing with his aunt about the causes he cared for, Caritas came up as they served a whole wide range of causes including the poor, disabled, migrant workers and humanitarian relief.
Glenn plans on keeping his birthday celebrations simple. Apart from this fundraising campaign, he’ll also be having a small get-together over dinner and drinks with family and close friends.
Wish Glenn a very Happy Birthday and give something to his “GJ50” celebrations here!
