This post is written in conjunction with SG50, to celebrate the everyday stars around us in Singapore whom we sometimes fail to acknowledge or give due recognition.
My colleague at migme, Cherlyn Loo (rightmost in picture), is the secretary to our CEO and also handles many of the other administrative duties in our Singapore office.
I joined the company in September last year. Generally when we look for Cherlyn in the office, it is to get her help on filling forms, documents or booking appointments with our CEO.
Being an absent-minded person, I often submit forms late and have to get Cherlyn’s help. I find her always smiley and helpful.
Recently, I casually asked Cherlyn what she would be doing during the long weekend for Hari Raya when we happened to leave the office at the same time.
I was surprised to learn that she is actively involved in volunteer work and is teaming up with a group of friends to try and raise S$30,000 for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS).
They will be having a fund raising event on 6 August. Do go down and support them if you are free. For more details, click here.
When:
Date: 6th Aug 2015, Thursday
Time: 10am – 3pm
Where:
Address: 65 Pasir Ris Drive 1, 519529
Total number of people in the centre: 132 adults with cerebral palsy
They are also collecting donations for CPAS. The wishlist is available here.
Cherlyn is a member of a group of individuals who came together with a common vision to create unconditional love and care for persons with cerebral palsy and their caregivers, called LP133.
Other than fundraising, they will also be painting murals at the CPAS centre as well as working together with business owners to teach the adults with cerebral palsy to make handicraft for sale. The latter initiative seeks to encourage independence, self-reliance and boost their confidence while providing them with an avenue to generate some small income.
Funds raised by the group would be channeled to daily operation of the CPAS centre, purchasing of necessities for the clients at the centre and other projects in line with their vision.
I always find ordinary Singaporeans who volunteer their time for charity or community work worthy of our admirations.
Cherlyn does not actively go around flaunting to everyone around her that she is doing all these charity work during her free time. I happen to know about it through a casual chat.
When I told her I am writing this article about her, she told me to focus on her group and the CPAS instead.
A teacher once shared with me that ‘unspoken love is the greatest love of all’. The same goes for kindness. The people who quietly do good things around us are often the most inspirational.
Cherlyn is not the only one. I had a schoolmate in JC who was actively volunteering all her weekends to tutor and coach underprivileged kids for free. I often wonder why she cannot go out dating on weekends and seem to be always occupied. It was only upon further probing that I found out. To think I was spending my weekends hanging out at shopping malls and clubs.
This year as Singapore celebrates our fiftieth year since independence, let’s celebrate the accomplishment of ordinary Singaporeans like Cherlyn by giving them a heartfelt thank you for making our society better for everyone.
We can each contribute in our own little ways.
If you have the time, do support Cherlyn’s event by turning up or putting in your donations.
Better still, if this post inspires you, go out and do something nice today or just thank another ordinary star whom you know!
Happy SG50 everyone!
