How do you give thanks and count your blessings during this holiday season? How can you show love and care to your neighbours?
Members of the Clementi Ward are lighting the world for 20 seniors living in one-room HDB flats in the Tanglin Halt Road area. They are taking the seniors shopping at a nearby supermarket just before Christmas.
As part of the #LightTheWorld global campaign put on by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the “Take Seniors Shopping” project has attracted local and expatriate families in the Clementi Ward. They all want to do something different for somebody this coming holiday season.
Help from Lions Befrienders
The Lions Befrienders Association has identified 20 seniors who will receive a 'getting-to-know-you' visit from the Clementi Ward members in early December. A week later they will take the seniors for Christmas shopping at the nearby Sheng Siong Supermarket. Each senior will have a budget (donated by the ward members) to make his or her purchase.
Project has language challenge
This may look like a simple project but there are challenges. One is language. While most of the seniors speak local dialects, others speak Mandarin, Tamil and Malay; the Clementi Ward members speak English primarily, such as the Hoffmann family from Germany. Hendry Chen, a long-time member and Counsellor in the Bishopric who speaks Malay, will take care of a senior who speaks only Malay.
Transportation challenge
Another challenge is transportation. Six of the seniors require a wheelchair to move around and a few others need a walking stick. One senior does not have her own wheelchair. This means the family assigned to her would have to bring one to get her to the supermarket. “These are not insurmountable challenges,” said Patrick Tan, Bishop of the ward. “The children and youth involved in this project will learn a lot about love and compassion.”
In 25 ways, over 25 days
The #LightTheWorld campaign is a global initiative by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to bring light into the world through Christ-like acts of service. For 25 days from 1 December, members will feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and mourn with those that mourn. Short videos providing inspiration and scriptures are sent out to remind members and non-members alike that Christ is our exemplar.
What you can do on Day One
Ways you can give freely
What can you sacrifice today to make someone’s life better?
- Put down the electronics and spend some quality time with family or a friend.
Would someone less fortunate appreciate something you have?
- Make an anonymous donation to someone who's struggling to make ends meet.
How can you show your gratitude to someone who has positively affected you?
- Send the person a thoughtful thank-you card acknowledging the ways he or she has helped you.
For more information, go to www.mormon.org or #LightTheWorld.
Watch a video clip, https://youtu.be/g6KYDthr1iU