Strengthening our community

Mr Soh Wai Wah, Commissioner of Prisons, 

Mr Chng Hwee Hong, Chairman, SCORE, 

Parliamentary Colleagues, 

Yellow Ribbon Grassroots Volunteers, 

Community Partners & 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

1. I am very happy to be here this afternoon to join you as we recognise the hard work our volunteers have put in to grow the Yellow Ribbon Community Project.

Aminah's Story and the YRCP's invaluable work

2. The Yellow Ribbon Community Project has been making a difference in the lives of families since 2010. Run largely by volunteers, it has given hope, when it appeared to be gone. It has provided opportunities, when there seemed none. So, I am very heartened that this community project has grown over the years. From its modest start with just 58 volunteers, there are now more than 700 volunteers reaching out to more than 2,800 families across Singapore. I'd like to share about such life-changing work by our volunteers through a story of a young girl and her family.

3. When 24-year old Aminah – that's not her real name, as we want to protect her privacy -- and her younger brother were studying in school, both their parents were jailed for drug offences. The mistakes made by their parents meant that they were left to fend for themselves. As you can imagine, it was a challenge getting through each day with limited finances. Aminah, who was in her final year in a local polytechnic, contemplated quitting school, to work and take care of her younger brother, who was studying in the ITE.

4. The Yellow Ribbon learnt about the plight of the brother and sister, and stepped in quickly. They linked her up with a Family Service Centre, which gave her an education grant to cover her schooling costs. In addition, the volunteers also helped to take care of their daily needs, including buying groceries, and introduced her to activities in the community where she could find new friends. The Yellow Ribbon volunteers went all out, to build a warm, supportive network around Aminah and her brother. Today, Aminah has successfully graduated with a diploma in Accounting, and her brother is on track toward completing his tertiary education in the ITE as well. This is a real story worth applauding – it is a story of what kind of differences volunteers can make.

5. Aminah is but one story. There are others in our community, especially our youth, who also face similar challenges, and need a hand. The efforts of volunteers like you help to pull them through difficult times and, ultimately, towards a brighter future.

Appreciating the work of passionate grassroots volunteers

6. The growth of the Yellow Ribbon Community Project would have been impossible without the passionate commitment of volunteers. Helping the families of inmates requires a special touch. It is often very difficult for these families to open up about the issues they face. They may feel lost, isolated, and distressed. In order to understand them, volunteers need to have humility, compassion and empathy. I think it is commendable that you have all demonstrated great commitment and perseverance in reaching out to these families, even if they may not be as prepared to open up at first. You visit them in their homes, and through your sincerity, gain their trust.

7. Mr Razali Bin Subir, a long-serving volunteer in his community, exemplifies this kind of dedication. Mr Razali has been a grassroots volunteer for over 10 years, and has been with the YRCP since its inception. He was appointed a Yellow Ribbon Champion in 2012. As a Yellow Ribbon Champion, he is responsible for leading the volunteers in his team in the Bedok Division, guiding them in their work. When Mr Razali was asked: “what keeps you volunteering, despite the tiring hours?”, his response was, simply, that he feels a duty to help families in his community. He remembers seeing how an inmate's family was living with a single lamp in a dark room, without electricity and water, because they could not pay their utility bills. His heart went out to them.

8. Over six months, his team appealed to various government agencies and community partners to seek assistance to ease the family's financial burden and restore utility services to the family's flat. Now, this family lives more comfortably, and even received a donated computer to help the children in their studies. Today, we will recognise the appointment of 5 more Yellow Ribbon Champions like Mr Razali, and celebrate their enthusiasm and service.

9. I'd also like to highlight the example of the Yellow Ribbon's Macpherson Division, for displaying resourcefulness and innovation. It's a division with just 6 trained volunteers there. But every month, they handle about 12 cases. This equates to roughly 10% of the total number of families reached by the Yellow Ribbon Community Project every year, and it is quite a remarkable achievement. The go-getting volunteers of Macpherson Division clearly did not let their small numbers hamper their big plans. They established partnerships with organisations in the area, such as the Salim Mattar Mosque and Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society, tapping on their resources to provide assistance to inmate's families.

Establishing deeper links with the community & building a Giving nation

10. We want to encourage divisions to reach out to and establish links with more community partners, just as Macpherson Division has done. With bridges built between organisations in the community, it will be easier to secure help for needy families. I look forward to hearing how the Tanglin-Cairnhill Division has steadily constructed an extensive network of community partners during their sharing later. With sharing, we can learn from one another, adopt best practices and all do our part within our own division.

11. You are all clearly a group of passionate, commendable volunteers. And it is volunteers like you who are at the very heart of a Giving Nation. We all want to build a more cohesive and caring in Singapore. It's something that all of us – government, community and individuals – want to see happen, and must do together. And in particular, we rely on volunteers like you to be Ambassadors for Giving, to share your expertise, and to set an example for your friends and family to follow.

12. The good work that you do is truly irreplaceable. You are eyes and ears on the ground, helping families at their most vulnerable. And nothing can replace this human touch that you provide. Thank you for giving your time to help inmates and their families and strengthen our community. Let us stand together to help forge a better future for our inmates and their families.