The support ADA receives from corporate partners across different industries, who believe in being a good steward and giving back to the communities around them, is something that we’re immensely grateful for. Between August to October 2018, organisations like Deloitte Singapore and Edrington Singapore Ptd Ltd brought some cheer to ADA clients at various New Horizon Centres.
3 August 2018 was a lively day of arts and crafts with volunteers from Deloitte. After starting the morning with a round of exercise to get everyone warmed up, the volunteers teamed up with ADA clients to make vibrant flowers out of colourful paper.
On the day’s activities and her takeaway from the volunteer experience, Audit & Assurance Senior Associate Pang Tiew Tian had this to say: “Our task was to keep the elderly company, so we did simple exercises and made flower cards together. I could tell they were really happy to have us there and I was pleasantly surprised by their spontaneity and high energy level in participating in all the activities. I used to think that people with dementia would be quiet and negative because they might feel frustrated and frightened with the things they can’t remember. However, after the interactions with them, I now see that they can actually be really happy and positive people. You can see them smiling all the time!”
Tiew Tian was not the only volunteer from Deloitte to walk away from the experience with a different outlook on people with dementia. Regulatory Advisory Director Andrew Ong shares, “I was blessed and humbled by the child-like joy and laughter of the ADA clients and that I learnt that people living with dementia can still experience a meaningful and happy life with the company of their family and friends.”
Edrington Singapore Pte Ltd also gave our clients a treat when they brought them for outings on 6 August 2018 and 11 October 2018. For the first outing, our clients from New Horizon Centre (Bukit Batok) and volunteers from Edrington were enchanted by different species of orchids at Gardens By The Bay.
The second outing took our clients from New Horizon Centre (Toa Payoh) on a fun-filled morning adventure at the River Safari, where they had the chance to see various wildlife up close. Through spending these mornings with our clients, the volunteers also benefitted by learning more about living with dementia. Finance Executive Maggie Soh told us, “It was a really good experience to interact with the persons with dementia. I learned to be patient and find new ways to engage them when they start feeling down.”
Other volunteers walked away with a greater appreciation for life, and the sincere wish to extend their support to others. Assistant Finance Manager Lee Li Hui affirms, “This volunteering experience brought a sense of deep appreciation of what I have in life. I would like to continue to provide a helping hand to those in need whenever I can.”
