05-07-2025
CDAC honours 264 volunteers, partners at inaugural combined Appreciation Day
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Health Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung speaking at CDAC's inaugural Volunteers' and Partners Appreciation Day on July 5.
SINGAPORE – Dr Chang Shin Yi started questioning her self-worth when her elder daughter started secondary school in 1992.
'Coming from Taiwan, my English was not up to par, making it difficult to find a job in Singapore,' Dr Chang, who has a PhD in counselling, told The Straits Times.
She eventually brushed up on the language, went on to found the Friends-In-Deed Counselling Society.
Determined to help others overcome their fear of the Chinese language, Dr Chang jumped at the opportunity when she found out from a friend that the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) was looking for volunteers to help give tuition to less privileged students, workers, seniors and families within the Chinese community.
Today, 33 years later, the grandmother of five, now 70, is the longest serving volunteer, playing roles at the frontline as well as being in the editorial committee of the organisation's newsletter.
On July 5, she was among the 264 individuals and organisations honoured for their unwavering service, and they received their awards from Health Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung at CDAC's inaugural Volunteers' and Partners Appreciation Day.
Dr Chang, in her over 30 years with CDAC, had deepened her impact on the ground, particularly supporting at-risk youth and vulnerable families.
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She even spearheaded key initiatives such as the Parenting Conference and the support group for families with adolescents.
'Having volunteered at the CDAC, its staff and volunteers have become my family. It is a place where I was fortunate to have found support and bonding,' she said.
Although she was nominated several times for awards and having declined all of them, Dr Chang finally decided to accept the CDAC award, after much persuasion.
'I feel both happy and humbled by this,' she said.
Dr Chang Shin Yi was among the 264 individuals and organisations honoured for their unwavering service on July 5.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Mr Ong, who is also the Chairman of the CDAC Board, said under the 2017 'Planting Grass, Growing Trees' strategy, CDAC had offered 8,000 bursaries and 15,000 places for tuition and enrichment in 2024, of which 3,500 places were allocated for other student activities, such as learning through play.
'At the same time, we provided more dedicated and customised help to 1,400 families, as well as mentorship and character-building programmes to 320 students,' he added.
CDAC had, at its
33rd annual general meeting on June 18 , announced that it aims to more than double the number of places for academic, enrichment and learning support programmes from over 15,000 today to over 30,000 spots.
Elaborating on that announcement, Mr Ong said on July 5 that the group could do so in three ways.
First, invest in the skills and knowledge of its volunteers by training 600 new volunteers over the next three years in essential mentoring and befriending skills, which are core to the CDAC.
'For example, from the Supervised Homework Group to Project YOUth Can Shine – we have over 180 volunteers guiding our young learners today. Without their help, we won't be able to make an impact. But your impact can be even greater if you possess the relevant professional skills,' he said.
Second, deploy up to 1,000 volunteers to the 12 CDAC centres and Vibrance @ Yishun by 2030 'to encourage children to pick up hobbies that will help them focus their attention, engage in social groups and learn new skills'.
'Finally, CDAC aims to expand our academic and mentoring programmes through our partners' networks. CDAC will share our curriculum (and) provide training to our partners, who can then expand our programmes to more beneficiaries, while maintaining the objectives and quality of the programmes,' Mr Ong said.
He added that a social organisation like CDAC can only make a difference with the help of volunteers and partners.
'By working together, we hope to strengthen the community spirit of 'a little from all, together it's more',' Mr Ong said, citing the CDAC tagline.
