HONOURING THE TOP GIVERS OF COMCHEST

Eleven-year-old Daphne Chew may seem just like any other ordinary girl, but unlike many others, she was found to suffer from hearing impairment at the tender age of nine months.

However, thanks to the generous contributions of organisations, such as the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), and donors to the Community Chest (ComChest), Daphne was able to undergo treatment and therapy, and is now receiving primary education like other children at Canossian School.

At the ComChest awards ceremony held at the Istana on 18 Oct, Daphne expressed gratitude on behalf of more than 300,000 beneficiaries. The Primary 5 student also said: "I am taking PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examinations) next year and I hope to go to a mainstream secondary school after that."

The Defence Management Group from MINDEF was presented the SHARE Platinum Award at the awards ceremony by President Tony Tan Keng Yam, who is the Patron-in-Chief of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS).

A total of 160 awards were given out at the event to organisations and donors for their long-term and significant contributions towards ComChest s fund-raising efforts.

Colonel (COL) Sim Hong Meng, who received the award on behalf of the Defence Management Group, felt that there were not many difficulties in rallying support for the SHARE programme, which is a monthly donation programme.

"The culture of charitable giving is already deeply entrenched in the unit and it is really contagious. As new members join the unit, they will be positively influenced by their colleagues and they would begin donating as well. As time passes, they might also increase the amount of their donations."

The Commander of Central Manpower Base cited another key reason to the strong response gathered for the SHARE programme: "ComChest is a well-structured organisation that is able to raise funds in a prudent and effective way, hence all we needed to do was to raise as much funds as possible so that ComChest can distribute them to the beneficiaries efficiently."

SHARE Awards are presented based on the participation rate of the employees and the staff strength of the organisation.

Organisations that have maintained their employees' SHARE participation rate at Platinum or Gold levels for consecutive years will be eligible for the Outstanding SHARE Award.

One such recipient was the Naval Surface Warfare Centre, which received the 10-Year Outstanding SHARE Award.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) Teng Haw Kiad, Deputy Centre Head of Naval Surface Warfare Centre, said: "This award is a recognition of our hard work over the past 10 years, and would serve as a strong impetus to encourage people to donate more frequently."

SLTC Teng added: "Ultimately, the spirit of giving transcends all, and we should not just be concerned about the numbers."

Besides the SHARE programme, the Naval Surface Warfare Centre also organises various trips and visits to homes, such as the Singapore Leprosy Relief Association, to help out.