TO CARE AND SHARE WITH THE LESS FORTUNATE

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans benefit from the contributions to the Community Chest (ComChest) donated by personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), as well as other organisations and individuals.

To recognise the support it receives from the community, the Community Chest Awards is held every year to thank those who have extended a helping hand to the disadvantaged in our society. President S R Nathan - who is the Patron-in-Chief of the National Council of Social Service - presented 130 of the awards in a ceremony held at the Istana on 8 Oct.

The SHARE awards - one of the seven categories of awards - are given in recognition of the regular monthly monetary contributions by organisations and individuals through the SHARE programme.

For achieving at least a 70 percent participation rate in the programme, five units within the Headquarters Commando (HQ CDO) were presented with SHARE Platinum Awards.

"The Commandos are deeply involved in charity work and it is an honour to receive the award in recognition of our efforts," said Major (MAJ) Anthony Tan Tong Leng, who was at the Istana to receive the awards on behalf of HQ CDO.

In addition to SHARE, the HQ CDO also organises half-yearly visits to social welfare homes and schools such as the School for the Handicapped. "These visits spur our servicemen on to be more involved in charity work as they can experience the positive impact they bring to the lives of the underprivileged," explained MAJ Tan.

SHARE programme contributions go a long way towards helping the less fortunate like seven-year-old Mirella Nathina Sabanayagam.

Born with a severe hearing-impairment and to a family of modest means, her parents were hard-pressed to come up with the hefty sum that Mirella required for a hearing implant and rehabilitative treatment. Without them, she faced speech difficulties and would be forced to live her life in semi-silence.

Thanks to the subsidies by ComChest, Mirella underwent hearing implant surgery in 2004 and was able to enrol in the Canossian School a school for children who are hearing-impaired.Speaking at the awards presentation ceremony, Mirella attributed the improvement in her quality of life to the kindness and generosity of donors. "You have truly made a difference to my life and the lives of others," she said.The ComChest is the fund-raising arm of the National Council of Social Services. In 2008, the ComChest raised $50.8 million to meet the funding needs of 149 charity outreach programmes and 61 charities - aiding more than 310,000 people. The amount raised through SHARE was about $12.1 million, nearly one-quarter of the total amount raised. This year, a total of 376 Community Chest Awards were given out, of which 215 were presented to SAF units and MINDEF departments.