Annual Staff D&D

MOWE Outing to Singapore Flyer

Bakeout with UPS

A quarterly newsletter of the YWCA—Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore www.ywca.org.sg

ContentsPresident’s Message 2Credits 2Upcoming Events 2YWCA News 3Events 5Community Services 7Childcare 10Spotlight: Ms. Mavis Tsoi 12 Announcements 12

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Hebrews 13:16 ”

October - December 2015

”Inaugural YWCA Conference

C R E D I T SPublished by YWCA

EditorMs Tan Kee LengEditorial Coordinators Mrs Leung Yee Ping, Ms Gladys Foo, Ms Stephanie Hung

254 Outram Road Singapore 169051 Tel: 6223 1227 Fax: 6227 3650 Email: admin@ywca.org.sgWebsite: www.ywca.org.sg

Articles may be reproduced but acknowledgement must be given to YWCA/Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore, and a copy of the publication should be sent to the Editor.

Articles express the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the YWCA/Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore.

All information correct at the time of printing.All rights reserved. © YWCA of Singapore 2015.MCI (P) 006/04/2015

P resident’s M essage

“… but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Oct-Dec 2015 • ywLink 2

www.facebook.com/ywcasingapore

U P C O M I N G E V E N T SAQUA AEROBICS CLASSEVERY WEDNESDAY & FRIDAYVenue : YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Swimming Pool (Level 3)Time : 7pm - 8pm

AQUA SPIN CLASSEVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAYVenue : YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Swimming Pool (Level 3)Time : 7pm - 8pm 8pm - 9pm

KIDS’ CLUB CHRISTMAS PARTY5 DECEMBER (SATURDAY) Venue : YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Sophia Cooke BallroomTime : 10am - 1pm

CHRISTMAS LUNCH18 DECEMBER (FRIDAY) Venue : YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Pool Terrace Room (Level 3)Time : 12pm - 3pm

For more information, please visit our website at www.ywca.org.sg or call us at 6223 1227.

YWCA OUTRAM254 Outram Road Singapore 169051

YWCA FORT CANNING LODGE6 Fort Canning Road Singapore 179494

By Love Serve One Another

This quarter’s issue reports on a potpourri of activities and programmes for the children and the elderly. It also records the many volunteer activities from our corporate partners – UPS, Dell, JP Morgan and many other individuals who came together to serve the community.

The motto for YWCA is “By love serve one another” and our volunteers who gave their time and talent certainly demonstrate their love and concern for our beneficiaries, young and old.

The YWCA is blessed to have received many donations through its street collection on the Flag Day on 15 August and other individual donations, all of which will be geared towards the community services operated by the YWCA.

YWCA organised the first Early Childhood Special Needs conference which was held at Fort Canning Lodge, and the conference brought together experts in the fields and practitioners

and students who found the topics interesting and helpful.

As we come to a close of the calendar year, there will be many activities for the children and the elderly which will be reported in the next issue of YWLink. I would like to close this year with the Prayer of St Francis:

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.”

We thank God for his many blessings on the YWCA, her members, volunteers, staff and friends throughout 2015 and in the years ahead.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and New Year!

Tan Kee Leng, PBM President

YWCA of Singapore

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 3“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Y W C A N E W S

Oct-Dec 2015

YWCA Commemorative WebsiteAs part of the celebrations for the Association’s 140th anniversary this year, the YWCA is proud to launch a special commemorative website documenting the organisation’s 140 years of service to the community, its present happenings and future plans. It also includes stories and experiences of varied members and personalities who have played an active role in the YWCA.

Visit www.ywca.org.sg/ywcastory to explore the website!

Homepage Past Present

Future Gallery of Y Women Leadership

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 4 “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11

Y W C A N E W S

Oct-Dec 2015

The World YWCA Council is the legislative authority and governing body of the World YWCA. The Council brings the movement together every 4 years to deliberate, make decisions and bond. The 28th World YWCA Council with the theme ‘Bold and Transformative Leadership’ opened on Sunday 11 October at the Centara Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. The YWCA of Singapore was represented by President Ms Tan Kee Leng, Executive Director Mrs Leung Yee Ping, Board Member Ms Samantha Mark, Senior Manager (Programmes & Services) Gladys Foo, and Senior Executive and Young Woman delegate Nicole Chua.

World YWCA Council, Bangkok 2015 By Nicole Chua

Annual Staff D&D By Stephanie Hung

The Annual Staff Dinner & Dance was held at the YWCA Fort Canning Lodge on 4 September 2015. The theme was ‘Glam Nite’ and it was a joyous occasion for our 270 staff and 10 Board members to come together and sportingly dress up for the celebration.

Guests were entertained by a truly fun and magical performance as well as interesting game segments led by our guest emcee, Kyle Ravin. In addition, a total of 29 staff were recognised for their years of heartfelt service to the YWCA, with the longest serving staff having been in the Association for an astonishing 35 years! There was also a segment to present the YWCA 2014 Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Development.

Throughout the evening, everyone partook in a sumptuous buffet spread and enjoyed chatting with familiar and new faces. The blessing draw saw many lucky staff gleefully winning an array of prizes.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of the night was the screening of a YWCA 140th anniversary photo montage followed by a cake cutting ceremony. Subsequently, the Board members, along with all the divisions took group photos to commemorate the rare chance for the whole Y family to be together under one roof.

A Young Women’s Forum took place as a Pre-Council event with the theme ‘Bold and Transformative Leadership – Placing Young Women and Girls at the Centre’. 120 young women gathered on 9 and 10 October to shape the future and drafted the young women’s policy for the 28th World Council to implement the vision of 2035 and its commitment to young women and girls.

The opening ceremony was filled with beautiful colours and music, starting with the opening parade whereby delegates wore their national dress and danced into the conference hall. They were led by magnificent Thai dancers and musicians. The YWCA of Singapore paraded in with a handmade banner kindly sewed by Mrs Ho Lay Hong. The host association YWCA of Thailand also organised a formal opening dinner on 12 October for all delegates with Her Highness Princess Saomsavali of Thailand.

Over 500 delegates from 70 countries and YWCA partners such as Christian Aid, World Association of Girl Guides and Scouts, ICCO and United Methodist Women gathered at the Centara Hotel to engage in strategic conversations about the future of the YWCA movement.

Throughout the council, delegates elected members of the World YWCA Board, set priorities for the next 20 years and determined policies through resolutions. Through workshops led by member associations, the council continues to provide practical training and education on the priority issues of the global movement.

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 5“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

E V E N T S

Oct-Dec 2015

Senior Citizen’s Lunch By Kwok Shuyi

The 10th edition of the Senior Citizens’ Lunch was held on Friday 23 October and was graced by 96 new and familiar faces. Honouring and celebrating these golden souls has become a tradition at the YWCA. This is one event that not only these old friends look forward to, but one I look forward to personally – to put a smile on their faces.

Job 12:12 reads, “wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.” We were reminded of how wise these folks are as we kick started the luncheon with a crossword puzzle challenge. Teamwork and their competitive streaks once again emerged as the tables battled it out, with two winners at the end of the challenge. We also saw perseverance as our friends refused to give up on the puzzles until they managed to finish it.

Everyone was living in the moment. As highlighted by Mrs Dancy Thong, 2nd Vice President of the YWCA’s Board of Management in her welcome address; the importance of life, is the moments that we bask in every single day. Laughter and endless chatter filled the Sophia Cooke Ballroom as a Peranakan lunch spread was served. The luncheon proceeded as photos memories were captured and bingo games were played.

It was an absolute pleasure and honour to be in the presence of these friends whom we have made. We hope that you enjoyed this celebration as much as we did. See you next year!

YWCA Flag Day 2015 By Kwok Shuyi

With the addition of an operation centre this year, we have once again achieved our fundraising goal of raising at least $50,000 for Flag Day!

There were six operation centres island-wide; Fort Canning Lodge, Ang Mo Kio MRT Station, Jurong East MRT Station, Pasir Ris MRT Station, Velocity @ Novena, and a new location at Hougang Bus Interchange. 400 volunteers and staff came together and took to the streets on Saturday 15 August with the sole purpose of soliciting donations from the public for a greater cause – to help the less fortunate in our society.

It was really heart-warming to be in the midst of fellow big-hearted countrymen, who did not hesitate to encourage us with their kind words too.

With generous donations of $10,000 each from the Lee Foundation and Rutledge Omni Services Pte Ltd, over $70,000 was raised! All proceeds will be channelled towards sustaining the YWCA’s community services such as Hungry No More, Kids’ Club, Workz-on-Wheels, Youth Centre and YWCA House.

The YWCA would like to express our heartfelt and sincere thanks to all donors for their magnanimous contributions, and our volunteers and staff for their dedication and commitment towards making this Flag Day another successful one – truly, it is always more blessed to give than to receive.

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 6 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

E V E N T S

Oct-Dec 2015

Bake Outs with UPS By Stephanie Hung

On 26 September and 24 October, the Youth Centre at YWCA Outram burst with flurry of activities as 40 volunteers from UPS came to bake a special dessert treat for our Meals-on-Wheels beneficiaries on each day.

In the first ever ‘bake-out’ series, the volunteers were tasked

with a daunting task of making fruit tarts from scratch – from making the shells to decorating with delicate fruit toppings.

Each day, the volunteers were divided into morning and afternoon sessions. In the morning session, the volunteers gamely rolled up their sleeves and crushed tons of digestive biscuits to prepare the shells! The shells were given time to set in the fridge while the volunteers from the afternoon session prepared the filling. Once the shells were ready, the volunteers then assembled the tarts, and meticulously arranged strawberries and peaches on each fruit tart.

Soon, the tables were sprawled with many colorful and appetising tarts. It was wonderful to see all the volunteers, some familiar faces and some new ones, come together in a group effort to bake the tarts.

Over 300 fruit tarts were delivered to the elderly on the Meals-on-Wheels scheme in September, and a whopping 500 fruit tarts in October. We hope that the treats helped brighten up our beneficiaries’ days! Thank you to all our enthusiastic volunteers!

Cook Out with UPS By Gabriel Fu

On Saturday 22 August, our team came together once again with 26 dedicated and wonderful volunteers from UPS to whip up a storm in the kitchen. The goal was to deliver freshly cooked and piping hot meals to over 300 of our beneficiaries. For the menu this time around, we looked to the Far East for inspiration and prepared a Bento set consisting of rice, Japanese curry, Japanese potato salad, and matcha cookies.

The UPS volunteers and the YWCA team arrived at YWCA Outram in the wee hours of the morning and straight away got their hands dirty by preparing the ingredients including slicing the vegetables, peeling the potatoes and chopping the meat. Then, it was time to cook! The volunteers and the team worked hard at their various tasks such as cooking the rice, boiling the curry, and mashing and mixing the potato salad.

After they were done with the cooking, everyone got together to form a production line and packed the food into Japanese-style Bento boxes.

We were also blessed to have a group of volunteer drivers who worked hard to deliver the food to our beneficiaries whilst they were still hot. All in all, everyone had a tiring but rewarding day as we reflected on how our hard work and effort would serve to make some families very happy. To top things off, there was enough left over curry for everyone to have a little feast after the cook out!

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 7“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39

C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S

Oct-Dec 2015

Popiah Making and Sustenance Rations Distribution with UPS By Sharon Regina

On Wednesday 21 October, 15 UPS volunteers came down to help out with the popiah-making and ration distribution session for our elderly beneficiaries from Silverace Lengkok Bahru. The volunteers gathered at 1pm and were excited for the task ahead of them. During the popiah-making session, the UPS volunteers enjoyed interacting with the elderly and learnt how to make popiah from them. The elderly had a great time mingling with their friends and making new friends with the volunteers from UPS as well as flaunting their popiah-making skills!

For Children’s Day, JP Morgan treated 22 of our Kids’ Club children to a fun bowling activity on Saturday 8 October. 17 JP Morgan staff volunteered for the event with their families, lending a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Two of the Kids’ Club mothers also joined us for the outing held at SAFRA Mount Faber’s Superbowl outlet.

The outing started with breakfast at YWCA Outram so volunteers could buddy up with the children before boarding a bus to SAFRA Mount Faber. The children bounded into the Superbowl outlet and wasted no time in heading to their

Kids’ Club Children’s Day Bowling Outing with JP Morgan By Ling Goh

assigned lanes then being outfitted in their bowling shoes. Eagerly, they ran to try the various bowling balls to find a manageable weight, then it was off to their lane to have their attempts. One 8-year-old boy scored a strike on his very first roll!

For many of the children, it was their first time bowling and they made up for any lack of skill with sheer enthusiasm. They exhibited the nigh indefatigable excitement of learning a new sport for two whole hours as the volunteers imparted game techniques with much cheering and encouragement. Some of them even let the children roll during their turns so they could get more practice. It paid off, with several strikes and spares scored through the games.

At the end of the outing, everyone came together for a celebratory photo and you can see from the smiles how happy they were. Thank you so much to JP Morgan for making this bowling outing a Children’s Day highlight for our Kids’ Club children!

However, during the distribution session, they were faced with a hurdle – certain blocks were going to have a disruption in power, affecting the elevators. Thus, some of the volunteers quickly sped out to distribute the rations to the affected blocks, and completed the job in the nick of time before the power was switched off at 2.30pm! All the volunteers pulled their weight and helped out with the distribution of over 120 rations. The volunteers displayed great teamwork and support for one another. We are ever grateful for UPS’s enthusiasm and support for our many community services and programs.

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 8 “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.” Proverbs 27:23

C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S

Oct-Dec 2015

The packing of rations for the Sustenance for Families programme was affected due to the recent haze conditions. In the interest of our valuable volunteer packers, two monthly packing sessions were cancelled, as short term exposure to air pollutants can cause respiratory symptoms and worsen existing heart or lung diseases. Thus, the YWCA decided to postpone packing sessions when the PSI rose above 150.

We are extremely fortunate to be able to activate a group of our faithful regular volunteer packers who are always so ready to support this programme. On Saturday 10 September, despite short notice, they were able to commit their time to come down to YWCA Outram for the ad-hoc packing session. Within three hours, they managed to pack rations for around 50 families, and left in high spirits.

We are very grateful to have our awesome volunteers who are always willing to help us in providing assistance to these needy families!

Sustenance for Families Packing By Carol Tan

Let’s buy groceries for our families on Children’s Day! On 8 October, after their Children’s Day celebrations, 25 Primary 1 and 2 students from Fuhua Primary who are on the YWCA Meals-on-Wheels for Children programme were treated to a sponsored outing by Singapore Polytechnic. During the outing, they enjoyed a McDonald’s lunch with their student volunteer buddies then bought $80 worth of groceries for their families.

The children were joined by 22 student volunteers and their teacher and were paired up to guide them in the activity and help them stretch their dollar. With a brief worksheet summarising 15 grocery shopping tips to save money in hand, the pairs set out in the expanse of the Giant hypermarket at IMM to meet their shopping list needs.

It was amazing to see the focus and concentration of the volunteers, aged between 17 and 24, as they became responsible for their buddy and their buddy’s shopping list. In fact, no handphones, usually so prevalent with teens, were seen during the outing! They devoted their time and effort into connecting with the children and caring for them, from getting the children’s Happy Meal items to helping to carry their heavy bags of groceries, some of which included 5-10kg of rice. Some even topped up money from their own pockets for the children when their purchases exceeded $80.

MOWC Grocery Shopping Outing with Fuhua Primary By Ling Goh

The children were also wonderful to be around as their natural joyfulness and excitement shone through. Each had received a grocery list beforehand to bring home and plan the items to be purchased with their parents, and some obediently came with detailed lists while others came with only the request for chocolate! However, it was a learning experience for all and they even taught the volunteers by example. One volunteer shared how her little buddy bought items for everyone in her family and had to be reminded to get something for herself. By the end of the outing, the only challenge was how the children would get all their heavy groceries home!

We thank Singapore Polytechnic for their kind contribution of both funds and volunteers, and the participation of Fuhua Primary students and staff for making this very meaningful outing a special Children’s Day memory.

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 9“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S

Oct-Dec 2015

WoW Culinary Workshops with Sunbeam Place Youths By Alice Chua

MOWE Outing to Singapore Flyer By Ling Goh

Bright and early on the morning of Monday 2 November, YWCA staff and volunteers from Charles & Keith set out to the Singapore Flyer with 30 of our Meals-on-Wheels for Elderly and Disabled beneficiaries. In the group were seven wheelchair-bound elderly, our biggest number at an outing yet, along with 53 corporate volunteers who turned out to befriend and support the beneficiaries and share a special moment of Singapore pride at the breathtaking view.

Upon arrival, the elderly and volunteers had a mini icebreaker game of matching pictures of SG50 icons to find their assigned buddies. Some volunteers cried out looking for their “chili crab” elderly buddies when the names eluded them. The wheelchair-bound elderly enjoyed a turn around the lush small garden, while the rest went up to the second floor to go through the ‘Journey of Dreams’ exhibit before it gets revamped. Thereafter, it was time to board the Flyer pods for the 30-minute ride.

At its peak, 165m in the air, the elderly had varied responses. Some passed the time in relaxation, watching the scenery from the seats in the pod while volunteers pointed out some of the Singapore skyline’s famous landmarks. Some intermittently stood up to peer closer from the pod and enhance

A series of culinary workshops for Sunbeam Place youths aged between 10 and 15 years old were conducted during the September school holidays. These workshops aimed to hone the youth’s kitchen skills, build their self-esteem and equip them with life-skills that would come in handy during independent living.

During the session, the youths had to share the utensils and ingredients with their peers. They were split into two groups, with each group in charge of whipping up one delectable dish; Japanese potato salad and Japanese curry chicken.

Everyone then came together to have lunch. The youth had to wash their utensils and crockery so as to inculcate a sense of responsibility in them.

After the lunch break, the youths were taught a simple, classic recipe; chocolate chip cookies! They enjoyed the baking session and let their imagination run free by creatively molding their cookies into all sorts of shapes. Once fresh out of the oven, they generously shared the cookies with their volunteer buddies in appreciation for their help and guidance.

The day ended with a sharing and debriefing session, followed by goodbyes and high-5s all around as the youth and volunteers parted ways.

their range of sight. For many of them, the image of the Singapore River mouth has changed drastically through the years and they were awed by its rapid progress.

Disembarking from the ride, the group took a leisurely stroll on the Flyer grounds to take photos and then had lunch. The Charles & Keith volunteers surprised the beneficiaries with goody bags chock full of healthy snacks and foodstuffs and saw them off as the elderly warmly waved their thanks and goodbyes. It was a most meaningful morning spent in the service of these elderly.

YWCA would like to especially thank the staff of Singapore Flyer who went the extra mile to guide us around the premises and ensure things went smoothly with our large group of 87.

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 10 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3

C H I L D C A R E

Oct-Dec 2015

Inaugural YWCA Conference on Early Childhood Special Needs By Belinda Tan

The YWCA collaborated with the National Institute of Education to hold its inaugural one-and-a-half-day conference on Early Childhood Special Needs on 18 and 19 September at Fort Canning Lodge. The conference was attended by about 100 early childhood teachers, principals, parents and anyone who works with children with special needs. Over the two days, there were 12 workshops, three keynote lectures, and a plenary discussion.

This was the first time that the YWCA was organising such an event, and the positive turn-out was an indication that this was a much welcomed initiative. For a long time, we had heard educators and parents sharing their sentiments and discussing the challenges they faced with working with children with special needs. We were delighted that this conference brought in professional practitioners in the industry to enlighten us on these topics. Educators and parents who attended the conference were able to connect with one another

‘An Introduction to Curriculum and Instructional Differentiation’ Dr Thana Luxshme Thaver

Keynote Address by Asst/P Wong Meng Ee

Plenary Discussion – “What Does It Mean To Be Person-Centred In Inclusive Education

For Early Childhood Educators?”

Keynote Address by Dr Hanin Binte Hussain

Q&A session ‘When Unexpected Disruption Occurs During the Normal Child Development’

Dr Noel Chia and Ms Yang Wen Si

‘Inculcating Peer Support for Children with Autism in the Mainstream ECE Classroom’

Mr Mohamad Shaifudin Bin Md Yusof and Ms Nadia Natasha Binte Mohamed Rasid

and share valuable exchanges. The conference affirmed the importance of relying on rigorous evidence-based research to enhance the quality of special education in Singapore.

The YWCA put together a programme that was rich in content that educators could take back to their classrooms. The various speakers enlightened participants with topics ranging from promoting inclusivity, differentiated curriculum, to using technology to aid special education. The plenary discussion session on “What Does It Mean To Be Person-Centred in Inclusive Education for Early Childhood Educators” was most engaging. It was an amazing opportunity to bring people together from different walks to network and share ideas. The other keynote speakers highlighted ways in which educators were taking a leading role to improve special education in Singapore.

The conference met the mark of giving its participants useful information with majority of them walking away with much to reflect on and an eagerness to implement what they had learnt to their respective workplaces. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we hope we organise a conference of this kind every year!

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 11

O U R V O L U N T E E R S ’ J O U R N E Y

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 Oct-Dec 2015

Food Distribution by Dell VolunteersOn Thursday 1 October, Dell volunteers helped with the distribution of the Meals-on-Wheels for Children packet lunches. In the morning, they spent time at their office packing goody bags consisting of six items for each child. The items were; Milo, London Choc Roll, marshmallows, a notepad, writing pen, and highlighter. The goody bag distribution was in conjunction with Children’s Day celebrations on 9 October. The Dell team then gathered before noon at YWCA Outram for a briefing and collection of food. They then loaded up the packet lunches into four cars. The team even came prepared with masks to brave the haze! They carried on with the distribution despite the PSI reaching 200 as they knew how important it was for the children to receive their meals for the day. Thank you to the Dell volunteers for volunteering your time and energy!

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 12 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2

S P O T L I G H T: M S M A V I S T S O I

Oct-Dec 2015

The current 1st Vice President of the YWCA and Chair of the Fort Canning Lodge Committee and Building Committee, Ms Tsoi is no stranger to the YWCA. She has been serving for almost two decades since 1994 and has sat on the Board of Management since 1997.

Ms Tsoi was introduced to the organisation by her late godmother, Mrs Rosalind Ho, a former Board Member and volunteer. Upon joining, she was invited to be a member of the former International and Community Affairs Committee. It was 1997. Initially, she found it hard to follow the discussions at every meeting and thus was unable to contribute amply. However, she shared that it was “the warmth and kindness of the senior members” that had made her stayed on, saying “I always felt welcomed although I had little to contribute. I was allowed to grow slowly, get used to the culture and increase the level of participation at my own pace”.

From then on, Ms Tsoi has been sitting on the Board of Management and is currently the Chairperson of the Fort Canning Lodge Committee and the Buildings Committee. Through serving in various different committees, she has learnt many lessons. In particular, she cites that of ‘financial independence’ as “the Y helps our children, girls and women to be independent”. She believes that one must work hard to achieve one’s goals, and thus she is very proud of the Y for “staying relevant to the communities that it serves.” The latest project, the Early Intervention Child Development Centre is one example of this as the service addresses a need that is not currently being met.

Ms Tsoi says that her weakness is being “too focused and structured” and thus she

Welcome on Board

The YWCA is pleased to welcome new staff to the team. We welcome Lock Ah Lan as Attendant at Ang Mo Kio CDC, Chong Kwee Fah and Woo Kum Ying as Attendants at Bedok CDC, Lapitan Shaireen Joy Baybayan as Teacher at Bukit Gombak CDC and Low Lee Kim as Para Educator at Pasir Ris CDC.

At Fort Canning Lodge, we welcome Ferris Danial as Duty Manager.

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

has to keep reminding herself to look at the bigger picture. Serving on the Board of Management gave her many opportunities to hone this. In particular, at an “emotionally charged” Extraordinary General Meeting (EOGM) in 2001, members had to vote on the motion to sell Fort Canning Lodge to clear its outstanding construction loan and interest. In the end, the decision was not to sell and to trust in God’s providence for the organisation. Ms Tsoi also recalls this to be one of her most memorable moments at the YWCA.

An avid believer in the motto “do to others as you would have them do to you”, Ms Tsoi has experienced much joy in serving the community. She hopes that in the next 140 years, the YWCA will “be the forerunner in providing services to the needy and grow from strength to strength”.

C O M P L I M E N T S

“Front desk good service, excellent in checking in/out. Housekeeper very good in keeping the room clean and tidy. Excellent and very good and friendly chef Ahlee Ru!

Excellent hotel! Coming back and can be highly recommended”

Jocelyn A. Corpuz

“The sessions were well organised and the flow was smooth. The hospitality from your team and the Lodge was friendly. We were also well fed, the food was delicious. From my casual sense talking to various people, the feedback was positive. Most importantly, the participants came away with much learning.”

Asst. Prof Wong Meng Ee

“Big thanks to you and all at YWCA for the kind support rendered and hard work in putting together the conference! The food and many things were awesome!”

Ms Patricia Ng Mui Hoon