PARK $2 Project (P2P)

It has been a fulfilling week for me. I got to know of 2 charity initiatives (Saturdays at Lengkok Bahru and Caring Singaporeans Outreach Group) and I tried to render some support for these 2 projects by appealing for volunteers and sponsorship. I am not affiliated to these 2 initiatives (don't want to steal their credits) but I thought their cause is meaningful and we should all support and encourage such initiatives to bring kindness and love to the less fortunate members of our society. I am also very touched by the generous and warm response from my friends, who rally to offer their time, effort and donations to help out in the events organized. I am very proud to have such kind friends like them, it further reinforce my belief that I have found the right people to join me in this lifelong kindness journey.

The past one month has been nothing short of exposure to the charity work for me and I come to realize that in order for any charity movement to be successful, there are two important components; volunteer support and funding. The volunteers are the vital resources to keep things running smoothly on the ground and the organizing committee will not able to complete a successful event without them. The second important resource for any charity projects is funding, this is the area I would like to further elaborate, especially after what I have observed for the past one month.

When I browse through the cases in "Keeping Hope Alive", I am reminded that this resource is clearly essential because the beneficiaries are in need of diapers, mattress, groceries, fridge, wheelchairs and money to pay outstanding bills. Fion and her team of volunteers have done an excellent job in helping to clean the houses of the beneficiaries, keeping them clear of bed bugs and stench. The rest is dependent on kind donors to sponsor the basic necessities that the beneficiaries need. Without them, the beneficiaries will continue to face challenges in their everyday lives.

I come to realize that funding is one big headache facing all the organizers of such charity drives. We can appeal and there will be generous friends who step out and donate in hundreds of dollars but I feel that this approach is not sustainable. How long can one consistently donate $200 every month to charity? I believe most of us belong to the middle income household and some of us are breadwinners working on a tight household budget. If we were to depend on a few person to donate in generous amount to help the beneficiaries, these donors would soon exhaust their own budget. However, if we can get many people to donate a small amount, say $2, at a minimum interval of once a month in between donations, I believe that is more sustainable in the long run. While some people may dismiss $2 as an insignificant amount, it can mean so much to the beneficiaries, it can buy a loaf of bread or some food to keep a person from starving. With the intended multiplier effect of many donors, we are looking at possibly $20, $200 or even $2000. I believe this amount would go a long way in providing happiness, hope and support for the needy families.

"PARK $2 Project (P2P)" aims to share with you what are the ongoing charitable initiatives and the support required from the organizers. Members of P2P can come together to leverage on the multiplier effect to do more with less (pool together a huge sum of donation through minimal contribution each by getting many friends involved) and help the less fortunate members of our society. On behalf of the organizers and beneficiaries, I thank you for your kindness and support for our group. Thank you for bringing joy, love and hope to the lives of the needy, poor and less fortunate friends of our society.