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  Today Online 30 Aug 06
Student volunteers ace test of heart
By Jasmine Yin

Channel NewsAsia 30 Aug 06
Volunteers honoured at President's Social Service Awards
By Noor Mohd Aziz

SINGAPORE : It doesn't take much to volunteer: just a little bit of your time and commitment makes others happy. This was the common sentiment shared by volunteers at the President's Social Service Awards.

One individual and four organisations were honoured for their selfless contributions to the underprivileged. They received their award from President SR Nathan at the Istana on Tuesday.

Said award recipient Mae-Lim Hoon Ann, of the Singapore Children's Society, "I feel that with young people, you always do something, start something very small, something you're comfortable with, something that your time permits."

Michael Gian, CEO of corporate winner Kentucky Fried Chicken, said, "We provide job opportunities for 91 employees. We are looking at furthering that. We have two stores operated by the deaf employees of ours. We are looking at the third one, in fact, maybe over the next nine months."

President Nathan said, "I hope that the publicity that comes from it. The stories that they read from the newspapers or in television will encourage people to come forward to do whatever they can and lighten the burden of those who are having difficulties."

Other winners were Motorola Electronics, the Land Transport Authority and NUS Students' Union Action Committee. - CNA /ct

Today Online 30 Aug 06
Student volunteers ace test of heart
By Jasmine Yin

IT IS no ordinary test that these undergraduates have set themselves up for. Believing that the moral test for any society is how it treats its weakest members, the 350-strong National University of Singapore Students' Union Volunteer Action Committee (NVAC) has actively reached out to the needy and less fortunate to try and ace this "test" since its inception in 1990.

This student-run group organises some 20 programmes and events every year, and partners external organisations such as the Moral Welfare Home, Boys' Town, Institute of Mental Health and the Communicable Disease Centre in eight community programmes on a regular basis.

For its efforts, the group clinched the President's Social Service Award (PSSA) in the Informal Group category last night. Final-year psychology student Chong Weien said that participating in the NVAC's diverse activities has enhanced his understanding of community service and volunteerism.

The 25-year-old, who has been involved in NVAC since late 2004, heads two projects which he mooted for the group--Hope Digital, where volunteers teach basic computer skills to disadvantaged youths from four voluntary welfare organisations, and DEW, an offshoot of the Yellow Ribbon Project, which seeks to help youth offenders re-integrate into society.

Said Mr Chong, himself an ex-offender who was imprisoned for 10 months in 2002: "Because of where I come from, and I have been given a second chance to complete my education, I want to do my part to do the same thing for others who are in my shoes."

PSSA 2006 winners in the other categories include the Land Transport Authority (for the public sector organisations), as well as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Motorola for the corporate category. President S R Nathan and Mrs Nathan were among the guests at the Istana for last night's PSSA 2006 ceremony.
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