At Hort Park with the Elderly
Participants: Senior Citizens from the Presbyterian Community Service
Purpose: Volunteering Time & Service For Our Aged
Venue: Hort Park
Date: 15 August 2009
Time: 10.00am – 12.30pm
As a form of contribution to society, BMC Academy engages in a series of service activities that meets our community needs. The Community Service Programme provides a variety of unique benefits to our staff, the community and to our organisation. The company-sponsored nature of service contributions indicates to our staff that the organisation supports a culture that values community service.
On the 15th August 2009, this time round, we brought senior citizens from the Presbyterian Community Service to the Hork Park, a one-stop gardening hub that brings together gardening-related and recreational activities in a park setting. Our volunteers took them around to stroll the garden. The senior citizens got to see the showcase of garden designs, plants and flower products, and a tour to a butterfly garden. Some of them participated in the events and activities organised at the park. Light refreshments and transport were also provided to them.
The goal of this programme is to provide the staff with a meaningful service and learning experience relevant to their interests, while supporting and enhancing the work of non-profit and governmental organisations.
The staff who participated in this meaningful volunteer service were given opportunities to allow them to exchange ideas and observations of how the senior citizens responded to the outing. It enabled the staff who are much younger to ‘connect’ with others and to gain greater appreciation and understanding of social concerns and be more engaged citizens. The voluntary service also increased participants’ awareness of the senior community and their needs, as well as an opportunity to develop a caring heart and to contribute to society. The staff also benefited from the interaction with people of different demographic groups.
It was observed that this fun-filled service programme designed to promote social awareness will lead to more empathetic behaviours and intentions of our volunteers to be engaged in future community activities. The efforts put in by our volunteers to make this outing a success is much appreciated by all!
