In 2025, Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) launched The Healing Nation, a national initiative inspired by the 140th Anniversary of The Methodist Church in Singapore to rally the wider community to give back. The initiative has raised close to $1.42 million—surpassing its $1.4 million target—to bless up to 1,000 families and individuals served by other charities, social service agencies and Methodist partners. Through this collective effort, MWS hopes to empower fellow organisations to go further in meeting the needs of the community. Two beneficiaries from our Methodist partner churches share how their families were supported through this initiative.
Widowed at 45
In 2022, Yvonne Lai received a phone call that would change her life. Her husband, a shipyard technician, had suffered a heart attack at work. Overnight, she became a widowed single mother of three children.
“With my husband’s sudden death, life became very tough as I was left to manage many things on my own,” said Yvonne, now 49. “I had been a housewife for over a decade, and it was not easy adjusting to working life again while caring for my children. There was just too much to handle, and time always felt insufficient.”
As the sole breadwinner, Yvonne works part-time as an administrative assistant so she can care for her youngest son. Alongside financial strain, she carries the weight of caregiving alone. Living in a rental flat and supported by several financial assistance schemes, Yvonne worries most about her children. “Their expenses are my biggest concern,” she said. “Even food costs feel heavy because everything has gone up.”
The team at Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church (AMKMC) first came to know of Yvonne’s situation through her children, aged 9 to 18, who are enrolled in the church’s free tuition programme for children from kindergarten to Secondary 4. Her eldest son, Lucas, has since graduated and is now in junior college preparing for his A-Levels. “Lucas does well in his studies, and the church’s free tuition really helped him a lot,” Yvonne shared. Together with bursary awards, this support has eased the financial burden of her children’s education.
Last year, Yvonne also received a $1,400 grant under The Healing Nation initiative. “I’m very grateful—it has helped ease some of the financial pressure, especially with my eldest son’s tuition fees, which can be quite costly,” she shared.
More than the financial relief, the support has been a source of encouragement. “It shows me that there is still love in society, and reminds us that we are not alone,” Yvonne reflected.
Moved by the love of the church community, Yvonne began exploring the Christian faith and since last year, has been attending services at AMKMC. “Church has become a place of healing for me,” she said. “When I listen to the worship songs, I cry because they really strike an emotional chord with me. I always leave feeling lighter, more encouraged and hopeful.”
A hawker’s quiet struggle
Ng Ah Hock still remembers when his kway chap stall was a bustling business—back when the Teochew braised dish was a beloved everyday comfort food. Now 80, he has spent over four decades running the stall, currently located in Bedok, alongside his wife.
Today, things are very different. “After Covid-19, business started going downhill,” Ah Hock shared. “People have become more health conscious. They avoid kway chap because it’s high in cholesterol, especially with all the advice to cut down on oily food.”
As such, business has slowed to the point of being barely sustainable, with around 30 to 40 customers on better days.
At home, the strain is keenly felt. Ah Hock and his wife live with their adopted daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, who is autistic and non-verbal, and attends a special needs school. Their daughter is unable to work as she needs to care for her child, who requires close supervision and support with daily activities.
Having visited the family regularly, Rev Ong Bee Keow, Pastor-in-Charge of Changi Methodist Church—where Ah Hock has been a baptised member since the 1970s—sensed that the church could come alongside them in support.
With Rev Ong’s help, the family received a $1,400 grant through The Healing Nation initiative, easing some of their burden. “I was very grateful to receive the grant,” Ah Hock shared. “It has helped lighten my load.”
Today, he continues to run his kway chap stall with quiet resilience. Despite shifting tastes, he remains committed to his craft. “Kway chap is a heritage food,” he said. “As long as my health permits, I will continue the trade.”
If you would like to learn more about MWS’ work in empowering under-resourced families, visit www.mws.sg.
To donate, visit https://give.mws.sg or scan the QR code.
By the Methodist Welfare Services Communications Team. / Photos courtesy of Methodist Welfare Services
