Methodist family helped 619 families in Singapore in their fight with chronic debt
Madam Komathy’s family can barely make ends meet on her sole breadwinner husband’s pump attendant salary. She is unable to work due to ill health caused by kidney disease that needs weekly dialysis. The couple has been falling behind on their conservancy and water bills.
Her family was one of the 619 that have been given a much-needed boost by the GOOD (Getting Out Of Debt) Programme. GOOD was launched by Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) to liberate needy people in debt, in celebration of the 130th anniversary of The Methodist Church in Singapore and Singapore’s Golden Jubilee.
Fourteen financial education workshops were co-organised with the Institute of Financial Literacy funded by Moneysense, to provide basic money management education. These were hosted at 10 Methodist churches and facilitated by 105 Methodist volunteers.
It was found that 62 per cent of the families helped had jobs but drew low slaries, and more than 9 in 10 of them had less than $200 in savings. As such, they remained vulnerable to sudden crises, which can be cushioned by having sufficient emergency savings.
MWS will develop a new programme to help families manage their debts and save in 2016. It will go one step further to change the mindset and habits of those in need of financial support.
Mr Poh Leong Berg, GOOD Advocate and Social Concerns Chairperson of Pentecost Methodist Church, said: “The GOOD programme is an excellent platform for us to connect us with the less fortunate. From here on, the church could actually be involved in helping them beyond this GOOD programme and make it part of our daily life.
“We need not wait for special occasions to do good works, but rather carry out good works whenever possible in our lives, because I think that’s what God has called us to do and we should do it for God’s glory.”
While Methodists have finished the GOOD Race, MWS and the families will have to continue the GOOD fight.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
A sincere thank you to all Methodist churches, donors, GOOD Advocates and volunteers for your unfailing generosity and patient service.
By the Methodist Welfare Services Communications Team