A total of 201 volunteers were honoured at the Empowering Life Awards 2026, MWS’ biennial volunteer appreciation event that recognise volunteers who have made significant contributions to MWS’ beneficiaries and clients. Held on 30 January at HomeTeamNS Khatib, this marked the third edition of the Awards since 2021.
Among the honourees were 134 volunteers recognised for five to 20 years of service, as well as three Lifetime Award recipients. This year’s theme, Flourishing Together, celebrates how service enriches both volunteers and beneficiaries.
Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Law & Ministry of Social and Family Development, graced the event as Guest-of-Honour and delivered the opening address.
During the event, MWS also launched the Befriender’s Toolkit: Engaging Couples in Marital Conflict, which equips volunteers with practical guidance to journey with couples facing marital challenges. This will be complemented by specialised training conducted by MWS counsellors and social workers, focusing on practical relationship skills (see sidebar).
Together, these efforts nurture a supportive community that encourages couples and families to seek help early and face challenges with care, hope, and understanding.
Behind the Awards: Two recipients share their stories
Rebuilding broken lives
The Parable of the Lost Sheep resonates deeply with Tina Neoh in her volunteer service as an English tutor at MWS Girls’ Residence. “A lot of these girls are actually very bright, but they’ve just lost their way,” she said. “Just like the shepherd in the parable who goes after the one lost sheep and brings it home, that’s what we try to do as volunteers—to reach out to those who have lost their way and walk alongside them with unconditional love.”
A retired English teacher, Tina said her role goes beyond teaching English. “It’s also about giving these girls attention and love, because many of them come from very troubled backgrounds,” she shared. “The time that we spend with them makes a difference.”
Over her two years of volunteering, Tina has been encouraged by residents who have moved on to further their studies beyond secondary school.
While the residence is meant to be a safe haven, many girls do not see it that way, as the rules and boundaries can feel restrictive, Tina said. “But I try to help them see it as a place where they can restart their lives—a place that gives them a hope and a future.”
For Tina, who worships at Christ Methodist Church, being part of that journey is deeply meaningful. “God wants them to become women who know their worth,” she reflected. “And the MWS Girls’ Residence helps to rebuild that self-worth in the right direction. It’s such a privilege to be part of that work.”
Walking with the dying
A former teacher, David Row has been serving with MWS since 1986 as a volunteer with its home-based hospice service. He was one of the pioneers of MWS Home Hospice (formerly known as Agape Fellowship and Methodist Hospice Fellowship). Today, it operates as part of MWS Home Care & Home Hospice (HCHH).
“That time, nobody knew much about cancer,” David recalled. Together with pioneers such as Dr Patrick Kee and the late Dr Cynthia Goh, they were among the early advocates raising awareness about cancer and palliative care. “We went around giving talks about cancer and training people to become volunteer befrienders to cancer patients.”
Passionate about palliative care, David spent more than 30 years ministering to cancer patients and their families as a volunteer, offering both practical help and emotional support to ensure that patients experience dignity and care in their final stages of life.
Now 92, David continues to contribute as an Honorary Member on the Centre Governance Committee of MWS HCHH and MWS Senior Care Centre – Eunos, where he provides advice and guidance on governance matters.
MWS Befrienders Toolkit on Engaging Couples in Marital Conflict
When couples face challenges, they often turn first to friends or family members rather than social service agencies like MWS.
Recognising this, MWS developed the Befriender’s Toolkit: Engaging Couples in Marital Conflict to equip volunteers and members of the community with the skills and confidence to listen without judgment and offer timely support.
Developed by experienced MWS social workers and counsellors, the Toolkit helps volunteers understand sources of marital tension, recognise common interaction and stress-response patterns, and guide conversations towards positive conflict resolution.
Volunteers can also sign up for specialised training conducted by counsellors and social workers from MWS’ Strengthening Families Programme (FAM). Building on the Toolkit, the training focuses on practical relational skills such as managing interpersonal dynamics, navigating sensitive conversations, and knowing when professional help may be needed.
Together, the Toolkit and training are designed to enable volunteers to offer empathetic, informed support that complements professional services and strengthen the broader ecosystem of care for couples and families.
The MWS Befriender’s Toolkit: Engaging Couples in Marital Conflict can be downloaded at www.mws.sg/volunteer. Sign up for the workshop at www.mws.sg/events/workshop-engaging-couples-in-marital-conflict.
Ready to make a difference? Join us as an MWS volunteer. Visit www.mws.sg/volunteer or email volunteer@mws.sg.
By the Methodist Welfare Services Communications Team. / Photos courtesy of Methodist Welfare Services
