On an overcast Tuesday morning, Valerie Ng strolls along the corridor of an HDB flat in Bedok, gently knocking on the doors of the seniors she has been assigned to visit for that day. Sometimes, no one answers. But whenever a door does open, she greets the senior with a warm smile and a gentle “How have you been?” Some visits are just a brief check-in, while with others, the conversation lingers, unfolding into family stories and fond memories.
For the past few months, this has been her weekly routine—going door-to-door at an HDB block near her home to check in on seniors who might otherwise slip through the cracks. As a senior outreach volunteer with Goodlife Studio (Bedok), an Active Ageing Centre operated by Montfort Care, she sometimes does visits alone, and at other times pairs up with staff.
Today, she is joined by San San, who carries the checklist of 15 seniors to visit, along with handouts of the month’s programme line-up. Their mission is simple: to reach out to seniors who have not visited the Centre for some time and encourage them to join its activities. Through these visits, Valerie and San San do more than check in—they bring companionship, comfort, and the assurance that someone cares.
Their first stop is the home of Mdm Fatimah, who receives them warmly despite the knee pain she has been struggling with. She ushers them in, happy for the company, as they share the schedule of upcoming activities—from bingo and batik painting, to Rummikub and reformer pilates. Eventually, Mdm Fatimah signs up for the upcoming talk by Changi General Hospital, Empower Your Kidneys, and she is glad that it will be conducted in Malay.
Sowing care, reaping joy
“I feel truly enriched when I volunteer because it reminds me of the joy and blessing in giving to others,” Valerie reflects. Quoting Acts 20:35 (NIV), “It is more blessed to give than to receive”, she explains that seeing seniors smile, feel encouraged, and know they are cared for gives her a deep sense of purpose and fulfilment—one that far outweighs anything she could receive in return.
A member of Christ Methodist Church, Valerie sees faith not only as words professed, but as love demonstrated through action. “Volunteering gives me the opportunity to live out my faith in tangible, meaningful ways,” she says. “Jesus taught in Matthew 25:40 (NIV), ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ In reaching out to seniors, I see it as serving Christ by serving others.”
Turning empathy into action
Valerie came across this volunteering opportunity while searching online for ways to serve seniors. She signed up through The Healing Nation (THN) platform, which uses artificial intelligence to connect volunteers with opportunities across more than 100 charities.
Spearheaded by Methodist Welfare Services (MWS), THN is a Methodist-led national mission to mobilise the community to give back to Singapore (discover how you can be part of it—see sidebar). Through this initiative, MWS aims to break down silos between charities and build a sustainable, volunteer-powered ecosystem of care.
It’s a mission that resonates deeply with Valerie, a wealth manager in her 50s who has spent more than a decade serving seniors—whether by delivering meals to those who are home-bound or making house visits to elders living alone.
“I’ve always felt a natural affinity with seniors and see volunteering with them as both meaningful and fulfilling,” she shares. “They carry a wealth of life experiences that I can learn from, and I’ve found myself able to empathise with them deeply.”
With both her parents having passed on, Valerie also sees engaging with seniors as a way of honouring their generation and keeping that bond alive. “I’ve also realised I tend to be more patient with seniors than with children,” she says. “At one point, I even considered studying gerontology, but had to give it up when both my parents fell ill. In a way, volunteering now feels like a continuation of that calling to serve and support seniors in a meaningful way.”
Of calling, compassion and Christian love
In her volunteer role, Valerie not only encourages seniors to join activities that support active and healthy ageing, but also connects them with essential services. This may mean referring them to relevant agencies for financial assistance, linking them with medical social workers or befriender volunteers, or providing practical aid such as free walking sticks.
“For me, volunteering is more than community service—it’s a calling and an expression of Christian love: to reach out, build trust and walk alongside seniors with compassion, helping them live with dignity, health and joy,” she mused. “It is one way I can live out the gospel in everyday life.”
Will you be the hands and feet of Jesus? To “love your neighbour as yourself” can begin with a simple knock on a senior’s door. Like Valerie, you can channel Christ’s love through small acts of care that remind others they are seen, valued, and never alone. Whatever your passion, there’s a volunteering opportunity waiting for you.
As The Methodist Church in Singapore marks its 140th Anniversary, its social concerns arm, Methodist Welfare Services, is rallying members to collectively contribute 1.4 million volunteer hours through The Healing Nation initiative—that’s just 35 hours per person to uplift lives. Scan the QR code to join a growing community of volunteers that is making a difference in the lives of others.
By the Methodist Welfare Services Communications Team. / Photo courtesy of Methodist Welfare Services
