THE Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) was among 103 recipients to receive the President’s Certificate of Commendation during the Special Investiture of the 2003 National Day Awards for Overcoming SARS.
Mr Chan Kum Kit, Chairman of the MWS, received the award from President S. R. Nathan. The certificate was awarded to organisations that played a significant role in helping Singapore overcome the SARS outbreak through their unselfish and pro-active offer of expertise and resources.
The MWS was one of five Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWO) that came forward to form a community case management service for those served with Home Quarantine Orders during the SARS crisis.
The two participating MWS Family Service Centres (FSCs) were Covenant FSC and Tampines FSC, jointly covering the affected population in the north-east region. This experience, which was at the invitation of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), was an opportunity for the MWS to be in the forefront of a social and community response to a public health crisis.
It was good to come together with the NCSS and the other VWOs to share ideas on how a positive community response could be achieved during the SARS crisis.
The Ministry of Community Development and Sports (MCDS) also provided strong support through its facilitation and negotiation with the other key ministries, to pave the way for meeting the needs of the most vulnerable and displaced.
The MWS also turned to a pool of volunteers from the Methodist Hospice Fellowship (MHF) to complement the full-time staff of the FSCs in performing some of the required tasks.
The experience demonstrated the spirit of voluntarism and professional commitment on the part of MWS volunteers and staff.
The MWS appreciates and recognises all staff and volunteers who contributed in one way or another to the success of the project.