TOUCH Giving Hong Bao 2025
As we welcome the Lunar New Year in 2025, TOUCH Community Services extends a heartfelt invitation to you and your family to participate in TOUCH Giving Hong Bao 2025. This initiative aims to cultivate a culture of giving, particularly among the younger generation, by encouraging them to dedicate a portion of their red packet collection to empower others in the community.
This year, TOUCH Giving Hong Bao aims to raise $250,000 to fund programmes and services in support of over 297,000 lives served by TOUCH, including children, youths,
families, caregivers, people with wellness and special needs, and the elderly.
Will You Join Us in Supporting Them?
This is how you can help:
- $10/month provides a homebound senior with nutritious meals
- $50/month provides a child from a low-income family with mentoring support to realise his/her potential
- $100/month provides counselling support for an individual facing mental wellness challenges
A little can go a long way as we band together to support lives in need.
Read more below about the stories of some of our featured beneficiaries.
Act now to inspire hope and impact lives, because people matter!
Campaign Period: 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025
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Setting sights on a life of empowerment
Despite her struggles with poor vision, 62-year-old Ms Adeline Vejaletchmy has always strived to live her life to the fullest. However, a bad fall in 2021 left her feeling helpless and depressed.
With the help of TOUCH Home Care, Adeline overcame her hardships to move forward in life, now living an independent life and extending help to others who need it.
Adeline now enjoys taking public transport to do activities at a social service agency and goes to a nearby active ageing centre to meet friends. “I feel great leading an active life again. If I were to stay home, I tend to remain in bed so I will not fall. Life will have no meaning,” adds Adeline. Her daily routine includes going to her neighbourhood coffeeshop to have her meals. During her free time, she visits her relatives and friends who live nearby.
Living well in the community
When he was 31, Mr Fong Chong Meng was referred to TOUCH Ubi Hostel (TUH), a stay-in residential programme for adults with intellectual disabilities, after he was spotted loitering in his neighbourhood. Through the guidance of lifeskills coaches, he was equipped with competency skills that help him to relate with others, do housework, cook meals, manage money, see a doctor when he is sick, and travel on public transport.
Chong Meng has been working as a packer for the same company for over a decade. He has built lasting friendships, volunteers regularly with Meals-On-Wheels, a meal delivery service for homebound seniors, and takes care of himself at home during the weekends. “I am happy to live here at TUH because I can make many new friends. I can now wash my clothes, sweep and mop the floor, and clean the toilet,” says Chong Meng happily.
An Unexpected Journey of Growth
Muhammad Rizki was 9 years old when he first joined TOUCH Young Arrows (TYA) in 2007. Today, the 26-year-old is a Club leader at TYA Macpherson and attributes his growth and passion to mentor the young to his TYA mentor – Thomas Tan, 38, who played an instrumental role in shaping his life in his TYA days.
After Rizki graduated from TYA in 2010, Thomas challenged him to give back as a mentor and be a role model to the younger generation. Befriending new children and interacting with them was not easy for Rizki, who was new to his mentor role. Thomas later appointed Rizki as a club leader. Despite the challenges, Rizki persevered and today, the TYA club he manages has 20 children and 12 volunteers.
“I saw many young children mixing with bad company and thought about how Thomas guided me during my younger days. I wanted to play my part and give back to the community by becoming a role model to other children, just like how Thomas was to me. TYA was where I received a lot, and I knew I wanted to return and help,” said Rizki.
Thomas said, “I was happy and excited to hear that Rizki came back. Each child in TYA is like a precious seed. Their journey of growth continues even after they graduate. As club volunteers and mentors, we want to nurture this passion in our children and see it flower and bear fruit. Seeing children like Rizki return to volunteer affirms my mantra, and I hope that this legacy of volunteering at TYA continues with the next generation.”
A beacon of hope
19-year-old Navitha was a bright and outgoing girl who was confident of public speaking and loved meeting new people. Things took an unexpected turn when she started experiencing anxiety attacks and severe mood swings due to family issues. Navitha had a hard time focusing in school and managing her newfound emotions.
Navitha began her counselling journey with TOUCH Mental Wellness’ counsellor, Elaine, who guided her on regulating and processing her emotions. Today, Navitha is on the path to better mental health and working towards regaining her confidence and joy in life. She is an active advocate for mental health through Beyond the Label (BTL), volunteering at roving exhibitions in schools and sharing with students on the importance of speaking up about mental health and seeking professional help.
“If I ever encounter someone who needs help, I will encourage them to talk about it and seek professional help. With appropriate help, emotions can be regulated, and mental health can be managed. Instead of being quick to judge others, we should create a safe space for people to share their struggles and support them in their healing journey,” shares Navitha.