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Tea Time at Ya Kun – Appreciation Campaign for Special Needs Caregivers and Families

Tea Time at Ya Kun – Appreciation Campaign for Special Needs Caregivers and Families

CaringSG and Ya Kun Kaya Toast collaborated to run an appreciation campaign for special needs caregivers and families.

Ya Kun encouraged their customers to fuel a caregiver of a person with special needs and show their appreciation by gifting them a cup of Ya Kun kopi or tea. Customers could participate in this initiative via Ya Kun’s Cherish app from 10 Oct to 30 Nov 2022.

Ya Kun also helped to spread awareness of what CaringSG does, by sharing with their customers that CaringSG is a caregiver-led initiative and registered non-profit organisation for special needs caregivers and the community. We were set up in 2020 and are supported by SG Enable.

Customers were further informed to visit www.caring.sg to learn more about how they can support special needs caregivers, and to check out www.enablingguide.sg if they are a person with disability or caregiver in need of support.

 

Tea Time at Ya Kun @ Far East Square

As part of the appreciation campaign, caregivers were treated to a traditional tea brunch of Kaya toast with butter set (Set A) at Ya Kun @ Far East Square on 12 November 2022. The meals and venue were kindly sponsored by Ya Kun Kaya Toast.

A total of 16 caregivers and 15 children turned up for the event, and participants could also take the opportunity to share their life experiences with other caregivers and their families. The children were engaged with simple board games, jigsaw puzzles and activities while enjoying their meals in Ya Kun’s flagship store that offered a rustic ambience reminiscing the good old days of kampung gatherings.

The event was supported by two CAREkakis, two CAREambassadors, four CaringSG staff and volunteers.  

We sincerely thank our kind sponsor Ya Kun Kaya Toast and all the Ya Kun customers who participated in this appreciation campaign with a kopi or tea treat to special needs caregivers.

This caregiver appreciation event was also supported by our partners (Enabling Lives Grant Initiative by SG Enable and Tote Board, Temasek Foundation and Boon Lay CCC).

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CaringSG’s First Ever Purple Parade!

CaringSG’s First Ever Purple Parade!

This year’s Purple Parade was held on 29 October 2022 at Suntec City to support inclusion and celebrate the abilities of persons with disabilities. 2022 marks the 10th anniversary for the Purple Parade, and the first time that CaringSG has participated in this event!

In the lead up to the Purple Parade, CaringSG held an online slogan quest for our members with two categories:

  • Category 1: non-caregiver members can create their own short slogans to encourage caregivers
  • Category 2: caregiver members can share their self-declared phrase that has always inspired them to remain motivated despite their challenges.

The contest ran until 30 November 2022. Scroll to the bottom of this article to see the winning slogans!

On the actual day of the Purple Parade, CaringSG members who dropped by the CaringSG booth and flashed their eCard were able to redeem limited edition free gifts (tote bag for caregiver members and a CaringSG badge for non-caregiver members). 

Members as well as the public could also purchase specially made handicrafts to support the caregivers and youths of CAREcottage families (see their beautiful handicrafts here).

The highlight of the Purple Parade was the marching of contingents where participants marched together to show solidarity for persons with disabilities. CaringSG, together with Centre for Fathering, formed a strong marching contingent of 88 participants. Everyone was really happy and proud to be part of this meaningful event.

The Purple Parade was supported by five CAREkakis, nine CaringSG staff and twenty-two volunteers. A loud shoutout and thank you to our partners (Enabling Lives Initiative Grant by SG Enable and Tote Board, and Temasek Foundation) who made this meaningful event possible. 

Congratulations to the following winners of our slogan quest!

We are greatly inspired by each and every one of your slogans and would like to announce the winners below:

  • CaringSG Online Slogan Quest Winner (Category 1): “All trials have an expiry date!” by Ms Tay 
  • CaringSG Online Slogan Quest Winner (Category 2): You make a world of difference!” by Low Li Ting

We also hope these notable slogan submissions will bring warmth to your day:

  • “Together, We Can!” by Amir Yunus
  • “Laugh more, open your heart, and take each day as it comes” by Ernest
  • “Don’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the further you get.” by Lim Sook Wei
  • “There is always light at every tunnel ahead.” by Ng Tiong Hui
  • “Appreciate progress, no matter how small!!” by Poornima Rajaram
  • “Care and Compassion in Community makes us stronger” by Timothy Wong
  • “Mom is the best teacher for your own son! Love yourself, family first before you can love others” by Vivien Tanaka
  • “Open our heart to listen, to act.” by Wong KK
  • “Be brave, be persistent, be fun. Never give up! Yes, you can!” by Yuria Tantono

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Respite + Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration on 10 Sep 2022

Respite + Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration on 10 Sep 2022

The Mid-Autumn festival is celebrated on the 15th of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar every year. This year, the festival took place on 10 September 2022. 

In order to provide some respite for caregivers, CaringSG organised our Respite + Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration at Boon Lay CC where caregivers and their family members could get to participate in traditional fun-filled activities like lantern making, solving mid-autumn festival riddles, and a pomelo peeling competition.

Before the activities started, caregivers and their families were treated to a short massage session by the masseuses from the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) so that they would all be refreshed to take part in the activities.

During the event, families could also take photos at the photo booth to showcase the lanterns that their children had made.

Respite + Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration was supported by two CAREkakis, one CAREchampion, two CAREambassadors, and four CaringSG staff and volunteers.

A special shoutout and thank you to our partners (Enabling Lives Initiative Grant by SG Enable and Tote Board, Temasek Foundation and Boon Lay CCC) who made this memorable event possible. 

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Care4caregivers – Family bonding through sports

Care4caregivers – Family bonding through sports

CaringSG and co-organiser William Blair organised Care4caregivers, a sporting event for caregivers and their families on 8 Oct 2022. It was a good opportunity for caregivers with special needs family members to take a short break and bond with their loved ones through sports.

Held at the Hockey Village at Boon Lay Multi-Purpose pitch, the itinerary consisted of a mass warm up followed by simple workouts where everyone could participate easily, such as jumping jacks, arm circles and karate punches.

Breaks were scheduled in between physical activities to ensure that all participants, especially the kids, were well hydrated and rested sufficiently before proceeding to the next activities. The afternoon ended off with an entertaining “Dance & freeze” and “Pass the ball” activities.

Care4caregivers was supported by four CAREkakis, one CAREchampion, eight CAREambassadors, and four CaringSG staff and volunteers.

A special shoutout and thank you to our co-organiser William Blair who made this event possible.  This event was also supported by the Enabling Lives Initiative Grant by SG Enable and Tote Board, the Temasek Foundation, Boon Lay CCC and ActiveSG.

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Continue To Be Brave – By Board Member Dr Tan Jit Seng

Continue To Be Brave – By Board Member Dr Tan Jit Seng

Dear CaringSG Members,

I am a physician seeing Persons with Intellectual disabilities almost daily. I hear many sad and troubling stories and I also hear many inspiring stories of caregivers and individuals.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it will take the entire society to chip in and raise a special one!

Continue to be brave and share with us your highs and lows.

We go through the journey together and together we will be stronger and better!

To be updated on CaringSG’s latest events and join your preferred caregiver support groups in our CaringSG Alliance Network (CAN), sign up as a CaringSG member and let us know your preference!

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Building Relationships, Supporting Caregivers – By CAREwell volunteer Loy Sheau Mei

Building Relationships, Supporting Caregivers – By CAREwell volunteer Loy Sheau Mei

I’m Loy Sheau Mei, a CAREwell volunteer. Before I joined CAREwell, I’ve already been working with the autism community for the past 18 years.

Some time ago, when I was doing a home visit with my colleagues to support a family with 2 kids who were visually impaired and diagnosed with autism, I learnt more about CAREwell and CaringSG.

I also found out more about the CAREwell’s volunteering opportunities via social media and decided to join.

What is volunteering with CAREwell like?

When I started volunteering with CAREwell, I liked how CaringSG has a structure in place with clarity of the end-in-mind for the families they serve.

The CAREwell team uses a multi-disciplinary approach as we need to have inputs from different perspectives to support each family holistically.

Collaboration with family is one key aspect, and the CAREwell team starts small to gain trust from the family. We also have a commitment to be present to work with the family within a specific timeframe. This creates stability in our relationships with the caregivers, and caregivers will be more open and willing to follow up.

With the relationship built and little successes along the way, I have witnessed that the caregivers are more relaxed as they start to realise that there’re others like us who will walk the journey with them.

 

How can society be more understanding towards special needs caregivers?

I believe that the awareness is there, but on how to progress forward to be an inclusive society, much effort will be needed.

There are many myths about special needs and there is a need to present the facts about different special needs as there are so many differently-abled individuals among us. The misconception of special needs, and how to interact with them, at times leads to misunderstandings.

Post-school options are limited, and many caregivers are worried as to what’s next for their dependents. “Finding the what’s next” requires all stakeholders, including caregivers and respective agencies, to co-create this space.

Lastly, I would like to share this encouragement to all special needs caregivers:

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CaringSG Forum on Social Support and Residential Needs

CaringSG Forum on Social Support and Residential Needs

CaringSG held a physical form on social support and residential needs on 20 Aug 2022 at Boon Lay Community Club. Twelve special needs families with three children attended the event.

Caregivers learnt about various forms of social support from Ms Chloe Huang (Deputy Director, Service Coordination and Advice, SG Enable).

Childminding activities were also provided for children who attended. The event was organised by three CAREkakis, two CAREambassadors, and four CaringSG staff and volunteers.

This event was also supported by the Enabling Lives Initiative Grant by SG Enable and Tote Board.

Visit our FB post to see more photos of the event.

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Celebrating Racial Harmony Day 2022 at Boon Lay

Celebrating Racial Harmony Day 2022 at Boon Lay

CaringSG supported Boon Lay Racial Harmony Day 2022 on 30 Jul 2022, held at Boon Lay CC.

Twelve special needs families with fourteen children attended the event and enjoyed trying out various traditional games, snacks such as muah chee and kacang putih, and bouncy castle. Families could post a photo taken at the event on their Facebook with the hashtag #BLRHD2022 to stand a chance to win cash prizes.

Minister Desmond Lee, Adviser to Boon Lay Grassroots Organisations, joined in the festivities together with the families. This event was supported by 3 CAREkakis, 3 CAREambassadors, and 5 CaringSG staff and volunteers.

Visit our FB post to view more photos of the event.

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It Takes a Village to Raise a Child – By Board Advisor Ms Denise Phua

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child – By Board Advisor Ms Denise Phua

It takes a village to raise a child. This is even more true for children with special needs or disabilities. That village includes their families and the rest of society.

CaringSG seeks to build an inclusive Singapore through connecting, enabling and empowering the caregivers who often are the main supporters of their beloved special children. It adopts a unique and structured approach to reach out and tap on partners from the larger community of professional and grassroots volunteers and fellow caregivers.

CaringSG’s mission is worthy. I urge you to be an active contributor of your time, funds and other support in honour of this cause.

Alone, one can do so little. Together, we can achieve much more. Only then, will Singapore grow from strength to strength.

To be updated on CaringSG’s latest events and join your preferred caregiver support groups in our CaringSG Alliance Network (CAN), sign up as a CaringSG member and let us know your preference!

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CaringSG Member Perks with HIDOC, A Digital Health Platform

CaringSG Member Perks with HIDOC, A Digital Health Platform

Dear CaringSG Members,

CaringSG has partnered with HIDOC to offer easy access and support for caregivers’ healthcare needs.

HIDOC is a digital health platform that facilitates medical consultations between the public and healthcare providers.

CaringSG Member Perks with HIDOC

Virtual Consult and Home Care

  1. Virtual Consult with HIDOC’s GPs at $18 (+ medication as charged) [U.P. $20]
  2. Virtual Consult with HIDOC’s Specialists starting from $80 (+ medication as charged)
  3. Delivery Fee capped at $10
  4. Home Care
  5. $150 for doctor call (+ medication / procedure as charged) [U.P. $170 onwards]
  6. $50 for nurse call (+ medication / procedure as charged) [U.P. $70]

Complimentary for CaringSG members

  1. Assistance on doctor recommendation and pre care support
  2. Arrangement of home care appointment booking
  3. Follow up post care check in call
  4. Unlimited access to HIDOC’s content library
  5. All access to HIDOC’s services including healthcare experts
  6. Once a month hybrid workshop on mental health including coping techniques for you and your family members by HIDOC partner psychologists
  7. Onboarding of your existing doctors and allied healthcare onto HIDOC platform

How to claim your CaringSG member perks with HIDOC

Step 1: Take a screenshot of your CaringSG E-Membership card (see picture example below)

Access www.caring.sg and click on “Login”.

Step 2: Download the HIDOC app on Google Play Store or App Store

Step 3: Follow the user guides below for video consultation, or home-based consultation based on your needs

1. Video Consultation User Guide

  • Tap on the “Partner Privileges” tile under the Select Consult segment and select CaringSG.
  • Click “Next” and select your preferred GP to schedule appointment date and time.
  • Take a screenshot of your CaringSG e-membership card and upload when prompted.
  • Enter the code HD-CARING-0001 under Promotions/Vouchers when checking out.

2. Home-based consultation user guide

  • Tap on the “Partner Privileges”tile under the Select Consult segment and select CaringSG.
  • Schedule appointment with our personnel via intercom by tapping the hand icon at top right hand corner.
  • Our personnel will guide you along to book appointment and purchase the service.
  • Enter the code HD-CARING-0002 under Promotions/Vouchers when checking out.

The high res user guides can be downloaded here.

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