Dear Friend,

The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) is bringing a series of aid aimed at providing support and relief for the local vulnerable amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

Aid valued at $768,000 will be delivered to local vulnerable

Valued at $768,000, the aid will be delivered in the form of customised care packages and psychosocial support calls for seniors living alone, sanitation kits for on-ground volunteers and staff.

We can’t do this without your help, and need immediate assistance to raise funds to aid our beneficiaries. Here’s what your donations will be doing for the elderly:

– Acceptance of new referrals by agencies that have suspended their services
– Befriending of 100 high-risk / high-isolation seniors with no kin or family
– Provision of customised care packages for 1,000 seniors under our care

Please continue reading for more details on the care packages.

How your donation will help 1,000 seniors

Slated to be distributed over the next three months from April to June, the care packages will benefit 1,000 seniors across SRC’s ElderAid, Medical Chaperone / TransportAid, and Home Monitoring and Eldercare (HoME)+ services. In consideration of the varied needs of its beneficiaries, the care package will comprise a mixture of food, medical, hygiene and household items.

Contents of each package have been carefully curated based on beneficiaries’ feedback, and are customised for each elderly to cater to their most immediate needs.

To ensure all isolated seniors have access to aid, the SRC will receive new referrals, particularly from agencies that have suspended their services. Volunteers are pressing on with fortnightly home visits and weekly befriending calls to these seniors. To safeguard all 2,000 volunteers, fundraisers and staff who are actively serving the community across a spectrum of essential services, the Singapore Red Cross will also provide sanitation kits to each of them.

During these challenging times, the Singapore Red Cross is providing psychosocial support to its beneficiaries through home visits and telephone calls, and would extend the helpline service to all its volunteers within the month.

“These are extraordinary times, and it is critical that we intensify efforts to uplift the most vulnerable in our community, the hardest hit. We are immensely grateful to our volunteers and fundraisers for standing by us, keeping their spirits high and working with pride, whilst complying with preventive measures, such as social distancing,” said Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General / CEO, Singapore Red Cross.

Can you please help a local elderly today?

We hope you will support us in our cause to help local elderly by making a donation.

$50 – helps support befriending services for up to 100 high-risk/high isolation seniors with no kin for the duration of COVID-19 and beyond.

$250 – provides customised care packages for 1,000 seniors under our care for the duration of Covid-19 and beyond.

Donating is really simple and secure. The money will directly go to Singapore Red Cross.

Your donation is also 250% tax-deductible, please indicate your NRIC details at the checkout page.

Thank you.

P.S. Any unutilised funds after COVID-19 is over will be channelled towards the Singapore Red Cross’s local programmes

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<COVID19: Our Local Response>

While most of us tend to avoid crowded places lately, please don’t forget that our beneficiaries still need to visit the hospital for their essential medical appointments. We have taken steps to safeguard our beneficiaries, as well as volunteers and employees working on-the-go, across our various local social services. Preventive measures include: providing TransportAid drivers and Medical Chaperones with masks and gloves, equipping all transporters with hand sanitisers, and conducting daily disinfection of all vehicles.

About Ray of Hope

100% of your donations through Ray of Hope go to people in need. We do not take a cut from the funds. We even cover 3rd party credit card charges, if you choose not to, that other crowdfunding platforms deduct from your donation for campaigns.

100% of all campaigns are also fully verified, so you know your funds goes to real people with real needs.

We take donor accountability very seriously – with yearly audited accounts and strong governance in place to ensure that your donations is properly channeled to the beneficiaries.

Ray of Hope is a registered charity and a member of the National Council of Social Services.