#HeartWork: Cheong Jun Jie

“We can do more good if we come together” is a motto that Mr Cheong Jun Jie goes by for the past few years.

Jun Jie is a remarkable individual who has dedicated six years of his life to the Social Service sector, with a significant portion of that time spent honing his skills in Volunteer Management. As the Community Engagement Manager at HCSA Dayspring SPIN of HCSA Community Services, his journey has been marked by a commitment to building impactful volunteer programs, fostering meaningful collaborations, and making a positive difference in the lives of both volunteers and beneficiaries. HCSA Dayspring SPIN (Single Parents INformed, INvolved, INcluded) started as an initiative by HCSA Community Services in collaboration with the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) in 2017 which aims to empower single parents who lack support to be resilient and self-reliant, and to help them attain increased capacity in caregiving/parenting, improve their social support, psychological well-being and increase their access to practical resources.

Switching career from an inventory planner to a youth programme executive, Jun Jie’s motivation was deeply rooted from his years of volunteering as a youth mentor, where he felt firsthand the profound impact that volunteers and partners could have on the lives of beneficiaries. This motivation led him to embrace the role of a volunteer manager, with a mission to co-create volunteer programs that achieve meaningful impact.

For the past 4 years, one of the most memorable events in his role as a volunteer manager was coordinating a visit for seniors from four Active Ageing Centres (AAC) to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and the iLight Festival. The evening was filled with delight as seniors enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and a tour of the festival exhibits. What made this event truly unforgettable was the dedication of the volunteers from Marina Bay Sands who, when faced with unexpected rain, ensured the seniors had umbrellas and a memorable experience.

This belief in the power of collaboration underlines his approach to building win-win partnerships that benefit volunteers, service users, fellow colleagues, corporates, and host organisations alike. Jun Jie understands that these partnerships are crucial in creating sustainable and meaningful collaborations that have a long-term impact on both volunteers and service users.

One of his favourite aspects of being a volunteer manager is the opportunity to connect with volunteers from diverse backgrounds and walks of life. Crafting exciting and meaningful programs for both beneficiaries and volunteers is a fulfilling endeavour. He takes pride in exploring various places where volunteers can bring beneficiaries to and consistently receives positive feedback on the quality of the programmes they create.

“Staff of social services agencies, no matter their competency and capacity, are always limited to meet the rapidly growing and complex needs of our society. Volunteers are the answer – they diversify our service delivery, multiply our service capacity, and amplify our service impact to fulfil these needs of our society and beneficiaries,” shared Jun Jie.

Jun Jie believes that volunteer management is pivotal and is the only way to scale up a SSA when resources and talent pools are limited. His vision for volunteer management includes not only convincing senior management and Board Members on the importance of volunteer managers but also engaging ground staff, such as programme staff, counsellors, social workers, and more. He believes that showing the value that volunteers bring to their existing work and programmes is essential for fostering a culture of collaboration and maximizing the impact of volunteers in the social service sector.

Jun Jie’s work exemplifies the transformative power of volunteering and collaborative efforts in creating positive change in our communities.