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Thinking about volunteering on a regular basis? Here’s how to get started and create a lasting impact
22 April 2025
We explore three social service agencies that are mobilising volunteers for greater impact, ensuring their programmes are not just supported, but driven forward by engaged individuals.
Care Corner
Care Corner is a social service agency dedicated to providing social and healthcare services to foster hope and promote well-being for communities in need.
The agency supports children from lower-income backgrounds or special learning needs, youths-at-risk, families, seniors in need of assistance, and individuals seeking counselling and mental health services.
With the growing demand for Care Corner’s services, as more seniors live alone or in isolation, volunteer support is more critical than ever—whether through ad-hoc or regular engagements.
By aligning volunteer roles with specific organisational needs, Care Corner ensures individuals can contribute in ways that suit their skills and availability. This approach not only helps the agency meet its resource requirements but also fosters a culture of community support and social responsibility.
Volunteer Roles at Care Corner
Befriending services: Provide social support to participants, encouraging their participation in planned activities.
Events and programme planning: Assist with activities that uplift and promote the well-being of those in need.
Outreach support: Raise awareness about Care Corner’s services and promote them to help-seekers.
Skills based support: Leverage your professional expertise, whether through counselling, photography or videography, or other areas, to enhance the support Care Corner provides to those in need.
For ad-hoc events, volunteers typically commit two to three hours. For regular engagements, a minimum commitment of 20 hours over a three-month period is required. If selected, Care Corner will arrange a follow-up call to discuss your interests, availability, and relevant experience.
Training and support for Care Corner volunteers
Care Corner ensures volunteers are well-prepared and supported throughout their journey:
Introduction to Care Corner’s mission, values, and specific programmes volunteers will be involved in
Clear role expectations and responsibilities
Regular check-ins and feedback to keep volunteers engaged and feel valued
Opportunities to learn new skills and enhance their impact
Tip: If you’re new to volunteering, start small by joining one of their planned activities. It’s a great way to discover the work they do and find out more about yourself — what you enjoy, your strengths, and your interests — while making a meaningful contribution.
Get Involved: Whether you can offer time, expertise, or a special skill, your contribution can help make a significant difference in the lives of individuals in need of support. Reach out to Care Corner to register for any volunteering opportunities or through their volunteer application form to get started today!
Dementia Singapore
Dementia Singapore is a social service agency specialising in dementia care. It champions the cause through fundraising, advocacy, roadshows, and more. The agency empowers the community by offering capability-building, training, consultancy, and delivering person-centred care to clients.
Volunteers play an important role in ensuring that Dementia Singapore can offer comprehensive care and support to clients, by supporting the agency’s programmes and services, or increasing community outreach. Individual volunteers on average contribute at least 160 hours per month, while youth and corporate volunteers contribute around 98 hours and 217 hours respectively.
During peak periods, such as festive seasons and World Alzheimer’s Month in September, the demand for additional support increases, providing an excellent opportunity for new volunteers to get involved.
Volunteer Roles at Dementia Singapore
Care centre & community support: Plan and lead activities, assist with daily operations, or provide companionship during outings to support care centre participants and ensure smooth community engagement.
Home-care support: Offer befriending services to persons living with dementia and their caregivers or assist with errands to ease their daily challenges.
Programme-based support: Provide administrative assistance or co-facilitate programmes to help deliver impactful services.
Outreach/events-based support: Represent the agency as an outreach ambassador or assist as part of the event crew to raise awareness and engage the community.
Skills-based support: Contribute your professional expertise through pro-bono consultancy or specialised support.
Volunteer leadership (by appointment only): Take on leadership roles within the community to guide and inspire fellow volunteers.
Training for Singapore Dementia volunteers
Dementia Singapore offers comprehensive training to equip volunteers with the knowledge and skills necessary to support persons living with dementia. This includes:
Introduction to Dementia Singapore’s programmes and services
Understanding dementia and tips on communicating and engaging with persons living with dementia
Volunteering guidelines, feedback channels and ongoing support
Regular check-ins to ensure volunteers feel supported
Tip: If you’re new to volunteering, approach the experience with an open mind, a compassionate heart, and a readiness to learn. Supporting persons living with dementia begins with understanding and empathy.
Get involved: Dementia Singapore is open to welcoming dedicated volunteers to get involved in its efforts to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the dementia community. Find out how you can get involved by visiting their volunteer recruitment page or connecting with them.
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS)
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) is a 24/7 crisis care agency that provides confidential emotional support to individuals struggling with or impacted by suicide. Their work is anchored on three key pillars: prevention, intervention, and postvention.
As Singapore’s only suicide prevention agency offering round-the-clock helplines, SOS requires service-based volunteers to commit 3 - 4 hours weekly, including one overnight shift per month to support their 24-hour Hotline and 24-hour CareText services. Volunteers are crucial to ensuring the services remain available to those in need.
SOS not only recruits volunteers but also invests in their training, recognising that volunteers are essential to providing empathetic, life-saving support. They also have a volunteer management strategy in place to ensure that these volunteers are equipped with the skills and mental preparedness to make an effective, long-term impact, even within their own communities.
Volunteer Roles at SOS
Service-Based Volunteering: Support individuals in crisis through SOS’s 24-hour Hotline and 24-hour CareText services.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a potential volunteer briefing, attend the community-based Be A Samaritan training programme and thereafter, a face-to-face interview to assess suitability for subsequent volunteer modules.
Training and Support for SOS Volunteers
SOS ensures volunteers are well-prepared to contribute effectively by offering orientation and ongoing support:
A comprehensive training programme to equip you with the necessary skills
Developing essential listening and verbal response techniques through classroom learning and role-playing
Handling calls and texts under the guidance of an experienced mentor
Continuing to enhance your abilities through advanced skills training
Tip: Volunteering with SOS can be emotionally demanding, it’s important to assess your readiness to meet the commitment requirements and your ability to provide empathetic, non-judgmental support. Being prepared to foster a safe and supportive space for individuals in distress is essential for this role.
Get Involved: SOS depends on dedicated volunteers to keep their services running 24/7. If you resonate with SOS’s mission and would like to be a listening ear to someone in crisis, consider volunteering with SOS. Apply through the volunteer application form or contact SOS directly to learn more about available volunteer roles.
Volunteering is not just about giving, it’s also about growing, learning, and making a lasting impact on individuals and communities.
Take that first step with an open heart, and you’ll soon discover the difference you can make in the lives of the communities around you. Discover more about sustainable volunteering and explore how you can start your volunteering journey today.