FEATURE ARTICLE: DEMONSTRATING GRACE TO THE UNDERPRIVILEGED
While the recent years have been particularly challenging for many of us, God's saving grace continues to uphold us and enable us to help others. Matthew 25:44 says, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” The challenges that we went through together strengthen and unite us to minister to the poor and needy who dwell amongst us here in Singapore, as a reflection of our love to God.
That is why SowCare, the community service arm of the Bible Society, aims to serve and empower the underprivileged communities in our midst. Realising that the needy elderly and rough sleepers are vulnerable to loneliness and stress, your support mobilised us to conduct various initiatives such as providing free meals, mattresses, games, and love gifts to lift their spirits up. In our recent outreach, Paul (not his real name) shared that he had been rough sleeping since last year. On one occasion, he injured himself and was hospitalised. He reached out for help and found a temporary shelter at S3P@Bible House, managed by SowCare. He was filled with joy and gratitude for the grace from SowCare accorded him with a bed, pillow, mattress, fan, personal locker, shower facilities and toiletries, first aid kit, microwave and food essentials such as coffee and sumptuous meals on festive holidays. He was able to recuperate from his injury and now is gainfully employed as a cleaner to support himself, allowing him to apply for a HDB rental flat. Paul emotionally shared:
"Thank you SowCare for your kindness in allowing me to stay at Bible House with such good facilities and the great care and concern shown by the SowCare staff. What a good experience!”
Touched by God’s gracious love, a needy elderly in Ang Mo Kio that we reached out to through monetary giving also
shared her joy: “I feel very happy! This is the first time I’ve received a very big [amount]. I am 90 years old... This $100 will last [me] about a month. Thank you very much.” In collaboration with our community partner, volunteers also went personally to Dover Park Hospice to hand ang paos to beneficiaries who were warded there, and blessed 50 needy elderly with generous donations.
SowCare was also glad to have celebrated New Year's Eve meaningfully together with 100 under-resourced families and their young children, through a community carnival and distribution of mattresses, care packs of household items, and cash gifts to the families. The Alphabet Project (TAP) —a movement of Hope Initiative Alliance (HIA)—aims to support as many of the 14,000 families who come from lower-income households, and build confidence in children by equipping them with skills such as reading, writing and storytelling through organising national competitions which hope to improve their lives and build a better future for them.
As we continue our holistic works locally and globally, we are encouraged more than ever to touch peoples’ lives with God’s Word. By God’s grace, SowCare Cambodia–the strategic partner of SowCare Singapore–was officially registered last 2022 as an active supporter of our mission to provide sustainable holistic care across our shores. Other than organising events, we also work closely with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and social workers to get permanent housing or transitional housing for our resident rough sleepers, and to reach out to 100 elderlies in rental blocks through monetary blessing and recreational activities.
With a thankful heart for God’s unwavering grace, may we be steadfast in our love and conviction to share this bountiful grace with those who need it most through our prayer, donation or our time as a volunteer. Visit sowcare.sg for more opportunities.
