Hello everyone, I am Jiaxi, an intern at Loving Heart. 😊 I am fortunate to have the opportunity to intern at Loving Heart where I learnt a lot throughout this journey. This internship helped improve my knowledge of the operations of a Social Service Agency (SSA) and Volunteer Centre (VC). I also learnt a lot about the senior sector and the challenges involved in senior volunteerism. The Yuhua community has many enthusiastic elderly who are still young at heart and many of them are still willing to help contribute back to society. It is very heartening to see that the elderly are still eager to learn and live an enriching life. Yuhua is an integrated community where there is a lot of support given to each individual.
This internship helped me enhance my communication, decision-making, presentation and organisational skills through planning for proposals. Although there was a lot of uncertainty during the COVID-19 situation, it trained me to be more adaptable and spontaneous. Even though I am unable to meet the elderly face to face during the circuit breaker, I still look forward to calling them every day and chatting with them for a little while and I am glad that this helps to cheer them up. I am thankful that I was still able to play a part even during circuit breaker and I feel that I am spending my time more meaningfully by helping others and making a positive impact on their lives. I also learnt that I can influence others and bring joy to others. While it may seem like a small gesture but these small things can add up and it makes their day. I also learnt a lot from them through the chit chats where many of them will tell me their life stories and how they endure all the hardship.
One story that impacted me the most was about an uncle that I spoke to, he suffered from a stroke 10 years ago but he was determined to stand up again. While rehabilitation was very tough, he trained continuously until he was able to stand. At present, he has recovered almost completely and can do normal activities independently. Thus, they also taught me to appreciate all the things around me and when met with challenges, persevere and never give up. When volunteering, always be genuine and do your best then you will be able to forge sustainable relationships and help others. Also always keep an open mind, only then you will be able to learn and grow.
The staff and volunteers at Loving Heart have been open and friendly and I was able to connect with them easily. I will miss playing board games with the elderly and all the small talks with the staff and volunteers. They are a passionate and dedicated group of people who are all so willing to help do good to society. I am touched by how they are all willing to teach me and guide me. I gained many valuable learning lessons throughout my experience at Loving Heart. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers at Loving Heart for your dedication and hard work. Let’s continue doing our best for the Yuhua community! 😇