As the most wonderful time of year rolls around again, spread the holiday cheer and support the Singapore Red Cross, Boys Brigade and other worthy causes.

Boys’ Brigade Share-a-Gift, organised by Boys’ Brigade

The annual Christmas gift exchange with friends and family is a time of joy and love. Share a little of that happiness to the needy by taking part in the Boys’ Brigade Share-a-Gift food hamper deliveries.

From now until Dec 2016, volunteer your vehicle and time to bring food hampers of rice, cooking oil and other necessities to low-income households. Every day at 10.30am and 2pm (excluding Dec 24-26), drive down to Boys’ Brigade Headquarters at 105 Ganges Avenue to collect the hampers. Each volunteer will visit five households within the session.

Sign up at www.bbshare.sg.

Home This Christmas,  organised by Habitat for Humanity

Help impoverished elderly who live alone in Singapore by making a paper house Christmas ornament. Habitat for Humanity has also teamed up with Plain Vanilla Bakery to raise funds through their #PVBuildsforHabitat campaign.

With a donation of $5, you can decorate your own ornament using their craft supplies at their Tiong Bahru outlet, 1D Yong Siak Street. This will fund Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to clean or refurbish their small rental flats, as well as its other concurrent projects abroad such as to build houses for low-income families across Southeast Asia.

You can also donate directly to the Home This Christmas donation drive here, which closes on Dec 31.

Make a Donation, organised by Giant Singapore

If you’re dropping by your nearest Giant Hypermarket, pick up an extra item and give it to a family in need.

At the Tampines, Suntec City, IMM and Grand Stand Hypermarkets, you’ll find gift cages located near the customer service counter where you can drop items for beneficiaries of Food from the Heart, a non-profit organisation that seeks to alleviate hunger in Singapore.

Giant recommends buying items like non-perishable food, basic necessities like toilet paper and detergent, and other useful items like electronic appliances and stationery.

The donation drive ends on Dec 25. More information, here.

Christmas from the Heart,  organised by Food from the Heart

This one is great fun for the kids. Customise an adorable Christmas e-card that you can share with friends and family. Food from the Heart’s online interactive fundraiser lets you put together a digital greeting card.

There are various delightful templates to choose from and lots and lots of Christmas ornaments that you can “paste” on to your card. You get to include your name and a short message too. Once you’re done, proceed to check-out and make your donation.

Visit https://xmas.foodheart.org/ to create your card now.

Christmas Blood Donation Drive,  organised by Singapore Red Cross

Donations don’t just have to be monetary.

Singapore Red Cross is conducting its Christmas blood drive on Dec 23, 12-6pm at the Scape Hubquarters. Your blood donation could save lives during emergencies and benefit people with medical conditions like leukaemia, thalassaemia and bleeding disorders.

As of Dec 19, the amount of types A-, B-, O+ and O- blood in the blood bank are between the low to moderate range. So if you are any of those blood types, make an appointment this Christmas.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/153624341785243/.

Charity Gift Wrapping,  organised by Lovefad

From Dec 14 to 24, Lovefad is providing charity gift wrapping services at Jem, Tampines Mall, United Square, Westgate or Jurong Point every day from 11am to 9.30pm.

Just donate $1 and the volunteers, all of whom have been trained to gift-wrap, will carefully wrap your presents, no matter what shape and size.

Proceeds will be donated to Singapore Red Cross and the Home Nursing Foundation. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/153624341785243/.

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For the past 15 years, Madam Faridah Thamby has dedicated herself to providing round-the-clock care for her son Fahmi, who was born with Robinow Syndrome – a rare disorder that affects his body’s development.

Although she was told that he would not live past a toddler’s age, Fahmi is now 15 and is a student at the Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA) School at Yio Chu Kang.

Being a full-time caregiver means it is tough for Madam Faridah, a housewife, to make plans for herself.

She told The New Paper: “There is no time. I want to go to Mecca and perform my Haj but who will take care of Fahmi? He needs specialised care.”

Improving the well-being of caregivers and supporting them in their future care-planning are two of the 20 recommendations released yesterday in the third Enabling Masterplan, a five-year roadmap which will guide initiatives for the disabled from 2017 to 2022.

These recommendations, released by an expert committee developing the masterplan, revolve around four key areas: improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities, supporting caregivers, building the community and building an inclusive society.

The 22-member committee comprises people with disabilities, their caregivers and representatives of service providers, government agencies and companies. It is chaired by Ms Anita Fam, vice-president of the National Council of Social Service.

Over a period of eight months, the committee consulted more than 400 people before making the recommendations.

The recommendations were based on three key trends: people with disabilities living longer, more people having autism and an ageing population.

One of the recommendations of the committee is to find out if there is a need for a dedicated disability office to house relevant government agencies to meet their needs and coordinate disability-related initiatives, which cut across the health, education and social service sectors. Madam Faridah welcomed the recommendations.

“The fellow caregivers I meet at the AWWA have to go from place to place to find help and it can be difficult for us to get around, especially with our children,” she said.

“It is a full-time commitment and I hope more can be done to help us.”

Making it work for the disabled

Four years ago, she suffered a stroke which left her wheelchair-bound and unable to find a job.

Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, Madam Puspawati Abdul Razat, 51, said she was turned down wherever she tried to get a job.

The former cleaner said: “Who would hire me? I cannot move. I have no skills and even though I tried to be a cleaner again, they didn’t want me.

“Even if I sell tissue paper, it won’t be enough.”

The third Enabling Masterplan seeks to help people like Madam Puspawati have better access to jobs.

It suggests developing a spectrum of open, supported and customised employment models for people with disabilities. The committee also recommended scaling up efforts to build employers’ capabilities in hiring and managing employees with disabilities.

In the executive summary of the recommendations, the committee said research shows people with disabilities who are employed “lead more fulfilling and enriching lives”.

It added: “The Committee is of the view that there is a need to expand employment opportunities and job support programmes, and provide better support to employers of persons with disabilities.”

Madam Puspawati welcomed the news, saying: “If those recommendations come true, then maybe one day I can work again.”

harizbah@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on December 21, 2016.
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They were supposed to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary next month in Bali.

But her husband was killed in a horrific crash on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Monday when a silver Mercedes slammed into their vehicle.

Her parents said their daughter now might not be able to bid her final farewell at her husband’s funeral because she was badly injured in the tragedy.

Madam Venny Oliver and her husband, Mr Liong Kuo Hwa, both 37, were in their Toyota Vios when the Mercedes which was travelling against the flow of traffic, hit their car.

Mr Liong was killed while Madam Oliver suffered various injuries to her jaw, right shoulder and lower body.

Yesterday, the police said a 53-year-old man had been charged with causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.

Read also: AYE accident: Mercedes driver seen ‘talking to himself’

The incident happened on the AYE before the underpass leading to the Tuas Checkpoint, and also involved a bus, another car and a motorcycle.

Besides the couple, the Mercedes driver and a couple on the motorcycle were also hurt.

Madam Oliver was rushed to National University Hospital (NUH) and underwent surgery.

Yesterday, her mother told The New Paper at NUH that their daughter may not be able to give Mr Liong a proper farewell.

Her mother, who is Indonesian, said in Bahasa Malay: “She may not see her husband for the last time.

“The insides of her body hurt but we do not know if it is because of internal injuries.

“There is also pain in her abdomen area and back. She will be undergoing surgery later on.”

Madam Oliver injured her jaw, right shoulder and fractured her ribs.

Mr Liong had to be extricated by the Singapore Civil Defence Force and was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

Madam Oliver’s father told TNP: “She (Madam Oliver) cries very badly when she thinks about what happened.”

Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday that the couple were planning to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary and Chinese New Year in Bali.

Their anniversary date falls on Jan 27.

Shin Min quoted Madam Oliver’s cousin, Darsa, 57, as saying: “They have been married for eight years and were extremely loving. He would always take her to work every day, rain or shine. And even if she ended work late, he would still bring her home.”

Mr Liong, also known as Jackie, had acted in commercials and television programmes such as Sayang Sayang (2009), Code of Law (2012) and Point of Entry (2011).

On his personal website, he identified himself as an actor, producer, singer and host.

myklim@sph.com.sg

Read also: Victim who died in AYE accident had appeared in TV shows and commercials

This article was first published on Dec 21, 2016.
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