One million dollars to cancel debts of needy

SINGAPORE — With debt often being a key reason for families being trapped in the poverty cycle, voluntary welfare organisation Care Corner is planning to raise S$1 million to help 500 needy and vulnerable families clear theirs.

The Jubilee Fund, named to coincide with Singapore’s 50th birthday next year, will rely on the public for donations to raise the sum. Each needy household could be given up to S$2,000 in financial support to pay off debts ranging from medical bills to utilities expenditure. Donations will also be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Care & Share Movement, a campaign supported by the National Council of Social Service and Community Chest.

“Unpaid household bills and arrears can cripple those struggling with incarceration, ill health, disabilities or the death of a family member. They can find it extremely hard to break free from these debts, which also leads to a sense of futility that harms not only the poor, but also our society at large,” said Ms Agnes Chia, centre director of Care Corner Family Service Centre in Queenstown.

The organisation aims to address a gap by providing aid to households with up to S$800 per capita income, which may not qualify for most of the other aid schemes that are restricted to households with less than S$550 per capita income.

“Some families exceed the ceiling of S$550, but are still struggling to make ends meet. We hope to stop this cycle of hopelessness and give the poor and chronically vulnerable a breakthrough and a new beginning,” added Ms Chia. To date, the fund has raised approximately S$180,000, and it aims to meet its million-dollar target by the end of the year.

One of the beneficiaries of Care Corner’s initiatives is Ms Surinah (not her real name), 48, a divorcee who lives with her nine-year-old, who is stricken with thalassaemia, a blood disorder. Ms Surinah received S$1,000 from an anonymous donor in 2011, which she said gave her a fresh start and allowed her to return to her job.

“While finances are still very tight because of my poor health and daughter’s condition, I felt less stressed and suffered fewer migraines when I could settle some of my bills,” she said.

To complement the financial assistance, Care Corner is also seeking 200 volunteers, or “befrienders”, in their largest recruitment drive to date. These volunteers will undergo a three-month-long course to improve their interpersonal skills, as well as gain knowledge on the social service sector and societal issues.

The training programme includes being an understudy to qualified social workers and role-playing in class.

“We’re not seeking to just lecture (the needy), but to build relationships, engage them and impact lives,” said Ms Woo Mei Mei, service development director. To this end, and as a safeguard against recurrence of debts, the volunteers will teach financial literacy to their assigned families and motivate them to set goals.

The organisation has specifically requested for couples and families to volunteer, a move that Ms Woo said would encourage family ties by making charity work an activity for the family, much like going to the mall or watching a movie.