Want to help with the Covid-19 response? Portal launched for S’poreans keen to donate, volunteer

SINGAPORE — A new one-stop portal was launched on Thursday (Feb 20) for Singaporeans keen to contribute toward the national response to the Covid-19 outbreak through donations, volunteering and joining community-led efforts.

The SG United Portal was developed to rally Singaporeans to the cause after the Government observed a strong community response to the outbreak.

Developed by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), the portal also links to resources to help people wishing to kick-start their own projects.

On his Thursday visit to charity organisation Food From The Heart’s headquarters in Joo Seng Road, Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee said the portal was an answer to requests made for “better signposting of the needs on the ground so that giving becomes more meaningful and impactful”.

Volunteers from Youth Corp, helping to pack rations at Food From the Heart on Feb 20, 2020. It is one of the charities that volunteers can access through the newly launched SG United Portal. Photo: Najeer Yusof/TODAY

Food From The Heart, which packs and delivers food to needy families, is one of the charities Singaporeans can support through the portal.

Mr Lee also said that Singaporeans wanted to be sure that their contributions and ground-up movements truly benefited frontline workers and vulnerable people, and that their resources are used in the best possible way.

Those visiting the portal who wish to volunteer for causes that are fighting the Covid-19 outbreak, or those affected by the crisis, will be linked to a dedicated section of Giving.sg, a website that connects volunteers and social causes.

The SG United Portal also links donors to various funds people can contribute to, including the Courage Fund, established in 2003 to assist those affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak, and City of Good, which accepts and distributes in-kind donations.

Anyone who wants to start their own ground-up initiative to help others during the outbreak can fill out a form in the portal and indicate their interest. Following that, the Government will reach out to them within three working days and discuss how it can assist them.

For those people, the portal also features two funds offering resources to support such efforts – Our Singapore Fund by MCCY and Singapore Strong Fund by the Majurity Trust.

The portal will also provide stories on how Singaporeans are stepping forward to serve the community during this period, and directs its visitors to places where they can write words of encouragement to frontline workers and volunteers.

An SG United telegram channel was also launched on Feb 8 to highlight contributions made by Singaporeans and give real-time updates on volunteering and donation opportunities.

Mr Lee said: “At a time like this, there is a lot of goodwill. We want to channel positive energy to help people at the frontline, and to help people who are most vulnerable. And through intermediation of a portal like this, we hope that Singaporeans see those resources get to where it matters.”