Find out why Erin champions societal inclusivity

Passionate about community service, Erin Ong has participated in a plethora of events organised by Youth Corps Singapore. Most recently, she joined Mission X, a programme that promotes youth volunteerism and develops the next generation of youth community service leaders. Mission X guides youth Multipliers to rally and lead their peers to positively impact the community. Volunteers step up to play an active role while working alongside Social Service Agencies to tackle specific issues and needs.

?Read on to find out about Erin’s journey and what she has to say about volunteering:

What were your recent projects/activities with Youth Corps Singapore?

Erin: I joined Mission X in 2021 and was part of the Youth Corps Leaders Programme in 2019. During my time with the Youth Corps Leader Programme, I was part of Happy-Gold-Lucky where I conducted physical engagements with seniors at Goodlife! Yishun. In addition, I joined ad-hoc volunteering events such as Seas the Day, Ahoy Captain and Meals on Wheels.?

Who or what inspired you to start volunteering?

Erin: My friends inspired me to start volunteering. They are individuals like me who are also passionate about community service. They encouraged me to join the programmes with them so that we can learn about the community needs and how we can better serve them, allowing us to contribute better and make an impact in the causes we believe in.?

Why did you choose to volunteer with Mission X and what was your biggest takeaway?

Erin: I chose to volunteer with Mission X as I wanted to learn more about how to better lead a community service project. I wanted to be a better leader so I could understand the needs of the community, and therefore serve them. I also wanted to meet like-minded people to learn from them. My biggest takeaways from Mission X was having meaningful and insightful discussions that allowed me to reflect and think deeper for the community. The workshops also introduced useful frameworks that would help in the planning and executing of different projects.

Can you share some of the memorable/fulfilling moments you had while volunteering? Could you share more on how your contributions have made a positive impact??

Erin: One of the more memorable moments in Mission X was during the different discussions that I had with my group on why we volunteer. It made me reflect on my own reason for volunteering and made me think about what I would like to achieve in the future. I was also exposed to different viewpoints and learned from more experienced team members. From this experience, I decided to take on a grant from NUS Grant-A-Wish XVII project to plan programmes for socially-isolated seniors and children with hearing difficulties.

Why do you think volunteering is important? Additionally, why do you think it is important for youths like yourself to step up and volunteer?

Erin: I think volunteering is important as it helps build an inclusive society and allows us to connect with people from all walks of life. I feel that everyone can do something to help others,even if the impact may not be very big. We would still be making a difference in the lives of others and help make their day better - even by just giving our time to accompany them. As youths, we are able to broaden our horizons through volunteering and learn more about the society we live in. This allows us to better understand the needs of our community to step up to help others and devise solutions to help build an inclusive future by supporting those around us.

What motivates or keeps you going in your volunteerism work?

Erin: For me, interactions with beneficiaries and hearing from them about how they enjoyed our company or programme we planned made it worthwhile. Knowing that our efforts, big or small, were able to impact someone or make someone’s day really keeps me going. Furthermore, I am glad to be able to meet people from all walks of life and listen to their stories. These meaningful interactions have allowed me to learn a lot and broaden my perspectives.

If you would like to join and make a difference like Erin, registration for Mission X (University December Run) is now open till 30 November.