“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” —Galatians 6:2
While the pandemic has impacted all of us in some way or another, it has magnified the inequalities within society. As a result, the most vulnerable groups in society have been heavily affected. Many people are struggling to find support to survive and stay well.
This is where SowCare—the community service arm of the Bible Society—plays a vital role by partnering with Hope Initiative Alliance (HIA) to help the vulnerables to rise above the storms of life and overcome their loneliness and struggles by connecting with them in meaningful ways.
Just as God took on human flesh in an incarnation of Jesus Christ to uplift and free us from the bondage of sins, we should uplift and help the needy in our community, even in our own neighbourhoods. During festive seasons such as Hari Raya Puasa, Christmas Day, and Easter Sunday, SowCare works closely with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), HIA and other partners to organise various activities for the rough sleepers, needy elderlies and the unseen community around us such as the cardboard collectors—from distribution of cash, free meals and goodie bags, to befriending sessions. This Hari Raya Puasa, a sumptuous buffet dinner at a restaurant was organised for the rough sleepers residing at S3P@Armenian to lift their spirits and help them feel a part of the larger community.
We heard a wonderful testimony shared by our homeless shelter manager. “I see friendships blossoming over here, which is wonderful because they have always been alone outside sleeping on the street. Now they can find friends here,” she said.
Apart from that, one of the S3P (Safe Sound Sleeping Places) stayers also shared on one of our engagement activities: “Ever since I knew about Jesus, my life has never been the same.”
All these initiatives are then further developed to sow care for the underprivileged kids through The Alphabet Project (TAP), where Read Write Tell training or coaching and a national competition are organised to help needy kids. In addition, inoculation exercises and bone density health screenings are also being carried out to provide further assistance to the needy elderly.
These are acts of love to show compassion and empathy for people who are in a less well-off state than us—an opportunity to fulfil Jesus’ command for all of us to reach out and provide hope to those in need.
Visit sowcare.sg or follow Hope Initiative Alliance on Facebook @hopeinitiativealliance and hia.sg for the latest updates.