Ideas on what can I do to contribute to the country

[vishalgupta2]

Good Evening guys!

Some of you already know that I got my P1 a few days back and am planning to move in to Singapore towards the end of this month.

Now, I suddenly realized that I need to figure something to do for the community (I have been doing that in the US).

Both me and my wife strongly believed that we have been blessed and are privileged for being doing well and have a responsibility towards the community (irrespective of which country we live in).

We do the following in the US:
Participate in fund raisers for causes like cancer, hepatitis etc (both of us)
Do free Guitar lessons for kids (me)
Do free bollywood dance lessons for Indian Kids (my wife)
Conduct free technical training classes for undergrads from local colleges (me)
Volunteer for American Red Cross (both)

Now, we need help in finding out which of these would be relevant for Singapore and are there some other better things we can do for the community in Singapore?

As far as skills go, I specialize in Computer Networks, Storage, Virtualization, Agile methodologies and am involved in R&D of Storage & Networking. On the non technical front, I play Guitar.

I know it may be too early, but giving back to the community and helping the new generation get better skill sets is critical for us.

[mari0010]

Hello,

Maybe you could join volunteering organizations in singapore
(i.e. YMCA, sgcares, etc)
and I'm not sure whether you will stay in HDB-unit, but if you do, most likely the community center there also have plenty of volunteering opportunities.
(i.e. visiting eldery in the neighborhood / distributing goodies).

you could also donate blood in the singapore red cross (simple yet meaningful)

[sundaymorningstaple]

Third column bottom of the page under Miscellaneous on my links page.

National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre

[vishalgupta2]

Thanks guys.

NVPC and local community stuff should satisfy my volunteering appetite.

Do you guys think I can also help fresh graduates learn some from my experience and get to speed with cutting edge technology which may help them in their career?

[AndrewV]

Hi vishal, Me and my wife teach poor kids at a local family services center. We are always looking for tutors as we are heavily understaffed(most of the people here do it for 1 year and once they get a letter of some sort, they bugger off to use it to get priority for something or the other), if you are interested, send me a PM.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Hi vishal, Me and my wife teach poor kids at a local family services center. We are always looking for tutors as we are heavily understaffed(most of the people here do it for 1 year and once they get a letter of some sort, they bugger off to use it to get priority for something or the other), if you are interested, send me a PM.

Yeah, ICA is starting to get wise to the ruse of the"volunteering" spirit which is not in spirit at all, but nothing more than a quid pro quo and not for the "good of the community" at all. So now, they are not all that impressed with PR submissions or citizenship submission with "one" year of community service. They hate tailor made applications.

Having said that, if you have a history of doing charitable works where you come from and carried on upon arriving on these shores, then it will tend to impress rather than look like it was being done strictly for "brownie" points, e.g., priority for something or other.

[ecureilx]

there are a few VWOs who need befrienders, essentially to visit old folk / disabled and just spend an hour or so a week, if you are not able to commit more time .. that is the option with least 'overheads'

AndrewV: many People here get used traumatised when you use the word 'bugger' unlike back home ..

vishalgupta2: last month, I represented my association, for a program to kickstart this years Youth for Causes - a YMCA program, which works through Cit Bank Funding and involvement of other organisations / CEOs / directors of a lot of other companies .. primarily through a mentor / mentee system, where each team gets a mentor from a commercial entity - Citi Bank or otherwise.

The main objective is for fundraising or enhancing lives of lesser fortunate.

You can look up more info at http://youthforcauses.com/

Though it is a YMCA Program, it is non-religious !