Discovering Purpose and Joy As A Volunteer

61-year-old Mr Gng Koon Tiang is a familiar face at Shan You Wellness Community (SYWC). The nimble elder, fondly referred to as Uncle Tiang, engages in a variety of activities, especially group workouts like stretching and low-impact aerobics. On top of that, he also tries to achieve an average of 5,000 steps at least 4 days every week. To continue pursuing the things he enjoys, he believes it’s important to take charge of his health and remain physically independent.

Being at the centre also helps to leverage his engineering skills by doubling up his role as our volunteer. The retired educator who formerly lectured at a polytechnic, has put his skills to good use as our ‘AV technician’. From setting up the audio and visual connections, he ensures that there are no technical issues throughout our everyday programmes.

Uncle Tiang is also known for being a friendly and helpful peer among the other elders at the center. At a communal dining session, he learns that one of the residents is having trouble with her malfunctioning television. Without hesitation, he helps to purchase a new unit and sets it up for her. The elderly woman is grateful to be able to resume watching her beloved TV programs in the comfort of her own home.

To Uncle Tiang, SYWC has created a unique, dedicated space where he spends his mornings interacting with interesting individuals from all walks of life while staying in the pink of a healthy mind through a variety of activities. Uncle Tiang has been a positive addition to our center, and we are glad he finds joy and purpose here every day.