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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - RCs won award for bonding with FTs</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
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</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Aug-12 11:44 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 1) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>18890.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>knock, knock - it's time for bonding
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Serene Luo
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
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Sembawang's efforts at community bonding have won it the PA's Constituency Achievement Award. Above, housewife Suchavadee Chandra, a PR from Thailand, conducts a Thai cooking class for other residents. -- PHOTO: SUCHAVADEE CHANDRA
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->SEMBAWANG grassroots leaders have been working hard to make sure new immigrants in their area feel right at home.
Within weeks of a newly minted citizen or permanent resident moving in, residents' committee (RC) members would pay a visit, introduce themselves and give out their cellphone numbers - in case there are emergencies like residents getting locked out of their homes or burgled.
'My practice is to knock until I see someone, instead of leaving a note. I feel the sincerity of a warm handshake is important,' said claims manager Goh Peng Hong, 41, an RC chairman and vice-chairman of the area's citizens' consultative committee (CCC).
Sembawang's efforts at community bonding won it the People's Association Constituency Achievement Award, which was given out at a recognition ceremony last night.
Sembawang CCC realised about a year ago that it had a sizeable group of 500 to 600 new citizens or permanent residents (PRs) from countries such as China, Malaysia, India, Thailand and the Philippines.
It then started efforts to help them adjust to life in Singapore.
When the newcomers are more settled in, the RCs invite them to take part in activities or even rope them in to organise activities related to their own culture.
For instance, housewife Suchavadee Chandra, 56, a PR who moved to Singapore from Thailand six years ago, helped to organise the Songkran Thai Water Festival celebrations held in Sembawang and is looking at pulling together a Loy Krathong party, another traditional Thai festival.
In her previous job at a hotel in Thailand, she used to organise events for the staff, so this is up her alley.
'Singapore is also my home now, and I want to do something for it too,' she said.
There are also plans in the works to include a small column in the quarterly newsletter in various native languages such as Tagalog or Tamil, Mr Goh said.
Last night, People's Association deputy chairman and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng gave away awards which recognise the best community projects and companies that have a philanthropic bent.
Some 157 grassroots organisations and constituencies, and 31 companies and community organisations were recognised. These included Philips Electronics, which sponsored energy- efficient lightbulbs for the needy to help them reduce their utility bills, and Bo Tien Welfare Services Society, which has helped pack and distribute dry rations to needy families for 10 years.
Mr Lim reminded grassroots leaders to be innovative in bringing the community together.
New challenges are emerging with the ageing population, an influx of new immigrants and the different expectations of an affluent people, he said.
Today, Singaporeans have more varied interests and current grassroots activities for the masses might not appeal to many.
Grassroots organisations have to change their approach from time to time, the way Sembawang is doing.
Targeted activities for smaller groups could be one way forward, he noted. For example, some RCs have 'floor parties' where they get to know just the residents on that floor.
'We believe that in smaller groups, the participants can have deeper conversations with one another and get to know more about each other,' he said.
Separately, the People's Association announced yesterday a series of new activities targeted at professionals and executives.
These activities, some of which take participants behind the scenes on a filming site or to a forest retreat in Thailand, will meet 'increasing demand for more novel experiences', said a spokesman.
[email protected]
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</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Serene Luo
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Sembawang's efforts at community bonding have won it the PA's Constituency Achievement Award. Above, housewife Suchavadee Chandra, a PR from Thailand, conducts a Thai cooking class for other residents. -- PHOTO: SUCHAVADEE CHANDRA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->SEMBAWANG grassroots leaders have been working hard to make sure new immigrants in their area feel right at home.
Within weeks of a newly minted citizen or permanent resident moving in, residents' committee (RC) members would pay a visit, introduce themselves and give out their cellphone numbers - in case there are emergencies like residents getting locked out of their homes or burgled.
'My practice is to knock until I see someone, instead of leaving a note. I feel the sincerity of a warm handshake is important,' said claims manager Goh Peng Hong, 41, an RC chairman and vice-chairman of the area's citizens' consultative committee (CCC).
Sembawang's efforts at community bonding won it the People's Association Constituency Achievement Award, which was given out at a recognition ceremony last night.
Sembawang CCC realised about a year ago that it had a sizeable group of 500 to 600 new citizens or permanent residents (PRs) from countries such as China, Malaysia, India, Thailand and the Philippines.
It then started efforts to help them adjust to life in Singapore.
When the newcomers are more settled in, the RCs invite them to take part in activities or even rope them in to organise activities related to their own culture.
For instance, housewife Suchavadee Chandra, 56, a PR who moved to Singapore from Thailand six years ago, helped to organise the Songkran Thai Water Festival celebrations held in Sembawang and is looking at pulling together a Loy Krathong party, another traditional Thai festival.
In her previous job at a hotel in Thailand, she used to organise events for the staff, so this is up her alley.
'Singapore is also my home now, and I want to do something for it too,' she said.
There are also plans in the works to include a small column in the quarterly newsletter in various native languages such as Tagalog or Tamil, Mr Goh said.
Last night, People's Association deputy chairman and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng gave away awards which recognise the best community projects and companies that have a philanthropic bent.
Some 157 grassroots organisations and constituencies, and 31 companies and community organisations were recognised. These included Philips Electronics, which sponsored energy- efficient lightbulbs for the needy to help them reduce their utility bills, and Bo Tien Welfare Services Society, which has helped pack and distribute dry rations to needy families for 10 years.
Mr Lim reminded grassroots leaders to be innovative in bringing the community together.
New challenges are emerging with the ageing population, an influx of new immigrants and the different expectations of an affluent people, he said.
Today, Singaporeans have more varied interests and current grassroots activities for the masses might not appeal to many.
Grassroots organisations have to change their approach from time to time, the way Sembawang is doing.
Targeted activities for smaller groups could be one way forward, he noted. For example, some RCs have 'floor parties' where they get to know just the residents on that floor.
'We believe that in smaller groups, the participants can have deeper conversations with one another and get to know more about each other,' he said.
Separately, the People's Association announced yesterday a series of new activities targeted at professionals and executives.
These activities, some of which take participants behind the scenes on a filming site or to a forest retreat in Thailand, will meet 'increasing demand for more novel experiences', said a spokesman.
[email protected]
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