Photo credits: St John’s Home For Elderly Persons
2020 has been a really tough and challenging year for all of us as COVID-19 rampant throughout the world. From the announcement of Dorscon orange to the 2-month circuit breaker, it has affected every one of us through one way or another. In times like this, we feel that it is important for us to contribute back to the society especially towards charity organizations. These organizations need all our support more than ever during this difficult time. In one of the Today’s article dated 22 March 2020, some 20 charities that Today spoke to saw up to 60% drop in donation in February last year and may even nosedive further by the end of March 2020.
These organizations that needed support includes St John’s Home for Elderly Persons, an independent registered charity organization that depends largely on the public’s donation to keep their operations going. Established in 1958, St John’s Home for Elderly Persons provide shelter and care for ambulant elderly persons aged 60 and above, who have no home and no children or close relatives who have the adequate resources to care for them. The Home is open to all elderly persons regardless of race or creed.
Photo credits: St John’s Home For Elderly Persons
As a Sheltered Home for the elderly persons, St John’s Home provide long-term residential care including accommodation, meals, laundry and basic medical care. Other services include physiotherapy programme, counselling and medical services, worship and fellowship gatherings as well as other programmes and activities that keeps the elderly active while engaging them mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Since St John’s Home started its operation back in December 1958, they have been located at the present site at 69 Wan Tho Avenue. Its lease expired at the end of 2015 and it secured a new one for a smaller portion of the land area, with a new five-storey building being built for the elderly. The new building will have improved amenities such as four-bed rooms as compared to the current seven bed dormitories, anti-slip tiles, a rooftop garden, a bigger activity room and two counselling rooms. Slated to be completed in March later this year, the new building and features will contribute to the improved well-being of the elderly while increasing its capacity to 150 residents to maximize the stipulated plot ratio of 1.4.
Picture credits: St John’s Home For Elderly Persons
Fundraising for the new Home have started back in 2013 and as of end of 2020, the Home is still short of about $3 million. You can help St John’s Home for Elderly Persons out in several ways, such as making a donation, volunteering your time or adopting and choosing the Home for Corporate Social Responsibility programme. You can also donate to St John’s Home through giving.sg website, a one-stop platform for donation and volunteering.
During December 2020, TakeAseat.sg team made our way to St John’s Home for Elderly Persons to make a small donation as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility and our way of contributing back to the society during this difficult period. We hope that you can do your part in helping St John’s Home as wells as the others too. Every donation counts for the elderly, needy and the underprivileged.
