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Individually, read the articles assign in your group's column.

In your pair, discuss and answer the following questions:

1. Which category does this example fall under? (Are they individuals, a formal group or informal group)
2. Who are they helping?
3. How does the individual/ group meet the needs of society?
4. Why do you think this is important?

In your pair, create a new Padlet post under your group's column and write down your answers. Please label the title as your name.

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Over the last decade, Kenneth and Adeline Thong have shared their home freely with young people who have nowhere to go.

Above: The Thongs (standing) serving a meal to guests, who included residents of their home, volunteers and friends.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Unlike most newly-weds who look forward to the privacy of their own homes, the Thongs went in the opposite direction when they married in 2007. They rented a three-room flat in Toa Payoh and threw open their doors to complete strangers to live with them for free.

Over the last decade, there has hardly been a time when the couple, who do not have their own children, have not had a teenager or young adult living with them. Most come from abusive and dysfunctional families, and have nowhere to go. Many, ranging in age from 18 to their mid-20s, are too old for institutional care or fostering.

"We are not perfect but we want them to experience what a normal, safe, functional family looks like. And that means they're free to have whatever we have here," said Mr Kenneth Thong, 46, who left his director role at a non-profit organisation earlier this year.

He and his wife Adeline, 39, a former part-time external school counsellor, have housed more than 35 young people over the years, with stays ranging from one day to three years.

From a three-room flat, the couple went on to rent a four-room flat and then a five-room flat in Sengkang to house more people.

In April, they moved into a four-storey terrace house in Seletar, renting it for $5,000 a month.

Money was tight and they almost could not cough up the initial payment of $15,000 - one month's rent and two months' deposit. But the couple, who are Christians, felt the call to go ahead.

The young people who come to their doors are usually from broken families and need a roof over their heads. They could be unwed mothers with babies, teenagers living on the streets or those with mental problems. Those who land in institutional care, such as children and young persons' homes, may find that too regimented, and such an environment may also not be the best fit for youth who are not offenders or who do not have high needs.

Recognising the value of home environments, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is continuing its push to place children in foster families instead of institutional homes.

The couple moved into this four-storey terrace house in Seletar in April, renting it for $5,000 a month. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

MSF said there are 600 residents in children and young persons' homes, of whom 15 per cent are aged above 16. There are also community-based crisis shelters funded by MSF for adults and families who face domestic violence.

Said an MSF spokesman: "Ground-up initiatives by the community further complement our support for the vulnerable in society."

With the terrace house's marble flooring and modern furnishings, the only giveaway that this is more than an upper-class dream home is a large sign made from Lego bricks in the living room that reads: The Last Resort, Welcome. Its name does not sound very appealing, and that is the point.

"We want young people to know if there is really nowhere else to go, there is a place for you. But we will first sit them down to see if there are other options," said Mrs Thong.

The couple do not have any fixed criteria or checklist, so long as they are convinced the need is genuine and their home can provide the appropriate support. If they turn someone away, it is because the person is not suitable - for instance, if they need strict rules and boundaries that a normal family setting cannot provide - or there is no room in the house.

Referrals are by word of mouth.

A sign in the living room made from Lego bricks. Most of the young people who come to the Thongs are from abusive and dysfunctional families.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Mr Thong was a former life coach for students and both husband and wife have worked with young people. But he said: "We don't present ourselves as therapists or counsellors but as family and as parents so that they can have healthy role modelling." What they offer, he said, is normalcy.

There are five bedrooms, and stayers usually get their own room or share it with one other person. There are no rules, and they are free to help themselves to anything, and can stay as long as they have to.

This comes with risks. In 2009, the walls outside their flat were spray-painted with demands for money supposedly owed by a teenager living with them.

Rent, utilities and other expenses come up to $7,000 a month and the couple, who both left their jobs to do this full-time, said they do not have savings. "We live month by month on goodwill donations from friends and we believe God will meet our needs if this work is to continue," said Mr Thong.

There are many helping hands. A meat supplier to supermarkets sends meat regularly and a group of mothers comes thrice weekly to cook dinner for its denizens. Others donate old furniture or items.

The house has become a refuge not only for young people but for animals too. All their pets - a dog, a quail, a hamster, three cats and four chickens - were rescued.

For now, there are three young people living there. One moved in just yesterday, needing a place to stay as his mother suffers from drug and alcohol addiction. A few years ago, he ran away from Boys' Town, which felt like a "prison", and stayed with friends or slept in the streets.

"When I first heard of this place, I thought it was weird. But having had dinner with them twice, I found the idea of being part of their family very cool. It is something I never had," said the 17-year-old.

The other occupants area 25-year-old single mother with a 10-week-old baby and a 19-year-old girl who has been in and out of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

The Thongs' landlord and neighbours are aware that the couple take in young people. "They have good intentions and it's okay as long as they don't disturb the neighbours or bring in dangerous people," said next-door neighbour Angie Tan, 65, a clerk.

When The Sunday Times spent a night with the "family" last week, around the dinner table were the Thongs and their residents, several volunteers and friends.

"So how is everyone related to one another?" one of the visitors asked over a meal of roast chicken, salad and mushroom soup. "It's common; they bring strangers into the house," remarked the 19-year-old resident.

After dinner, the group played board games. The teenage girl fell asleep on the couch while the single mum tended to her baby. Close to midnight, the baby wailed and Mrs Thong helped rock it to sleep.

When asked why she bothered caring for other people's children, including babies, she showed this reporter a message from a teenager who used to live with them.

Student Vincent Moh, 20, sent the text a few hours earlier: "Yo, this is random but whenever I think about my past, I am always so grateful to know you and Ken, who led me to the right path."

Mr Moh, who will complete his ITE education next year and plans to become a physiotherapist, stayed with them on many weekends when his mother, a single parent, was unable to care for him.

Mr Thong said they hope to set up a registered society soon to match vulnerable young people with families willing to take them in. There are similar concepts elsewhere. Servants Vancouver is a community in Canada comprising singles, married couples and families with children. They offer space in their homes to those living on the street, struggling with mental illness or drug addiction.

The next morning was like any other. The teenager talked to Mrs Thong over breakfast about her exams before leaving for classes at a polytechnic. The single mum came downstairs to do the laundry. The postman arrived at the gate and Berrie, the black poodle, sprinted over to greet him.

It felt, somehow, like home.
For more information, go to https://www.thelastresort.life/ This story was first published in The Straits Times. Click here to read the original story.

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For youths with nowhere to go, this couple's home is the last resort - Home & Decor Singapore

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Over the last decade, Kenneth and Adeline Thong have shared their home freely with young people who have nowhere to go. Above: The Thongs (standing) serving a meal to guests, who included residents of their home, volunteers and friends.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE Unlike most newly-weds who look forward to the privacy of their own homes, [...]

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It started with an unexpected encounter at Jalan Kukoh.

When signs of the Covid-19 pandemic first emerged in Singapore earlier this year, 18-year-old students Harrison Chong and Sricharan Balasubramanian were determined to lend a helping hand to those who needed it.

Chong's mother, who worked at the Ministry of Social and Family Development, suggested that Chinatown was a possible start.

So with no clear goals or direction, the duo walked around the neighbourhood and chatted with some residents, asking them how the virus was affecting their lives and if they had needs that were not addressed.

Soon, Chong and Sricharan ended up making their way to Jalan Kukoh, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Singapore.

Encountered a homeless man

Speaking to Mothership, Chong said that while they were at Jalan Kukoh, they spotted an old man, possibly in his 60s, sitting alone on a bench.

"He was drinking from a can of beer and had, like, a plastic bag filled with random items next to him. He looked like any other resident so we assumed that he was living in the estate... We asked the man how life here was affected, he blankly told us that he didn't live here and he had no home, he just wandered the area."

The man told Chong and Sricharan that he had travelled to Singapore when he was young to do labour intensive work.

He didn't have any family in the country and had nowhere to go.

When asked if the Covid-19 situation had affected his life, the man appeared indifferent.

"He very casually told us that it didn't matter whether he wore a mask or not. He didn't care if he died or not, and that statement really hit us quite hard," added Chong.

Inspired to contribute to the community

Since the encounter, the two teens realised that homelessness in Singapore is "still an invisible issue".

Inspired to do their part, the duo sent an email to the MP of Jalan Besar GRC in February to ask for her opinion on how they can contribute to the community.

A month later, the teens were referred to New Hope Community Services, a charity that provides temporary shelter to homeless people and rough sleepers.

Chong told Mothership:

"We wanted to see hope imparted into the life of the old man we had talked to. So we got together with a bunch of close friends and we started volunteering with New Hope. Our first activity was to deliver food rations to the beneficiaries in the estate."

Over the course of two months, what started as an activity between a few friends eventually evolved into Comm.UnitySG, a ground-up youth initiative committed to serving the homeless and displaced individuals in Singapore.

It is led by student volunteers because Chong and Sricharan felt that more youths need to be involved in the volunteering scene.

They have since mobilised 18 student volunteers for the cause.

How they contribute

At least once a week, the group of teenagers meet up to pack food rations and distribute them to the shelter residents.

They also spend time cleaning and painting the shelter units so that its residents can have a clean place to stay.

1. Food ration packing and distribution

Some of the foods they give out include:

Dry rations, such as milk powder

Canned foods

Maggi mee

Packed dinners

According to Chong, the dry rations are donated to New Hope annually by the Boys' Brigade. The packed dinners, however, came from a kind donor.

Although the teens were unable to interact with the residents for prolonged periods of time after delivering the food due to strict circuit breaker measures, Chong shared that the residents were grateful and satisfied with what they were given.

Chong added:

"An interaction with one lady was particularly memorable. When we brought the food to her, she was very appreciative and praised us warmly for taking the time to do this for the residents, and wished us well for our studies."

2. Painting, cleaning and sanitising shelter units

"Physically exhausted but mentally nourished"

According to Chong, it takes about eight hours in total to clean and paint the doors, gates, and one wall of two units.

Despite the physical demands, Chong admitted that their struggles do not compare to the feeling of fulfilment and gratification after completing their tasks.

"We may be physically exhausted after each volunteer session, but we are mentally nourished," he said.

Hopes others can play their part

Besides their different volunteering programmes, Comm.UnitySG has also set up a fundraising campaign.

The funds raised will go towards the shelter residents' daily meals and hygiene products, utilities, rental and life skills training programmes conducted by New Hope.

Chong told Mothership that he doesn't expect everyone to volunteer like him, but he hoped others would contribute in different ways, such as making donations or participating in fundraising events.

He added that he has learned a lot through his volunteering experience.

Previously, he was under the impression that the homeless or displaced had to stay on the streets, but the temporary shelters he visited has changed his perception of this vulnerable group.

"The shelters are functional, conducive for family life and provide a good and realistic environment for recovery as it resembles a normal home we hope the homeless and displaced will eventually move into after they get back onto their feet."

Stories of Us is a series about ordinary people in Singapore and the unique ways they're living their lives. Be it breaking away from conventions, pursuing an atypical passion, or the struggles they are facing, these stories remind us both of our individual uniqueness and our collective humanity.
Top images courtesy of Comm.UnitySG.

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Unsung heroes: S'porean youths give out meals & clean units for residents of homeless shelter

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It started with an unexpected encounter at Jalan Kukoh. When signs of the Covid-19 pandemic first emerged in Singapore earlier this year, 18-year-old students Harrison Chong and Sricharan Balasubramanian were determined to lend a helping hand to those who needed it.

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SINGAPORE - Inspired by the generosity of their late parents, three sisters have come together to provide free vegetarian meals to the needy.

Krsna's Free Meals was started in 2018 and it offers free breakfast and lunch daily to migrant workers, the elderly and anyone else in need.

Ms Chandralatika Devi Dasi, 57, Ms Gandhini Devi Dasi, 54, and Ms Latha Govindasamy, 51, are the sisters behind the soup kitchen.

They are joined by Mr Raghupati Das, 57, Ms Chandralatika's husband, and Mr Lee Chee Seng, 54, who is married to Ms Gandhini.

Krsna's Free Meals is located at 16 Veerasamy Road in Little India with breakfast available for takeaway from 6.30am to 9.30am. Lunch is served from 11am to 2.30pm.

Ms Latha, a former teacher, said: "My parents instilled in us the value of sharing and they told us you don't have to be rich to share."

Her father was a driver, her mother a housewife and they had eight children.

Her father was a man of modest means, yet he would invite poor people, including those he met at the temple, to eat with them at his home.

Ms Chandralatika, a housewife with two children, said her family also was also inspired by the teachings of their spiritual teacher and founder of the Hare Krishna movement, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who exhorted his followers to feed the poor so no one goes hungry.

Ms Chandralatika, who is one of the cooks at Krsna's, said: "My passion is cooking. And my children are grown up, so it's easier for me to do this."

Apart from Mr Lee, who is a logistics supervisor, the other four volunteer full-time at Krsna's Free Meals.

It has been registered as a society and the group is in the midst of applying to become a charity. It now provides up to 800 breakfast and 700 lunch boxes a day.

The five are aided by a pool of over 300 volunteers who work in shifts, with safe management measures in place, to cut the vegetables and pack the meals.

Krsna's Free Meals is located at 16 Veerasamy Road in Little India. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

They initially forked out a five-figure sum from their own pockets to kick-start their soup kitchen, said Ms Latha.

But over time, donors have stepped forward with food and cash.

"Singaporeans are a very generous lot," she said.

The donors include vegetable wholesalers and some migrant workers, some of whom will give a 5kg or 10kg pack of rice on payday.

Ms Latha said that one reason why the group decided to offer free vegetarian meals was because none of the other soup kitchens in Singapore provided such fare.

Many migrant workers are vegetarians, she noted.

Those who receive the free meals include the elderly who are poor and cardboard collectors.

Some unemployed people, victims of the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, are also coming forward for the free meals.

"Anyone can come and take the food - no questions asked," said Ms Latha.

Retired butcher Gulam Hussan, 81, who is single and lives in a rental flat, has been among those receiving free meals for the past year.

He said: "The free meals are very good for poor people like us. And the food is good."

To find out more, visit the Krsna's Free Meals website.

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Causes Week 2020: Sisters set up soup kitchen offering free vegetarian meals to the needy

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SINGAPORE - Inspired by the generosity of their late parents, three sisters have come together to provide free vegetarian meals to the needy. Krsna's Free Meals was started in 2018 and it offers free breakfast and lunch daily to migrant workers, the elderly and anyone else in need.

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Create a Padlet post and label your name as the title.
Answer the following question:
1. After the lesson, Indicate on a scale (1-5)  Should the government be the ONLY one responsible for providing the needs of society?
(1: Strongly Disagree, 5: Strongly Agree)
2. Has your stance changed? Explain why or why not.

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Label the title as your name and indicate your stand.

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4

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1. 4-->2
2. Yes my stance has changed. Through the lesson, I realised that there is greater value when the citizens actively participate to meet the needs of the society.

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Serving Good Food to Migrants: The Soup Kitchen With A Mission

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18-year-olds Step Up To Volunteer Amid COVID-19 Pandemic