The Tangible Impact of CSR: How Calvary Community Care’s ongoing partnership with Manulife Singapore brings tangible impact to children at Club TREASURE
12-yr-old Mavis can’t wait for Fridays, it is when she sets aside time after school to join in the fun with her friends and volunteers from Manulife (Singapore) Pte Ltd at Club TREASURE in 750A Chai Chee Road. Definitely more fun than at home!
What is Club TREASURE about?
Club TREASURE was developed in June 2022 after Calvary Community Care (C3) spoke to families in the community and found that low-resource families are stretched financially and mentally. They do not have the bandwidth and resources to engage in activities like reading aloud to their children.
Therefore, from 3-6pm every Tuesday to Friday, C3 staff and volunteers engage struggling readers aged 6-12 in reading and specially curated activities.
Fridays are special. That’s when volunteers from Manulife lead exciting activities ranging from craft to games and STEM[1] activities to promote critical thinking through play and help children develop social-emotional skills together. Indeed, Fridays are special not just for children but also for Manulife volunteers like Sheena Yeo, “I enjoy working with children, and would like to contribute to their development through positive interaction.”
The start of Manulife Fun Fridays @ Club TREASURE
Since February 2024, Manulife staff readily volunteer 2 Fridays each month, to plan and lead the activities at Club TREASURE. Using their internal communications channel, Manulife publicises volunteer opportunities and recruits 3 volunteers for each session.
In teams of 3, Manulife staff will propose different activities and identify various learning outcomes for the activity. It was heartening to note that Manulife’s staff response has been so well received that some of them continue volunteering.
“When Manulife conducted a poll among our employees, we found that volunteering in children’s activities attracted a substantial amount of interest. Club TREASURE was a perfect fit! Having collaborated with C3 since 2021, we have embraced C3’s vision of caring for the community,” said Varad, Manulife’s MShare Committee Co-Chair.
Mavis recalls an activity where her team had to build the tallest structure with plastic cups, strings and rubber bands – without using hands! It was challenging but fun too, as the team learnt how to plan and coordinate with each other. “Not only do we get to team up with our friends to do these activities, but also the volunteers from Manulife. I like to compete with them”, Mavis says with a cheeky smile.
Sha, together with Min and her siblings, has been regularly attending Club Treasure now but it all started off after joining Manulife Fun Fridays for the 1st time in April. “During Manulife Fun Fridays, there are more opportunities for us to meet new faces. Sometimes, these volunteers come back again, and I am glad that they can remember me”, mentions Sha.
“Nothing beats putting a big smile on the kids. I saw how excited and happy the children were when they shared their activities with their parents,” said Benjamin, one of the Manulife volunteers at Club Treasure. “I liked that I could involve my children,” said Winnie, another Manulife volunteer.
Executive Director for C3, Pauline acknowledged Manulife’s impactful contributions: “We are grateful to Manulife for sharing our vision and investing in the lives of our children. Manulife Fun Fridays @ Club Treasure is just one of the ways Manulife proactively serves the community with meaningful corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions. We hope that more companies like Manulife will join us in developing each child’s potential.”
Written By Mavis Chia
[1] Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
