During our previous door-to-door visits in Bukit Batok assessing water heater needs, we discovered that sometimes the real challenges go beyond what we initially came to address.

At one unit, the water heater wasn't actually broken. But when our volunteer went in to test it, we found a home where daily living had become genuinely difficult and unsafe. A mountain of clothes and accumulated items filled most of the space, making it dangerous to navigate to the toilet. The entire home was dark, and reaching the power switch for the water heater meant squeezing through piles of clothes and around a narrow cupboard.

While our main group continued distributing pre-loved furniture to those in need (we gave out at least 20 items after our usual door knocking), a team began clearing this unit. Understanding that the lady obviously loved her clothes, we didn't throw everything away. Instead, thanks to our sponsor Houze providing convenient plastic containers, we helped her store her purchases properly.

Our volunteers formed a human chain to move belongings down the corridor to a clearing area for sorting. After hours of work, we managed to clear the room and organize belongings. We cleaned floors and the toilet area so that both residents could now use the toilet and basin together - something that wasn't even possible before when two people couldn't fit in the space at once. They now had room to move around. The fridge door could finally open.

There was a touching moment when the lady quietly whispered to us to keep the books for her husband: "He used to like to read." This spoke volumes about their relationship. We started out cleaning a house, but we ended up giving space for their love to breathe.

As our founder Fion always reminds us, the gift is in the opportunity to serve others.

#KeepingHopeAlive #CommunitySupport #BukitBatok #ServiceWithHeart