With Singapore's weather getting uncomfortably hot, we headed to Bukit Batok on June 29th, 2025 to assess which units needed standing fans and water heaters. Our volunteers went door-to-door, looking out for units with young children, distributing rice, and working to identify 10 households that could benefit from these essential items.

While our teams spread out across the block, two units stood out. One had an elderly uncle living in conditions that immediately concerned us. His unit was very dark and the air wasn't fresh - clearly he was a smoker, but there was something more troubling about the environment.

Our founder Fion visited and talked with him, offering to clean his home. He was very reluctant at first, but slowly opened up during their conversation. She sensed he wasn't in good condition - he seemed to be in a daze, and the stale air clearly wasn't helping his well-being.

We cleared his room, though there wasn't much to clear as he didn't have many belongings. Most of the work involved shifting furniture, wiping surfaces, and cleaning floors. Our volunteers arranged for his water heater and bed to be replaced, as the mattress was clearly too old and dirty. Since he couldn't see very well, we organized his things to make it easier for him to move around.

The second unit that caught our attention had a different challenge entirely. There was a mountain of clothes and accumulated items that made it difficult to reach the toilet safely. While we were there to assess water heater needs, it became clear this family needed help with something more fundamental - creating safe pathways in their own home.

The transformation in the uncle's room was remarkable. It became brighter, the air fresher, and most importantly, the uncle was more alert and happy. He looked like a changed man. From someone reluctant to let us in, he became genuinely thankful for our help.

As our founder always reminds us, we were thankful for him instead. He allowed us into his home to help, and this brightened our day too.