Touch Community Services Flag Day

It was a perfect Saturday morning for snuggling in bed. The weather was cool after an overnight shower with birds chirping happily to welcome the moist new day. This day is a very unique day for a group of students and staff at The Republic Polytechnic. We have all volunteered to spend one meaningful Saturday morning to “sell flags”.

At 8.15am on a drizzling Saturday morning, an entourage of 20 odd RPians, dressed in oversized white orientation tops gathered at Bukit Merah Bus Interchange. Our mission for the day : To help the less fortunate through the window of opportunity provided by TCS. Over at the TCS headquarters, we were informed that a total of 11,000 similar-minded people would be thronging the streets of Singapore simultaneously to persuade kind-hearted people to donate their shillings generously.

Outside the Collection Station

We were given a kit consisting of a tin can, a bandana (which we chose to wear around our wrist instead) and a tiny card informing the public of our purpose. With that, we are on our way down to our designated place of “duty” – Orchard Road. First thought that flashed across our minds: “How lucky we are to be stationed at Orchard Road, more so since it is the weekend and would be packed with shoppers. However, little do we know that we would be in for some “surprises”.

It was a day of rejections, denial and spurning even! Many of us can vouch that this is one kind of experience that words cannot be adequately used to describe our feelings. People would avoid us like the plague to the extent which we could walk unobstructed on the busy streets of Orchard. Others would by-pass us and ignore our pleas for kind donations. Sometimes, in such instances, the irony of life is displayed prominently. Shoppers would not think twice about splurging on a pair of shoes but when it comes to just parting with their loose change, they think twice and abstain at all costs.

Anderson “Scaring” Everyone Away With His Charity Tin!

Of course the situation is not that unpleasant. There are light hearted moments as well. There are still kind souls out there that bring a sparkle to our day. For instance, there’s this shopper whom Tze-Ing approached. This particular shopper promised to return with some change and pleasantly did! Other instances include people approaching us to donate on their own accord. The students’ ingenuity is uncovered through such activities as well. From the snapshots taken, you would observe that they stop at nothing to accomplish their mission!

In fact, students and staff are given the opportunity to get to know one another better through such activities. For some of the RP students, it was the first occasion that they ever sold flags in their lives. Even for our staff, it brought back fond memories of those distant times when we last sold flags.

Our target of selling the flags allotted was attained in a short period of time. Everyone was jubilant. The sense of achievement was evident on our faces. We were eager to return the tins and hopped on the available bus back to TCS.

Perhaps, the spirit of volunteering still lingers in us. As the bus makes a turn into Tanglin Road where our campus is, we “spotted” fellow colleague Alice. Instinctively, Tze-Ing offered her the tin and the picture below speaks for itself.

Indeed as fellow colleague John puts it, flag selling is a “humbling experience”. Sometimes, in life, we need such small episodes to remind ourselves the need to not be carried away with the materialism around us.

In short, it has been a meaningful Saturday morning for all of us. Friendships are forged and strengthened. Certainly, we look forward to the next round when our humble services are required.