Meet Uncle Larry – a retiree in his mid-60s who regularly volunteers with us in our Project HomeWorks programme. A humble and dedicated man, Larry chooses to spend at least one morning a month to serve others rather than do something for himself.
In fact, since February 2018, Larry has volunteered 13 times! We asked Larry what motivates him to volunteer and keep coming back. He replied, “I derive self-satisfaction in seeing the improved living conditions of the residents whose houses we clean”. Larry continued, “Project HomeWorks provides a platform for me to challenge myself to dare to do ‘dirty work’ with [my] hands. It also allows me to see the actual living conditions of some homes and opportunity to converse with residents. I like hands-on work.”
Larry is no stranger to adversity. When he was 50 years old, he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Well and healthy now, he wishes to help as many people as possible while he is physically able. Thinking back over the year, Larry remembers a homeowner who kept a stack of old unworn clothes in his kitchen. Upon lifting some of the clothes, cockroaches came running in all directions. This experience remains vividly in his mind but he believes that ‘home’ is an essential place for rest and should be comfortable.
Uncle Larry plans to continue volunteering with Project HomeWorks in the coming year and even looks forward to joining a building project overseas!
Join Larry and our other regular volunteers to give a hand up to Singapore’s vulnerable elderly and those living with disabilities to improve their living conditions. Click here to learn more about Project HomeWorks or volunteer for our April sessions.