Big Season of Giving
December 2015
The season of giving at CapitaLand is more than just a joyful occasion; it’s gotten bigger, more creative and now involve more of its stakeholders. In a coordinated effort this year-end, the Group is working with tenants, shoppers and staff to raise at least $160,000 for 19 charities through various activities, both online and at its properties.
“This is the season for giving and I am truly excited that we are working hand in hand with our tenants, shoppers and employees to give back to our community. CapitaLand hopes that by encouraging and engaging our stakeholders to participate in such activities, we not only generate donations but also build more awareness about the needs of the underprivileged,” Mr Tan Seng Chai, Group Chief Corporate Officer of CapitaLand Limited and Executive Director of CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF) said.
S.E.N.D an e-card and donate to charity
It really is this simple: send an electronic greeting through CHF’s Send E-card & Donate (S.E.N.D) for Hope initiative to a unique recipient and CHF will donate $2 to its chosen charity for this year, Community Chest-supported Rainbow Centre - Yishun Park School (RCYPS). Organised in conjunction with the Community Chest SG50 Light-Up for Christmas, this e-greeting card initiative not only encourages the public to do good but it also eco-friendly. .
This year CHF has pledged $25,000 to RCYPS to provide special education and rehabilitative services for disadvantaged students with multiple disabilities, as well as to equip them with skills and knowledge for a better future.
Ms Ng Ling Ling, Managing Director of Community Chest, appreciates this way of engaging the public. “Through the sending of e-cards to spread festive cheer to families and friends, the public can also do good and help children with special needs of the Community Chest-supported Rainbow Centre - Yishun Park School,” she said.
In its 7 th year, the S.E.N.D for Hope programme is hugely popular with the public. Since 2009, more than 160,000 greeting cards have been sent, generating more than S$300,000 worth of pledges for more than 12 charities.
To further encourage the public to send the e-cards, CapitaLand is rewarding senders with a chance to win up to 8 million CAPITASTAR$®. These STAR$ can be used to redeem CapitaVouchers for shopping in the 18 CapitaLand malls.
Log onto www.capitaland.com from now to 3 January 2016 to send your e-greeting card, and do your part in lighting up the lives of the children beneficiaries!
Granting the wishes of 600 underprivileged children
The ‘Gifts of Joy’ initiative by CapitaLand Commercial Trust Management Limited (CCTML), the manager of CCT, invites tenants to join in delivering presents to underprivileged children.
Said Ms Lynette Leong, CEO of CCTML “We are heartened by the strong support from our tenants and CapitaLand colleagues for our ‘Gifts of Joy’ initiative these past two years. This year, we are working with 18 VWOs to fulfill over 600 Christmas wishes from their children beneficiaries. Beyond contributing gifts, we encourage our tenants and employees to join us in giving their time to wrap and deliver the gifts, and demonstrate compassion towards the underprivileged. Seeing the children’s faces light up with smiles when we knock on their doors and present them with the gifts is truly priceless.”
This year, the initiative will touch beneficiaries of the Boys’ Brigade Share-a-Gift (BBSG) 2015, Dyslexia Association of Singapore, HELP Family Service Centre, Society for the Physically Disabled and The Salvation Army (Gracehaven).
Mr Lui Chong Chee, Chairman of BBSG 2015 appreciates CapitaLand as a BBSG partner and said that the project is unique because donors are encouraged to go beyond financial giving. “Instead, CapitaLand tenants and staff are encouraged to actively participate by personally picking out the gifts to fulfill the wishes of more than 300 beneficiaries,” Mr Lui commented.
Javier Pek, 12, is one beneficiary who wishes for toys that he can assemble so that he can see his drawings of iconic Singapore landmarks such as Raffles City come to life. “I like to draw the beautiful, tall buildings in Singapore. I also like playing with Lego toys. I want to create a city with them,” he explained.
For those who volunteered last year like Ms Karin Goh who works as a Senior Manager of Marketing and Client Servicing for one of Capital Tower’s tenants, Amundi Asset Management, the experience reminded her of the true spirit of giving. “It is not about the biggest or most prettily-wrapped present. It is about the time and effort we take to wrap the presents and visit these underprivileged children at their homes, which make them realise that they are not forgotten during the festive season. I am thankful to CapitaLand for making it convenient for busy working professionals like us to give back to the community. I will definitely be volunteering again this year,” she shared.
Supporting the educational needs of underprivileged students
At Ascott, CapitaLand’s serviced residence arm, employees will be donating more than S$10,000 to Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home through the Ascott Educational Fund. This will go towards purchasing educational materials and paying for tuition to help children from the home.
Mr Tony Soh, Chief Corporate Officer of The Ascott Limited, said that the fund gives disadvantaged children an equal chance to fulfill their potential and receive the education they deserve. “Through this fund, Ascott hopes to make a difference by touching the lives of beneficiaries during the earlier stages of their development to create a positive effect that can be carried over to their adult lives as well as the lives of their families and the communities they live in,” he added.
On top of that, Ascott is holding an art session for the children to inspire their creativity and develop new skills. The art pieces will be put up for bidding by Ascott staff, and proceeds will go to the home.
Branded trees on auction
At ION Orchard, a series of unique fund raising initiatives to give back to the community has been organised to channel the proceeds to RCYPS.
In the first of such collaborations, the mall is partnering 12 brands to design 12 special Christmas trees for bidding. The brands will offer their unique interpretations of Christmas through these 3-metre-tall specially designed Christmas trees. The 12 brands include Alice + Olivia, Braun Büffel, Buben & Zorweg, Cortina Watch, Crate & Barrel, Diane Von Furstenberg, Ermenegildo Zegna, Parfum Christian Dior, Kurt Geiger, Kwanpen, Moncler and TWG Tea.
ION Orchard hopes to inspire its VIP members and loyal shoppers to adopt the tree or trees of their choice. The bids starts at $8,000. The highest bidder will get the naming rights for the tree(s).
ION Orchard has also partnered NETS to allow shoppers to make outright cashless donations of $10 at several donation points within the mall. Besides that, the mall has invited the special needs students from RCYPS to showcase their creativity and imagination by designing the mall’s Christmas wrappers. The students will also help wrap gifts at the mall, lending a personal touch to the gift-wrapping service for shoppers.
With so many creative ways to give back to the community, CapitaLand has indeed epitomised the spirit of giving!