CapitaLand Hope Foundation commits at least S$1 million to #100KHopeHours global volunteer challenge for 10th anniversary
#100KHopeHours seeks to rally global citizens to achieve target of 100,000 volunteer hours; each volunteer hour raises a S$10 donation to help underprivileged children
Singapore, 17 March 2015 – From today, volunteers across the globe can multiply the impact of their charitable efforts through the #100KHopeHours global volunteer challenge spearheaded by CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF), CapitaLand Limited’s philanthropic arm.
CHF targets to garner 100,000 volunteer hours globally through the #100KHopeHours challenge, where every volunteer hour clocked will raise a S$10 donation to help underprivileged children in Asia in the areas of education, healthcare and shelter. The beneficiaries include the President’s Challenge, the Community Development Councils of Singapore (CDCs) and the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.
To mark its 10th anniversary, CHF has committed at least S$1 million to celebrate volunteerism this year. Through #100KHopeHours, CHF seeks to rally the public to volunteer their time, skills and effort for charity, highlighting the message that everyone can contribute in different ways to benefit the community.
The launch of the #100KHopeHours challenge will be announced today at the P.E.E.K (Providing Educational Exposure for Kids) @ Kids’ Food Fund volunteer event in conjunction with its 10th -year celebrations. To clock their volunteer ‘hope hours’, volunteers simply have to log on to www.capitalandhopefoundation.com/100khopehours and provide information such as the name and organiser of the volunteer activity, where and when it took place and a short description of the event and participation details. These hope hours will be calculated based on actual time spent in contributing one’s services to benefit the community with a registered organisation.
Mr S R Nathan, Chairman, CapitaLand Hope Foundation, said: “CapitaLand Hope Foundation was incepted in 2005 and has established itself well as a charity organisation with a strong focus on improving the lives of underprivileged children in Asia. Throughout the past 10 years, the Foundation has been unwavered in its commitment to ‘Building for Tomorrow’. To date, the Foundation has donated over S$24 million to support programmes for the education, healthcare and shelter needs of underprivileged children. Beyond 2 donations, CHF recognises the importance of complementing philanthropy with volunteerism to make a lasting contribution to the community. We have organised more than 1,000 volunteer activities and benefitted at least 100,000 beneficiaries across Asia. Many of the key programmes funded by CHF, such as Kids’ Food Fund, P.E.E.K, CapitaKids, My Schoolbag and the annual international volunteer expeditions, have strong volunteerism elements and demonstrate our holistic approach to giving. We hope that the global community will support #100KHopeHours and share CHF’s drive to inspire the spirit of volunteerism.”
Mr Lim Ming Yan, President & Group CEO, CapitaLand Limited, and Director, CapitaLand Hope Foundation, said: “CapitaLand Hope Foundation has extended its reach to many parts of Asia over the past 10 years in tandem with the Group’s business footprint. The Foundation focuses on contributing to the geographies in which the Group operates as the long-term success of our business is closely intertwined with the health and prosperity of these communities. To mark CapitaLand Hope Foundation’s 10th anniversary, we are pleased to launch the #100KHopeHours global volunteer challenge. Volunteering is about dedicating one’s time, skills and effort to help others. Besides making a difference to those in need, volunteering also makes a difference to the volunteers. For our staff volunteers, this sense of purpose helps bring us closer as ONE CapitaLand. With #100KHopeHours, we would like to encourage other companies and individuals to share this enriching experience of ‘Building Communities’ with us.”
With the launch of the #100KHopeHours global volunteer challenge, 50 CapitaLand staff will be taking Volunteer Service Leave to bring 88 children beneficiaries from the five CDCs districts on a fun-filled P.E.E.K food and nutrition trail at CapitaLand’s shopping mall Westgate this afternoon, joined by 21 of their own school-going children. CapitaLand staff volunteers will serve as guides and game masters, guiding children beneficiaries through interactive computer gaming, sandwich-making and other food-themed activities at pit stops set up to help the children participants make the right dietary choices.
Ng Chun Leong, a CapitaLand staff volunteer, said: “This is the fourth time I am volunteering at a CapitaLand volunteer activity. To me, an ideal job is what makes one a complete person and volunteering with the company helps us achieve that by bringing out the good in us and enhancing our sense of belonging. The fact that CapitaLand provides Volunteer Service Leave demonstrates a high level of commitment on the part of the organisation towards helping the community. My seven-year-old son will be joining me in volunteering today. It is a good opportunity for him to interact with other children, have fun, and at the same time, be exposed again to the idea of helping others. I look forward to clocking the ‘hope hours’ from today via the #100HopeHours platform to raise more donations and more importantly, awareness towards volunteerism.”
CapitaLand staff volunteered a total of more than 28,000 hours in 2014 as the Group sought to heighten the spirit of volunteerism among its staff and rolled out a series of volunteer initiatives to reach out to more beneficiaries and volunteers. In 2015, CapitaLand will continue to drive volunteerism among its staff through large-scale key initiatives including the annual CapitaLand Volunteer Day in Singapore and China; My Schoolbag programme in Singapore, China, India, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam; as well as focused efforts towards 3 schoolchildren of the CapitaLand Hope Schools in China and Vietnam through Group-wide international volunteer expeditions.
Kids’ Food Fund 2015
CHF will renew its partnership with the People’s Association (PA) for the Kids’ Food Fund programme (Programme) this afternoon at the P.E.E.K (Providing Educational Exposure for Kids) @ Kids’ Food Fund volunteer event. CHF will be presenting a S$500,000 cheque donation to the five CDCs.
1,200 children beneficiaries across Singapore will get at least one healthy and balanced meal every school day for 2015 through the Programme, which is fully funded by CHF’s S$500,000 donation. The CDCs will administer the Programme through their outreach partners that include primary and secondary schools, student care centres, family service centres and grassroots organisations.
CHF is also injecting a digital element to the Programme this year with the introduction of the ‘3D City Patrol’ interactive computer game, developed by students from the Nanyang Technological University. This is an excellent example of how everyone can contribute in different ways to benefit the community, using their skills to make a difference to the lives of those in need. The game brings players through challenges where they learn about the importance of health and nutrition. CHF is partnering PA to bring this interactive computer game to PA’s participating community partners’ venues which include family service centres, primary and secondary schools and student care centres. This is to allow more members of the community, beyond beneficiaries of the Programme, to also benefit from the fun and educational game.
Kids’ Food Fund, a food security and nutrition programme, was launched in 2010 by CHF in conjunction with World Food Day. It has since benefitted about 25,000 underprivileged children.
When CHF’s partnership with PA for the Programme began in January 2014, over 400 of the 1,000 children beneficiaries were underweight. As at end 2014, 67% of the underweight beneficiaries registered an improved Body Mass Index (BMI) while 17% are now in the acceptable weight range. Anecdotal case studies also reveal improved attendance at school, with beneficiaries being more attentive in class and better able to concentrate for longer periods of time. The renewed partnership seeks to continue the positive outcomes in building a brighter future for underprivileged children, which stems from the belief that healthy eating contributes to a child’s overall health and enables better learning.
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