Kiwanis One Day 2018

We participated in the yearly Kiwanis One Day this year by going back to Willing Hearts, to help out in the preparation of meals to be distributed to beneficiaries including the elderly, the disabled, low income families, children from single parent families or otherwise poverty stricken families, and migrant workers in Singapore.

Through the simple acts of chopping the vegetables, marinating the meats and even simple cleaning and washing, we are reminded that there are people out there who would appreciate even just a simple meal given to them, and that we can help make that possible.

 

At the end of the day, we were exhausted, but happy to have made someone’s day better with a nice hot meal!

SJII Key Club Kiwanis One Day Event at Willing Hearts

As our ​Key ​Clubs ​are ​part ​of ​the ​larger ​international ​Kiwanis ​family, our SJII Key Club ​participated ​in ​the ​global ​service ​event, ​Kiwanis ​One ​Day ​2017, ​an event ​where ​Key ​Clubs ​all ​over ​the ​world ​join ​together ​in ​a ​day ​of ​service ​on ​the ​fourth ​Saturday of ​October.

As ​a ​club, ​SJII ​started ​brainstorming ​potential ​service ​partners ​who ​were ​open ​to ​having their ​entire ​club ​of ​around ​25 ​people ​help ​serve ​on ​Kiwanis ​One ​Day. ​Their ​final ​choice ​was ​Willing Hearts, ​a ​volunteer-run ​and ​non-profit ​soup ​kitchen ​that ​provides ​about ​5,000 ​meals ​daily ​to over ​40 ​locations ​in ​Singapore ​all ​year ​round.

During ​the ​Sunday ​itself, ​our SJII Key Club members ​arrived ​at ​around ​11:30 ​AM ​and ​started ​helping ​prepare ​the ingredients ​for ​Willing ​Hearts ​by ​12 ​PM. ​In the beginning, our young members ​were ​a ​little ​confused ​as there ​wasn’t ​enough ​staff to ​teach them ​exactly ​what ​to ​do ​and ​how ​to ​do ​it. ​But, ​as ​a ​team, ​our members learned from ​one ​other, passing on their newly acquired knowledge to each other ​on ​how ​to ​cut ​the ​vegetables ​the ​way ​Willing ​Hearts ​wanted ​it ​prepared and ​by ​the ​time ​they ​knew ​it, ​they ​were ​getting ​into ​the groove ​of ​things. ​Peeling, ​washing, grinding ​carrots, chopping, ​peeling, ​and ​even arranging ​Japanese ​Greens!

It is tough work preparing meals for so many people, and ​our SJII Key Club members ​can now fully grasp the hard work behind a simple meal, and it is a meal that can mean so much to the recipients. They have definitely contributed ​meaningfully ​since ​the ​kitchen ​needed ​as ​much help ​as ​they ​could ​get ​in ​preparing ​the ​ingredients ​for ​their ​large scale ​operations. ​By ​the ​time ​our members ​finished ​their ​two ​and ​a ​half ​hours ​of service ​for ​Kiwanis ​One ​Day, ​the members of the ​club certainly ​grew ​closer ​and ​stronger. Their ​executive ​committee ​hopes ​to ​continue ​this ​event ​for ​the ​years
to ​come!