All hands on deck - Partners from corporates, schools and the community come together to spread festive joy to 8,000 residents

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry and Ms Low Yen Ling, Mayor of South West District, joined volunteers from Lonza Singapore in wrapping up the three-month long Festive Cheers @ South West on 30 March 2024. The annual initiative by the South West Community Development Council (CDC) took place between December 2023 and March 2024, and provided support for some 8,000 vulnerable residents to help them defray their daily expenses and cope with the cost of living.

Since December 2023, a total of 48 corporate and community partners have come onboard Festive Cheers @ South West, with an overall contribution of more than $850,000 in cash and kind. This contribution went towards South West Festive Cheers Packs and curated gifts to support residents in their daily needs. Close to 1,000 volunteers were involved in the packing and distribution of these Festive Cheers packs to the residents.

As part of the closing of Festive Cheers @ South West 2023, 100 volunteers from Lonza Singapore distributed Festive Cheers packs that were sponsored by Koh Kock Leong Enterprise Pte Ltd and P&G Singapore to 500 households in Chua Chu Kang division. To multiply the assistance and ensure that more residents are supported during this challenging period, Lonza Singapore will be reaching out to 720 residents across the South West District over a one-year period, as part of Grant-A Wish with Lonza Singapore. The donations worth $50 each will be sponsored by Lonza Singapore and curated based on the residents’ needs. These items include household and kitchen appliances, such as ovens and vacuum cleaners.

Lonza Singapore is one of the new partners who have joined this year’s edition of Festive Cheers. Other partners include ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB) Singapore and SANLI Environmental Limited.

“The Festive Cheers and Grant-A-Wish initiatives provide good opportunities for partners to do more for the community and extend their support to help the residents defray their expenses. The collaborative effort not only brings individuals from diverse backgrounds together but also unites them in a shared goal – uplift the lives of residents and foster a more inclusive society. I hope that more like-minded individuals will come on board to make a lasting and positive impact in the community," said Minister Gan.

"We are grateful that despite challenging conditions today, organisations like Lonza and Koh Kock Leong Enterprise Pte Ltd have contributed generously to uplift the vulnerable residents in our district. Altogether, some 50 corporate and community partners have rallied close to 1,000 volunteers and staff to join the Festive Cheers @ South West initiative. This solidarity gave us the much-needed resources to address community needs. It’s also an encouraging show of resilience and collective resolve to care for one another and overcome together,” said Mayor Low.

"I am truly humbled and touched by the dedication of our teams who have chosen to spend their weekend giving back to the local community, highlighting that volunteering is a heartfelt endeavour which aligns with one of Lonza’s key leadership traits: Care," said Mr Chai Chong Meng, Vice President, Site Head, Lonza Biologics Tuas Pte Ltd.

Festive Cheers @ South West rallies the support of corporate and community partners to organise a series of festive activities such as Christmas and Chinese New Year engagement, distribution of South West Festive Cheers Packs and festive gifts to the beneficiaries of Adopt @ South West. Festive Cheers @ South West 2023 benefitted 8,000 vulnerable households from 25 Adopt @ South West precincts.

The Adopt @ South West programme aims to uplift and enrich the lives of needy and vulnerable residents living in rental flats by reaching out to them and providing social support. This is part of the WeCare Plus @ South West Initiative, which aims to provide holistic assistance to our residents, strengthen the social safety net for the needy and vulnerable, and create a more caring environment for all residents. The suite of programmes is developed to meet the three core needs of Adopt @ South West - namely Social Support and Wellness, Home Care and Maintenance, as well as Education and Enrichment - to enhance the lives of vulnerable residents in the South West District.