It started with an unexpected encounter at Jalan Kukoh.

When signs of the Covid-19 pandemic first emerged in Singapore earlier this year, 18-year-old students Harrison Chong and Sricharan Balasubramanian were determined to lend a helping hand to those who needed it.

Chong's mother, who worked at the Ministry of Social and Family Development, suggested that Chinatown was a possible start.

So with no clear goals or direction, the duo walked around the neighbourhood and chatted with some residents, asking them how the virus was affecting their lives and if they had needs that were not addressed.

Soon, Chong and Sricharan ended up making their way to Jalan Kukoh, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Singapore.

Encountered a homeless man

Speaking to Mothership, Chong said that while they were at Jalan Kukoh, they spotted an old man, possibly in his 60s, sitting alone on a bench.

"He was drinking from a can of beer and had, like, a plastic bag filled with random items next to him. He looked like any other resident so we assumed that he was living in the estate... We asked the man how life here was affected, he blankly told us that he didn’t live here and he had no home, he just wandered the area."

The man told Chong and Sricharan that he had travelled to Singapore when he was young to do labour intensive work.

He didn't have any family in the country and had nowhere to go.

When asked if the Covid-19 situation had affected his life, the man appeared indifferent.

"He very casually told us that it didn’t matter whether he wore a mask or not. He didn’t care if he died or not, and that statement really hit us quite hard," added Chong.

Inspired to contribute to the community

Since the encounter, the two teens realised that homelessness in Singapore is "still an invisible issue".

Inspired to do their part, the duo sent an email to the MP of Jalan Besar GRC in February to ask for her opinion on how they can contribute to the community.

A month later, the teens were referred to New Hope Community Services, a charity that provides temporary shelter to homeless people and rough sleepers.

Chong told Mothership:

"We wanted to see hope imparted into the life of the old man we had talked to. So we got together with a bunch of close friends and we started volunteering with New Hope. Our first activity was to deliver food rations to the beneficiaries in the estate."

Over the course of two months, what started as an activity between a few friends eventually evolved into Comm.UnitySG, a ground-up youth initiative committed to serving the homeless and displaced individuals in Singapore.

It is led by student volunteers because Chong and Sricharan felt that more youths need to be involved in the volunteering scene.

They have since mobilised 18 student volunteers for the cause.

How they contribute

At least once a week, the group of teenagers meet up to pack food rations and distribute them to the shelter residents.

They also spend time cleaning and painting the shelter units so that its residents can have a clean place to stay.

1. Food ration packing and distribution

Some of the foods they give out include:

• Dry rations, such as milk powder
• Canned foods
• Maggi mee
• Packed dinners

According to Chong, the dry rations are donated to New Hope annually by the Boys’ Brigade. The packed dinners, however, came from a kind donor.

Although the teens were unable to interact with the residents for prolonged periods of time after delivering the food due to strict circuit breaker measures, Chong shared that the residents were grateful and satisfied with what they were given.

Chong added:

"An interaction with one lady was particularly memorable. When we brought the food to her, she was very appreciative and praised us warmly for taking the time to do this for the residents, and wished us well for our studies."

2. Painting, cleaning and sanitising shelter units

"Physically exhausted but mentally nourished"

According to Chong, it takes about eight hours in total to clean and paint the doors, gates, and one wall of two units.

Despite the physical demands, Chong admitted that their struggles do not compare to the feeling of fulfilment and gratification after completing their tasks.

"We may be physically exhausted after each volunteer session, but we are mentally nourished," he said.

Hopes others can play their part

Besides their different volunteering programmes, Comm.UnitySG has also set up a fundraising campaign.

The funds raised will go towards the shelter residents' daily meals and hygiene products, utilities, rental and life skills training programmes conducted by New Hope.

Chong told Mothership that he doesn't expect everyone to volunteer like him, but he hoped others would contribute in different ways, such as making donations or participating in fundraising events.

He added that he has learned a lot through his volunteering experience.

Previously, he was under the impression that the homeless or displaced had to stay on the streets, but the temporary shelters he visited has changed his perception of this vulnerable group.

"The shelters are functional, conducive for family life and provide a good and realistic environment for recovery as it resembles a normal home we hope the homeless and displaced will eventually move into after they get back onto their feet."

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Stories of Us is a series about ordinary people in Singapore and the unique ways they’re living their lives. Be it breaking away from conventions, pursuing an atypical passion, or the struggles they are facing, these stories remind us both of our individual uniqueness and our collective humanity.

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Top images courtesy of Comm.UnitySG.