What better way to celebrate Christmas than to bring joy and laughter to underprivileged kids? This group of volunteers thought so.
Contributed By Klessis Lee
The cell group with their beneficiaries at Sentosa. PHOTOS: Klessis Lee.
Twenty underprivileged children celebrated Christmas with a special outing to Sentosa to enjoy some attractions on Dec. 10.
The children come from Henderson Student Care Centre, an organization under the umbrella of Singapore Children’s Society. Most of them are from dysfunctional families, and in many cases, suffer from neglect. The outing, organized by the members of a cell group from City Harvest Church, aimed to bring joy and fun to these children during this Christmas season.
The adults also brought along their own children, giving them a chance to experience community work, to learn to share their love and show concern to those in need.
This outing was made special by several sponsors. The Sentosa Leisure Group paid for the entry tickets to Sentosa and a guided tour to the attraction, Images of Singapore, while Sentosa 4D Magix sponsored entry tickets to two of their blockbuster attractions: Pirates 4D Magix show and 3D Extreme Log Ride.
The trip began with an educational excursion for the children at the Images of Singapore exhibition, where they learned about the history of Singapore and saw, at a glance, how Singapore has progressed as a nation. But the highlight for many of them was the 3D Extreme Log Ride and 4D Magix show. It was the first time the children had experienced such shows, and from the wide smiles on their faces, it was evident they enjoyed themselves greatly.
One member’s child sharing her Happy Meal.
Lunch was just as happy an experience as the trip, with McDonald’s sponsoring a Happy Meal for every child. The children also received Christmas gifts of a stationery set each, sponsored by City Harvest’s Children Church, as well as a water bottle, sponsored by a church member.
While these children come from less fortunate family backgrounds, the message of the day was that they too deserve to have good things like other children.
One of the volunteers for the excursion, Claire Seeto, a full-time housewife and mother of four, shared, “I felt a great sense of joy and fulfillment that I was able to do my part in helping underprivileged children. I’m really looking forward to the next event!”
After a fruitful morning, the children left Sentosa with lots of goodies and happy hearts. The members and children from the cell group ended the day with warmth in their hearts, knowing that they had done something meaningful in this season of love.
