Singapore Red Cross plans to mobilise about 700 volunteers to aid the elderly amid heat, haze

SRC will begin its efforts with around 75 individuals, who were prioritised as they are above the age of 80 and living alone, said Ms Chan, who is overseeing SRC’s new response plan to heat and haze. 

These seniors are in SRC’s programmes such as the Home Monitoring and Eldercare service or the ElderAid programme. Other vulnerable communities SRC intends to reach out to include children and youth from lower-income homes, persons with disabilities and outdoor migrant workers.  

Madam Tan was among the first five beneficiaries SRC visited on April 6. She said that she has been perspiring more as of late.

“My home is not air-conditioned, so I usually leave the fan running throughout the day,” added the retiree. 

She said she found the talk with the SRC representatives – and the care pack she received – to be very useful, adding that she had been thinking about how to cope with rising temperatures.

Ms Chan said SRC noticed that its beneficiaries, especially those living alone, had increasingly expressed concern about the extreme heat and haze over the last year.

“Feedback from our staff and volunteers during regular house visits showed that there is stress and discomfort among our elderly and other beneficiaries. This prompted us to launch additional measures to further support our elderly and our communities,” she said.

Ms Chan added that SRC will monitor the situation and adjust its operations accordingly. 

“The heat and haze may worsen in the next few months,” she said, adding that SRC might also consider long-term support – such as ensuring their beneficiaries have tools like fans to keep cool. 

SRC will also be conducting talks for outdoor workers, who are often exposed to prolonged heat, as part of the organisation’s community engagement measures.

These talks aim to impart to the workers practical knowledge and skills such as recognising early signs of heat-related illnesses and taking preventative measures. 

Additionally, SRC will launch a social media campaign to raise awareness of heat stress and encourage individuals to look out more for vulnerable groups, including seniors, their family members and neighbours, as well as individuals living alone. 

To support the distribution of care packs to vulnerable communities and the deployment of volunteers islandwide, the SRC also launched a fund-raiser. 

The current goal is to raise $100,000 to help reach 10,000 individuals, with half of the target being seniors, said Ms Chan.

She also expressed hope of being able to reach more people, noting that around 100,000 seniors live alone in Singapore. 

Donations are eligible for a 250 per cent tax deduction, and can be made via credit card on Giving.sg, PayNow, or a cheque payable to “Singapore Red Cross Society” with “SG Haze and Heat” indicated at the back.

Other methods include donating in person at Red Cross House at 15 Penang Lane, registering as third-party fund-raisers or setting up online campaigns.

The fund-raiser will run from April 1 to July 12.