Habitat for Humanity Singapore
Mar 7, 20192 min
Meet Uncle Larry – a retiree in his mid-60s
who regularly volunteers with us in our
Project HomeWorks programme. A humble
and dedicated man, Larry chooses to spend
at least one morning a month to serve others
rather than do something for himself.
In fact, since February 2018, Larry has
volunteered 13 times! We asked Larry what
motivates him to volunteer and keep coming
back. He replied, “I derive self-satisfaction
in seeing the improved living conditions of
the residents whose houses we clean”.
Larry continued, “Project HomeWorks
provides a platform for me to challenge
myself to dare to do ‘dirty work’ with [my]
hands. It also allows me to see the actual
living conditions of some homes and
opportunity to converse with residents. I like
hands-on work.”
Larry is no stranger to adversity. When he
was 50 years old, he was diagnosed with
stage 3 colon cancer. Well and healthy
now, he wishes to help as many people as
possible while he is physically able.
Thinking back over the year, Larry
remembers a homeowner who kept a
stack of old unworn clothes in his kitchen.
Upon lifting some of the clothes,
cockroaches came running in all
directions. This experience remains
vividly in his mind but he believes that
‘home’ is an essential place for rest and
should be comfortable.
Uncle Larry plans to continue volunteering
with Project HomeWorks in the coming
year and even looks forward to joining a
building project overseas!
Join Larry and our other regular volunteers to give a hand up to Singapore’s vulnerable
elderly and those living with disabilities to improve their living conditions. Click here
to learn more about Project HomeWorks or volunteer for our April sessions.