Ms Gillian Mui

Recipient of the Special Commendation Award 2018
Volunteering since 2016

While I was pregnant in my 30s, I retired from my sales position to focus on my child and have been a housewife ever since. As my family and I grew older, I wanted to do something more meaningful with my time. So, I began volunteering at my church where I met Claudia, a volunteer who introduced me to RSVP Singapore and encouraged me to attend their Open House. Afterwards, I joined them as a volunteer. Today I am a team leader at Anglican Care Centre @ Bukit Batok (ACCBB) in the Mentally Disadvantaged Outreach Programme (MDOP) and a Cyberguide trainer.

It was a step out of my comfort zone that has given me a great sense of responsibility. To me, becoming a Cyberguide trainer was a leap of faith that I would have never dreamt of. To my surprise, it turned out to be a hidden talent of mine! Watching sessions of these programmes result in success is very gratifying to me.

Volunteering has given me opportunities to meet new people and make friends, which I could not do much of before I started. I aspire to inspire others in any possible way with my limited experience. This would boost my self-worth and confidence. Like my flair for being a trainer, I also hope to discover new talents of mine while volunteering.

Being a volunteer has empowered me to grow as a person too. An example is during the Circuit Breaker period when I had to attend Zoom sessions frequently. As a result, I felt overwhelmed at times and spent less time with my family. However, after getting their feedback on that, I realised that I needed to use my time more wisely and have been doing so ever since.

Overall, volunteering has empowered me and added more meaning to my life. I sincerely enjoy it, and I am glad that I decided to volunteer with RSVP.