Ugly side of my story about Driving Change by Caltex

Last Tuesday, 30 Oct 2012, I received a email to do voluntary manicure work for Driving Change at Anchorvale Community Centre on Sunday, 4 Nov 2012.  It was stated in the email that the beneficiaries are elderly from People Association who mostly live in 1-room flat by themselves.  I was pretty clueless but agreed to help.  I gathered my information from this web-site they gave me ~

http://www.drivingchangewithcaltex.com/

To summarise, Driving Change by Caltex's mission was to pack and provide 5000 food hampers for to the needy elderly.  Each hamper value S$10; 5000 food hampers = S$50,000.  Fund raising period from 2 to 4 Nov, where S$10 vouchers were sold in Caltex petrol stations.  Media figures Henry Golding and Irene Ang made their appearance at different locations in Singapore to create awareness and promote Driving Change's mission.

I do have my reserves, as in....... elderly people need manicure??  May be I can offer help in other ways when I reached there.  Nevertheless, I prepared a simple tray of tools and set off.

Finally reached around 1pm, contacted the co-ordinator.  She explained that the buffet lunch was still on and after which they would proceed with a KTV session and asked me to wait for a little while.  She offered me to join the buffet but I had already eaten, so just thanked her and waited.

Some performers singing on stage.

80% of the hall were volunteers from Caltex, People Association and Pei Hwa Secondary school.

20% of elderly dressed in their sunday best.

I was expecting 80% of needy elders, but........ it turned out to be something like a block party.

Halal buffet spread, which I only ate a spring roll.

"Needy" senior citizens wearing nice watch and jewelleries.

Irene Ang taking pics with them.

Saw Henry Golding and took a picture with him.

I looked horrible and he looked tired, but he was really handsome in real person.

Almost everybody who take pics with me had to accommodate my height by bending their kneels >.<

I wore wedges already!!  But still.......... s.h.o.r.t  T____T

The senior citizens had karaoke session and Karen Patricia Mok made her appearance making the elderly very happy.  She walked around the hall and the camera man, photographers became very busy, very.

Fund raising booth outside the hall.

For each S$10 donation, you get a lucky spin.

I gotten an umbrella and a pack of jigsaw puzzle/cartoons for colorings for kids.

And also key-chains

  As stated on the coupon, the food hamper consist of:

These were the food hampers

At around 2.30pm, party continued and it was obvious that I was redundant.  What I had intend to contribute became a still birth.  I left the place at around 2.30pm.  Out of courtesy, I told the co-ordinator I was leaving,  her reply was "Oh, I'm so sorry..... " So obviously, she was aware of the situation but did not inform me.

I didn't let her complete her sentence and walked off.  What's there to explain when they had stood me up on purpose?  I wasn't angry. Since there wasn't any underprivileged elders around, I wasn't being made use of to do FOC manicure for anybody else.  It was a blessing in disgust, I should be thankful.

It was raining  when I left and the pretty blue caltex umbrella was put to good use.

Fund raising ended at 3pm,  and I was already home.  As I had read from the web-site, it was a great success with 10,542 food hampers sold, exceeded their target of 5000.  

At around 4pm, another co-ordinator SMS-ed me to apologise which I didn't know how to reply.  Hur hur, why   bother? wtf...

My only wish now, is that the 10,542 food hampers are distributed to 10,542 needy elderly people.  Needy means those who are not fit to work and need financial help.  Those who are able to enjoy karoke, singing and swaying on stage flashing their jewelleries, running themselves to Patricia Mok like teenagers don't need these food hampers, do they?