Nurse starts National Day donation drive for nursing home residents to thank Pioneer Generation

Alexandra Hospital nurse Emily Yap has started an online donation drive to raise money for the daily meals and other needs of the residents at St Theresa’s Home.

Earlier this month, Emily and other volunteers from the Dunearn Neighbourhood Committee delivered $1,700 worth of groceries to the nursing home at Upper Thomson Road.

The 24-year-old has been a regular volunteer there since primary school, said Stomper Audrey, who is Emily's mother.

Emily provides art therapy at St Theresa’s Home, which has 170 elderly residents.

As National Day is coming, Emily wanted to "honour and thank our pioneers for their hard work and dedication in making Singapore what it is today".

She said: "My grandmother belongs to the Pioneer Generation. She has sacrificed a lot to bring us up. I love her very much. Our pioneers are the hands that built this nation. Every pioneer is special.

"This National Day, I would like to say thank you, pioneers!"

So Emily started the campaign to express gratitude to the pioneers at St. Theresa's Home by raising funds for them online.

Last month, Emily shared her $200 Cost-of-Living special payout by buying buns for the residents of St Luke's ElderCare.

Last year, she used her $100 Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers to buy 70 pieces of bread for them.

Emily's spirit was highlighted by Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget speech in February.

Mr Wong said: "We are a people with an indomitable and never-say-die spirit. We are quick in adapting and responding to changes in the world. We believe in stretching ourselves, pursuing excellence, and striving to do better.

"And we strive, not just for ourselves and our families, but also for those around us. Because we are also a caring, gracious, and generous people – we treat each other as equals, we respect and look out for one another, and we are ever ready to extend a helping hand to those in need.

"We see this spirit in Singaporeans like Ms Emily Yap, who is a registered nurse at Alexandra Hospital. Emily has been hard at work at the Covid frontlines.

"Despite this heavy workload, she still volunteers on her off-days to care for the wider community. She draws inspiration from her grandmother who also worked as a nurse her whole life.

"Emily started a ground-up initiative with other like-minded young people. During the pandemic, she and her fellow volunteers helped to deliver grocery packs to the elderly and lower-income families in the community."

You too can help by making a donation to St Theresa’s Home at Giving.sg.