LEARN TO GIVE, FROM A YOUNG AGE

Volunteerism for young children and teens

- Venessa Lee Senior Correspondent

Earlier in November, Mr Aarvin Giovanni, 44, introduced his two children to volunteering for the first time to get into the festive spirit.

He and his family have spent time convincing passersby to donate $50 to get a teddy plush at the Bears for Good Central Roadshow at Marina Square. His wife is Ms Gurpreet Kaur, a 40-year-old manager in IT procurement. They have a daughter Ashleen Kaur, nine, and a six-year-old son, Aaryan Singh.

Donations for Bears for Good, the inaugural public fundraising campaign for the charity Extraordinary People, will support children and youth with special needs and their families.

The campaign, which started in mid-October and ends in December, aims to spread Christmas cheer through the spirit of giving, its organisers say.

Mr Aarvin, who works in private banking, has been a volunteer at Extraordinary People for about 11/2 years. He says: "This is a great time to engage the kids. I want my kids to grow up with values like empathy and gratitude. I want them to know that success is not just about achievement. It's about seeing someone in need and reaching out to him or her."

VOLUNTEERING MISCONCEPTIONS

While parents and charities laud the benefits of volunteering from childhood, insiders caution that some forms of charity require greater maturity and sensitivity, such as when working with persons with disability, or mental or physical illness.

Volunteers should also bear in mind the needs of nonprofits and their beneficiaries, they add.

Ms Natasha Jumari, community engagement lead (adult disability) at the charity AWWA, notes that staff resources have to be primarily focused on the organisation's clients. While the safety of all is paramount, young children would not be allowed in environments like volunteer cooking events, for instance, where knives and scissors are used.