Over the last two weeks, UOB has been helping to share the Christmas spirit by distributing 2,000 presents to children from underprivileged backgrounds through its ‘Gift for Good’ campaign. The campaign, which encouraged UOB customers to buy Christmas presents from a dedicated online gift registry for children cared for by New Life Stories, was part of SG Cares Giving Week.
New Life Stories is a non-profit organisation that supports the education of children from vulnerable families, such as low-income families and those with parents who are incarcerated. UOB customers donated $56,200 as part of the 15-day campaign. UOB then dollar-matched the amount raised by customers, taking the total to $121,000.
Ms Jacquelyn Tan, Head of Group Personal Financial Services, UOB said, “It is heartwarming to see the ‘kampong’ spirit come to life through our ‘Gift for Good’ campaign. What is special about this year’s UOB Cards’ festive campaign is that for the first time, our key partners, Dairy Farm Singapore, Grab and Shopee have joined us in giving back to the community. We are grateful for the enthusiastic and generous support of our customers, colleagues and partners, which enabled us to make the children’s Christmas a little brighter.”
UOB’s ‘Gift for Good’ campaign partners Dairy Farm Singapore and Shopee provided gift items, ranging from grocery vouchers and family board games to children’s books, at a special discount for UOB customers to purchase and to donate. Grab also provided dollar matching for Grab vouchers bought on the gift registry.
Mr Dale Preston, Director of Customer Insights Southeast Asia, Dairy Farm Group said, “In today's challenging environment, it is now more important than ever to think about people who are less fortunate than ourselves. This is why Dairy Farm Singapore is really proud to be working with UOB and New Life Stories to create a genuine change in young children’s lives.”
Ms Saleemah Ismail, Executive Director, New Life Stories said, “This year has been an unprecedented year for all of us, especially so for the less advantaged in our community. Many of our children have felt an increased sense of loneliness and isolation during this period which have increased their feelings of abandonment. Through this campaign, we hope that the children can enjoy the Christmas gifts of toys, books, and vouchers to lift their spirits and brighten up their year-end festivities.”
In extending support beyond the festive season, funds from UOB will also be directed to the New Life Stories’ Early Reader Programme. The programme, which benefits more than 300 children, provides in-home reading support to encourage children’s curiosity, confidence and school-readiness. Reading sessions are conducted by trained 'befrienders' who visit homes for weekly sessions of reading aloud from story books and other educational literature. They also provide one-on-one counselling for each child, to support their mental and emotional development. This is the Bank’s third year of supporting New Life Stories.
