You have time to spare and room in your heart to love, but you do not quite know where to begin volunteering. Now there is a platform that matches you to opportunities based on your profile and preferences.

Called The Healing Nation, this latest initiative by the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) was launched on May 29 to mark the Methodist community’s contribution to SG60, the nation-wide effort to celebrate 60 years of Singapore’s independence.

The project was also inspired by the 140th anniversary of The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) and is deeply aligned with the heartbeat of Forward Singapore (Forward SG), which lays the foundation for Singapore’s refreshed social compact.

The Healing Nation seeks to demonstrate God’s love in healing spirit, mind, heart and body through acts of service and love to the distressed and disadvantaged.

“In July 2024, MWS unveiled a White Paper titled Social Empowerment Towards a Flourishing Singapore – our response to Forward SG and a commitment to Singaporeans,” said Eugene Toh, Chairperson of the MWS Board of Governance.

“We pledge not only to strengthen our outreach and build capabilities and capacity to meet the growing needs, but also to help shape a more vibrant and sustainable care ecosystem.

“That commitment has now culminated in The Healing Nation national initiative.” 

The Healing Nation is a partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth (MCCY), the network of SG Cares Volunteer Centres and various community organisations.

“That different partners have come together to promote giving and volunteerism speaks volumes of the strength of our community. It is a most inspiring endeavour as we celebrate SG60 this year,” said Jill Wong, Senior Director in MCCY.

Added Methodist Bishop Rev Philip Lim: “We believe in the acts of grace – building up one another and caring for one another. In celebrating 140 years of Methodism in Singapore, we have the chance to share this grace through The Healing Nation initiative.”

An ecosystem of care

The aim of this Methodist-led mission is to build a self-sustaining ecosystem for Singapore’s community care by developing more robust volunteer engagement capabilities.

Volunteers just need to pledge their availability on The Healing Nation website by deciding the number of hours, the days and times they can commit to; picking the causes they care about; and indicating their skill sets.

Once submitted, they will receive volunteer opportunities via email. They can then apply for the opportunity they want, and the charity in question will reach out to them.

On the same site, people can also donate or raise funds for families and individuals supported by The Healing Nation.

The goal in the long run is to facilitate a shift in mindset where volunteering is seen not as charity, but as a way of life.

“The Healing Nation can be a real game-changer. It offers a way for the community care sector to move from operating in silos to becoming a self-sustaining, collaborative ecosystem,”  said MWS’ Eugene.

In the past, charities might have worked more independently, each building its own volunteer base.

“That model served us well for a time. But today’s challenges – across both health and social care – are far more complex and interconnected. Collaboration is no longer a good-to-have; it’s a necessity,” he pointed out.

“We’re encouraged by the government’s policy shifts that support greater partnership across the sector. Through The Healing Nation, we hope to contribute to that momentum – by creating space for deeper collaboration, shared resources and mutual support, so we can all do more, together, for our communities.” 

A screenshot from The Healing Nation website, which encourages volunteers to each pledge 35 hours to serve the community in 2025.

The Healing Nation currently has 143 volunteer opportunities that cater to different interests, needs and availability.

These go beyond opportunities offered by MWS’ Centres or Methodist-related locations to those available through partnership with 24 SG Cares Volunteer Centres and three community partners, representing more than 100 charities.

The range of opportunities is wide as well, from cleaning horse stables and offering seniors barber services, to supporting persons with intellectual disability in water play.

Charities, social service agencies and other volunteer-run groups are also encouraged to place their volunteer opportunities on the platform by emailing mcs140thn@mws.sg.

Lee Yean Wun, Executive Director of Kampong Kapor Community Services, said: “It is a valuable platform to raise awareness of our volunteering opportunities, complementing the outreach we are currently doing.

“Through this partnership, we hope to invite even more individuals to be part of strengthening lives and communities together.”

1.4 million to celebrate 140 years

For 2025, the goal is to mobilise 1.4 million volunteer hours, be it from individuals, businesses or community groups, as well as to raise S$1.4 million to fund critical social and healthcare services that are delivered by partner charities and churches. 

“We have set a bold and audacious goal. We believe this is achievable,” said Eugene.

“First, we are rallying the Methodist community to come together in service to society. Secondly, by partnering other charities and social service agencies, we hope to inspire those beyond the Methodist community to join us in this movement of care.”

Added Calvin Ngo, CEO of MWS: “Through The Healing Nation, we aim to raise S$1.4 million, not for MWS’ own programmes that currently do not receive funding, but to support up to 1,000 families cared for by other charities, social service agencies and Methodist partners who join us in this national effort.” 

Leveraging AI in social services 

Powering The Healing Nation digital platform is AI developed in partnership with Give.Asia. The algorithm of the platform works by learning user preferences and improving matches over time.

Pong Yu Ming, CEO of Give.Asia said: “We are inspired by the Methodist community’s commitment to give to Singapore and hope to empower more communities to do the same across Asia on Give.Asia.”

Explaining that technology is central in enabling some of the systemic shifts the sector may need, MWS’ Eugene said: “Demand for care is high and will only increase as our society ages.

“Given limited manpower in this sector, it is imperative that we leverage technology and find new ways of working in order to remain sustainable for the long term.”

Elaborating on the charity’s innovation thrust, MWS’ Calvin added: “Beyond this volunteering digital platform, we are also exploring other tech solutions, including generative AI and the related, to streamline work processes, enhance clinical competencies and deepen community engagement.

“We are ready to partner the Government and like-minded organisations to pilot such solutions so that, together, we may strengthen the community care ecosystem.”

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