Says Thank You Sharing a cup of coffee with you is our way of sharing a little warmth of neighbourliness to start your day. Contents 01 Mayor’s Message 02 Advisers to Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and Punggol East SMC 04 Advisers to Tampines GRC 05 Advisers to Aljunied GRC & Hougang SMC 06 Thank You 07 Strengthening Social Support 09 Community Bonding 11 Children & Youth Table of 16 Family Contents 18 Elderly 20 Special Needs Quick Facts 21 Employment and Training Corporate & Marketing Communications Set up in 1997, the North East Community Development 23 Council (CDC) serves a population of over 850,000 24 Partnership residents in three Group Representation Constituencies 25 Green (GRCs) and two Single Member Constituencies (SMCs). Financials They are Aljunied, Pasir Ris-Punggol and Tampines 26 GRCs, and Hougang and Punggol East SMCs. North East 27 Community Sponsors CDC administer financial and employment assistance Community Partners to residents in need as well as works closely with 28 community and corporate partners to plan outreach programmes to promote bonding and social cohesion. North East CDC is headed by Mayor Teo Ser Luck. For more information, please visit www.northeastcdc.org.sg Mr Teo Ser Luck Mayor, North East District stablishing a community of caring individuals is one way of the district, either at Community Clubs (CCs) or RCs. Hot beverages, Eensuring that we look out for each other. Over here in North East light refreshments and potluck breakfasts have steadily increased District, through the various programmes, we created touch points the number of residents hanging out with their neighbours at these to ensure that the strong spirit of neighbourliness can be developed venues. Since July 2013, our RCs have also been a place for residents and preserved. to borrow tools such as hammers, ladders and drills. Just like the Café Corners, these Community Resource Corners (CRCs) are set up to Mayor’s Strengthening Social Support provide convenience for the residents. For those who have these tools but no longer need them, we encourage our residents to donate these items to the RC, to minimise waste and also create a platform Preparing our residents to be resilient is our way of ensuring that to help one another. Message they are ready and progressive in case they encounter unforeseen circumstances in their life. Losing a job for instance could be stressful for the sole breadwinners and their family. At North East Moving forward CDC, we encourage our residents not to give up and continue in their job search. Hence we installed Project S.U.C.C.E.S.S, the first With this positive development, we are encouraged to enhance Job Placement Centre in Singapore, to be near the Social Service these touch points to become a more functional and livelier space. Office at Sengkang so that our residents can get assistance they We will embark on Café Corner P.L.U.S. and utilise the venue as a need without travelling far. We also rolled out the Community platform to share new government policies, which we have started Employment Programme (CEP) for our residents to get interim with the recent sharing of the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP). community jobs to prepare them to re-enter the job market. Last We managed to reach out to our Pioneer Generation folks who year, we started the Community Vouchers Programme, an initiative were still not aware of the benefits given to them. The high turnouts where we collaborated with the Community Development and at the Café Corners to hear our Grassroots Advisers sharing on the Welfare Fund (CDWF), neighbourhood merchants and Citizens’ PGP proved once again that Café Corners is an effective platform Consultative Committee (CCC) to disburse community vouchers to to touch base, connect and bond with our residents. In addition, about 1000 low-income families to help defray their living expenses. Café Corner P.L.U.S. will also enhance café corners to be a place where lifeskills and lifestyle activities can be conducted as well as Touch Points a venue for health awareness messages to be widely spread. We are working hard towards setting up 120 Café Corners and Community Resource Corners by the end of next year. More programmes and Last year, we took on a humble project - Café Corner, which is a services are also being planned to benefit the residents and keep the simple set up within a Residents’ Committee (RC) to create a common neighbourliness spirit strong and healthy for many years to come. On space for neighbours to bond. Punggol Central Compassvale behalf of the North East CDC family, I thank you for your continued Lodge RC was the first RC to embark on this project, and to test the support and generosity. response from the residents. Today, a year after that trial project was initiated, more than 70 Café Corners can be found throughout Annual Report 2014 1 Meet your Advisers... Mr Teo Ser Luck • Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Mayor, North East District • Adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol GROs •Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Pasir Ris- (Punggol Central and Punggol East SMC) Punggol GRC & Punggol East Mr Teo Chee Hean SMC • Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security and • Minister for Home Affairs • Adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol GROs • Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC (Pasir Ris West) Mr Zainal Bin Sapari • Adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol GROs • Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC (Pasir Ris East) North East CDC 2 Meet your Advisers... Miss Penny Low • Adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol GROs • Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC (Punggol North) Pasir Ris- Punggol GRC & Punggol East SMC Dr Janil Puthucheary • Adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol GROs • Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC (Punggol West) Mr Gan Thiam Poh, PBM • Adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol GROs • Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC (Punggol South) Annual Report 2014 3 Meet your Advisers... Mr Masagos Zulkifli Mr Heng Swee Keat • Senior Minister of State • Ministry of Home Affairs and • Minister for Education • Ministry of Foreign Affairs, • Adviser to Tampines GROs • Adviser to Tampines GROs • Member of Parliament for • Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC (Tampines Central) Tampines GRC (Tampines West) Tampines GRC Mr Mah Bow Tan Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong • Adviser to Tampines GROs • Adviser to Tampines GROs • Member of Parliament for • Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC (Tampines East) Tampines GRC (Tampines Changkat) Mr Baey Yam Keng • Adviser to Tampines GROs • Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC (Tampines North) North East CDC 4 Meet your Advisers... Mr Anthony Loh, JP, BBM Mr David Tay Poey Cher, JP, BBM • Adviser to Bedok Reservoir- Punggol GROs) • Adviser to Serangoon GROs Aljunied GRC & Hougang SMC Mr Zainul Abidin Prof Brian Lee Chang Leng, Rasheed JP, BBM • Adviser to Eunos GROs • Adviser to Paya Lebar GROs Dr Kee Wei Heong, Mr Goh Chee Koh, JP, BBM BBM (L) • Adviser to Kaki Bukit GROs • Adviser to Hougang GROs Annual Report 2014 5 When your contribution helps to build our community Our residents in need have been assisted through kind sponsorships and support from corporations. Science Explorers’ Camp for instance, has been a popular fixture with the youths. The programme that aims to spark the interest of our underprivileged students in Life Sciences received $37,000 in sponsorship from Applied Materials South East Asia Pte Ltd. Their contribution aims to benefit 500 students throughout the district. Organisations such as Zhi Zhen Tan Dao Xue Hui (Singapore) [新加坡旨真坛道学会] (ZZT) too have been generous with our residents since 2010. Children from the underprivileged background have been receiving extra pocket money from the North East School Meal Fund. The charity has been supporting this fund to ease the financial constraints of the affected families. ZZT also treated our underprivileged elderly to their annual charity dinners, among their many other contributions to the district. NTUC FairPrice Foundation committed to a 3-year “Wish Upon A Silver Star” campaign with a $150,000 contribution. Started in 2013, the fund raising campaign seeks to benefit approximately 600 residents from the low income background. There are many other individual donors and sponsors that have been the backbone in ensuring the continuity of our programmes. There are no words to express our gratitude. We received more than $2million in contributions last year and every single dollar goes a long way. Whether it is an ad hoc event to assist our underprivileged and low income residents, or a programme designed for Thank You long term progress, we appreciate all the support rendered to us. We welcome both public and private sector participation and contributions to help with character development and the well being of our district. Browse through the pages to see some of the programmes and the support we have received so far. We We need you How you can help appreciate As volunteers. We have programmes that Your contribution either in cash, kind it are in need of extra manpower. Befrienders or your invaluable time will benefit the are always in demand. Spare some time children, families and elderly residents in with our elderly, or extend us a hand to North East. Their basic needs and social assist in programmes such as environment enrichment can be fulfilled by you. Tell us and youth developmental programmes. If how you wish to be a part of building this you have that spare time to do something thriving community. meaningful, please let us know. Write to us at [email protected] North East CDC 6 WeCare @ North East WeCare @ North East Fund aims to fill the gap by helping needy families within the district who are not eligible for assistance because they do not meet the national gross household income criteria.