Their tales of grief, love and reward are told in a book launched yesterday
By Ng Kai Ling, The Straits Times, 4 Nov 2012
Seven years ago, Madam Janet Lim's husband was killed while the couple - both volunteers with the Singapore Police Force - were manning a roadblock.
A truck crashed into a police car at the roadblock on Dairy Farm Road and hit Mr Seah Ben Hur, then 42, killing him on the spot.
She was also injured in the accident, but was not warded because she had to attend to her husband's funeral.
At the time, Madam Lim was working as a warehouse supervisor with a shipping firm, and Mr Seah was a driving instructor.
She is still receiving treatment for back pain and numbness in her left shoulder.
All that, however, did not stop her from donning the blue uniform and going out on patrol with the Traffic Police just two months after the accident on Nov 8, 2005.
In fact, it was a way of coping with her grief, said the 53-year-old.
"I was more resolved to serve, to help keep the roads safe," said Madam Lim, mother to a 16-year-old son, as tears welled in her eyes.
Her story and those of 26 others are published in a book to highlight the passion and commitment of the 5,000 men and women who are active in the Home Team Volunteer Network.
Their roles include front-line operations such as patrolling and providing emergency services, and sitting on boards, councils and committees, such as the National Crime Prevention Council and Liquors Licensing Board.
The 215-page book, entitled Many Hearts Of Home - Stories Of Home Team Volunteers, was launched yesterday to kick off the first Home Team Volunteer Network Leadership Conference.
The stories include those of prison counsellors and teachers, civilian police officers and paramedics, and volunteers who sit on Home Team committees and boards.
Very often, the stories are not just about how the volunteers have helped others, but also about how their own lives were enriched.
One volunteer is Ms Nitha Devi, 22, an Institute of Technical Education graduate who counsels inmates at Changi Prison.
At the weekly sessions, she became their confidante and helped in their rehabilitation. In return, she learnt the values of respect, patience and forgiveness.
"I have learnt to apply the same values to my own life. I am now more assured of what is important," said Ms Nitha, who is now studying for a diploma in paralegal studies and plans to get a degree in law after that.
There is also the love story of Mr Michael Kong and Ms Melissa Han, both 28. They met while he was a volunteer with the Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit (CDAU) in 2008.
Ms Han, a nurse, became interested in the work of civilian paramedics and joined the unit last year. "Being in the CDAU helps us to bond even more because we often discuss the cases we handle," she said.
Mr Kong added: "Seeing some of the cases also makes us cherish our loved ones more."
At the conference yesterday, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, chairman of the volunteer network, credited the volunteers for helping to bring down the overall crime rate. In the first half of this year, the overall crime rate fell year- on-year by 2.3 per cent to 15,576 cases.
He also encouraged the more than 200 volunteers at the conference to continue their good work.
"If you throw a pebble into a placid pond, it causes gentle ripples which go outwards," he said. "Your efforts are reaching out, touching lives. If all of us begin throwing pebbles, there will be more ripples."
Some 3,000 copies of the book will be given to the volunteers. The stories can also be read online at www.hometeamvolunteers.gov.sg
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