Caritas on COVID-19

With enhanced guidelines against COVID-19, the Caritas family continues to do our best within the restrictions to support people in need, especially the poor and vulnerable. We’re here for you.

Here is a list of what the Caritas Singapore family has been doing. We will continue our updates on the work of the Caritas Singapore family here.

CaritasSingaporeFamily Icons

Children, Youth and Families

  • IJHCC is providing childcare services to children from low-income families whose parents are working in essential services. They are also reaching out to low-income families with care packs (essential supplies).
  • Acts 29 is providing online learning support to children from low-income families and those with foreign spouses. They are also checking in on their needs.
  • Boys’ Town continues residential care and support for children and youth in-need.
  • Hopehouse continues residential support for youth-at-risk continues.
  • Montfort Care is proactively following up with their current cases to prevent potential issues such as family violence, child and elderly abuse. They are also engaging elderly clients with online educational programmes which include exercise and health.
    Montfort Care is partnering and supporting SSO staff to help those who need assistance.
  • Family Life Society‘s pregnancy crisis hotline 63399770 is still available 24/7; Counselling services through phone or video calls, 91269086 or 98381757.
  • Morning Star provides online support for parents and caregivers seeking expert advice and coaching to address children’s challenging behaviour.
  • Canossaville‘s Student Care and Preschool are open for essential services (students are recommended by MOE and MSF). HBL continues with the little ones and preparing lessons from home. They are keeping contact with those from vulnerable background, and counselling through phone is available. They are also preparing food packs and vouchers for about 120 families.

Persons with Disabilities

  • ABLE is providing transportation support to 3 hospice clients for medical appointments. Their helplines are also open: ABLE  68017460; ABLE SEAS 68017450 from 8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri.

The Poor

  • SSVP continues to journey with their Friends in Need (FINs) through the telephone and WhatsApp. Besides donating provisions, rice and monthly cash payout, where necessary, the Society also connects with other organisations to provide food for elderly FINs.Most Conferences gave care packs of masks and sanitisers to their FINs and aim to give larger care packs in June.

Persons with Mental Health Issues

  • Clarity Singapore continues to provide counselling sessions via video conference or telephone calls to new and existing clients. They are receiving referrals from external agencies and self-referrals regularly. Helpline 67577990 (10am to 4.30pm, Mon to Fri).

Persons with Medical Needs

  • Assisi Hospice‘s services are running with an increased inpatient and home care load. Corporate staff are taking up temperature screening duties and duties usually done by volunteers. Volunteer activity has stopped.

Migrants

  • ACMI has provided sanitiser, masks, and cleaning agents to some dorms they have worked with before. They are also working with dormitories to assess other needs during this lockdown. Provided care packs for low-income transnational families. They have set up a helpline (9188 9162) for migrants who need help.

Guilds

Overseas Missions

  • CHARIS Covid-19 Taskforce set aside an initial sum of S$500K from our reserves to support relief initiatives triggered by the Covid-19 situation. They organised an online consultation conference with its 20 Affiliates to see how they can jointly work together to take concrete actions.
    CHARIS has approved to fund close to S$350K to support efforts of Catholic organisations in the region to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on their communities. They also produced educational materials in the form of Infographics, and instructions for DIY mask making, to reach out and educate people in remote areas but can be accessed through their network.
  • JRS Singapore has received 30K grant from CHARIS for refugee needs in Bangkok and Myanmar.
  • acts 29 work in Philippines is going on.