Winning entry #2 by Ian

"Ecstatic" was the word that could describe my feelings during the 2 days of SGB. It was indeed an unforgettable experience during the hours and hours of tending to the counter at Hougang Mall. Most importantly, I not only learnt the true meaning of giving willingly, but also how blessed we are to have a family and parents who can easily provide for us. Needless to say, the event which I will definitely remember the most vividly, occurred during the evening of 1st December, when a woman donated a trolley case full of 5kg bags of rice that was in its original box.

Initially I was kinda astounded at the generosity of her actions - the donations was approximately 180 bags of rice. Then I thought of myself, that if I was in a situation, would I be selfless enough to do such an act of kindness? It dawned upon me that I would not be willing enough to do so yet, I felt a sense of gratitude in my heart because she ultimately taught me a life lesson - which is I believe, that we must cherish our present as today is a gift and tomorrow's mystery, hence we should contribute and bless others what God has given to us. Furthermore, when we can share with others what God has given to us, we would feel a sense of pride and joy in blessing others with whatever we have.

Personally, I am thankful that the people who donated to our cause share the same view as us. They rendered their help unconditionally to us by purchasing the items, like the elderly who would approach us in the morning to hand us some daily essentials for the needy. Additionally, it was heart-warming to know that although some could not donate just yet, they would ask us for more information on our later collection dates.

I felt that my seniors really helped me in carrying the heavier items such as ricebags. My seniors, Jeremy, Daniel and Randall, have given me valuable advice as to how to make more space for more food stuff and where to put the plastic bags of food. Apart from that, I enjoyed conversing and understanding them more during those 10 hours at the stall. I feel that I can now hand this advice to my juniors and lead by example.

Ian