Methodist Welfare Services launches The Healing Nation platform to match Singapore volunteers with opportunities

The Healing Nation, a new volunteer platform from the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) in Singapore, was launched on May 29 to mark the Methodist community’s contribution to SG60, the nationwide effort to celebrate 60 years of Singapore’s independence. The initiative was also inspired by the 140th anniversary of The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS).

The platform is designed to match volunteers with opportunities based on their profiles and preferences. MWS describes it as aligned with Forward Singapore (Forward SG), which lays the foundation for Singapore’s refreshed social compact. Eugene Toh, Chairperson of the MWS Board of Governance, said MWS had unveiled a White Paper, *Social Empowerment Towards a Flourishing Singapore*, in July 2024 as its response to Forward SG. He said the initiative was the culmination of that commitment to strengthen outreach and build capabilities to meet growing needs.

To sign up, volunteers pledge their availability on The Healing Nation website, stating the number of hours, the days and times they can commit to, the causes they care about and their skill sets. After submission, they receive volunteer opportunities by email, apply for the ones they want, and the charity concerned contacts them directly. The site also allows people to donate or raise funds for families and individuals supported by The Healing Nation. The stated long-term goal is to shift attitudes so that volunteering is seen not as charity but as a way of life, sharing what one has (Hebrews 13:16).

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. Jill Wong, Senior Director at MCCY, said the coming together of different partners to promote giving and volunteerism reflected the strength of the community.

Methodist Bishop Rev Philip Lim said the church believes in “the acts of grace – building up one another and caring for one another.” He said that in celebrating 140 years of Methodism in Singapore, the church had the chance to share this grace through the initiative.

According to the source, the project aims to build a self-sustaining ecosystem for Singapore’s community care by developing stronger volunteer engagement capabilities. Eugene Toh said the platform could help the community care sector move from operating in silos to a collaborative ecosystem. He noted that charities had previously worked more independently, each building its own volunteer base. That model, he said, “served us well for a time,” but today’s health and social care challenges are more complex and interconnected, so that “collaboration is no longer a good-to-have; it’s a necessity.”

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