How this ‘barista’ rebuilds his life, finds purpose in giving back

Six years ago at the age of 73, Mr Koh Kong Kuan suffered a fall that marked the tipping point in his life.
 
At the time, he was living alone in a rented room and lacked the energy or interest to talk to others as a result of depression.
 
Mr Koh shares: “My mental condition was getting worse and I became helpless. The doctors and counsellors at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital told me that I cannot stay alone for my own safety.” 

Watch this video to see how Mr Koh’s life has been transformed through the support of the Community Chest.

His situation was precarious as he was also finding it hard to continue paying his monthly rent.

But life for Mr Koh was not always this challenging.
 
The former teacher and saxophone-playing school band conductor was once happily married. But after a tragic family incident, his relationship with his loved ones became strained. He was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in 1996. 

In 2019 when he fell and hurt himself, the combination of older age, injury and depression proved too heavy for him to go on without support. 

At Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, a medical social worker recommended Mr Koh to the AWWA Senior Community Home (SCH) in Ang Mo Kio.

Shortly after, in Sept 2019, he was able to secure a place at SCH and moved in. There, he rediscovered the outgoing man he once knew himself to be.

SCH offers Mr Koh a busy social calendar, music, friends, and even a new hobby in coffee appreciation.

“I am quite fortunate that I was accepted at SCH. It took me around three months to almost get back to normal. I’m very happy now,” says Mr Koh.

With Community Chest supporting some of its programmes and initiatives, SCH provides accommodation for low-income seniors who have no alternative living arrangements.

It is housed within a block of HDB rental flats, allowing its residents to stay integrated with the wider community and gain access to adjacent services such as an Active Ageing Centre.

At full capacity, SCH can accommodate 140 seniors.

For Mr Koh, the supportive SCH environment offers exactly what he needs to stay physically and mentally healthy: structure, stability and community.

His days are packed with activities, starting with a 30-minute physical exercise session at 9am.

Throughout the weeks and months, he participates in the many programmes, activities and events at SCH, including social outings, karaoke sessions, festive celebrations, gardening and community projects.

“We go out often, almost once or twice a week visiting different places such as parks, and going out to lunch or dinner,” says Mr Koh.

He also actively engages with the traditional Chinese medicine group that is led by volunteers with specialist knowledge of the field.

SCH also provides residents like Mr Koh with nursing support, regular health supervision and screenings, guidance and counselling.

“Whenever I have a problem I need help with, I will visit the social worker or the staff here,” Mr Koh says.

It is this support that has helped keep him on his medication to treat his depression, something he was not able to do on his own before.

But for all the services he can access and the activities he participates in, what has truly helped Mr Koh is volunteering and helping others in return.

Two afternoons a week, he puts on his barista hat and brews coffee – a new skill he picked up earlier this year – at the Kampung AWWA cafe just a few blocks away from SCH.

He also regularly helps fellow SCH residents with their grocery shopping and accompanies them on their medical appointments.

“I’ve covered all the hospitals in Singapore except Changi General Hospital!” he laughs.

In his six years at SCH, Mr Koh has made many friends and he is their go-to man for all things related to mobile phones and tablets.

“One of the residents was very quiet and kept to himself a lot. A year ago, I started showing him how to use a tablet to look for shows and videos and now his mood is much brighter,” says Mr Koh.

Behind his process of recovery from a man isolated to one actively participating and giving back to his community is a support system made possible by sustained giving.

The facilities and services at SCH that support Mr Koh’s healthy living are funded in part by Community Chest.

One company that contributes to Community Chest to support social service agencies such as SCH is Red Beacon Asset Management, a boutique investment firm.

In 2023, it started giving a percentage of its revenue on a semi-annual basis to the

Change for Charity programme

, where their clients can choose to round up their bill, with the extra amount going to charity.

The home-grown company has since followed up by signing on to SGShare, the regular giving programme that channels donations to over 200 critical programmes that benefit over 82,000 people, such as Mr Koh.

“Community Chest knows who needs the money the most, so we leave it to it to channel our donations to social service agencies,” says Mr Lionel Goh, Red Beacon Asset Management’s managing director.

The financial services company picked Community Chest for its trustworthiness and efficiency, says vice president of business development, Ms Venessa Chua.

“As a small firm, we do not have the resources to understand the needs of so many different charities, so we look to Community Chest as its plans are well-thought out and well-coordinated,” she says.

The firm’s 20 employees have a say as to how much of their monthly salary they wish to contribute to SGShare.

The aim is to make community contributions consistent and recurring, says Mr Goh. “We want to contribute in a meaningful and sustainable way,” he says.

Back at SCH, Mr Koh is paying forward such corporate contributions.

In the flat where he currently resides with one other resident, he keeps a few cherished personal belongings that he has carried with him throughout his life. Among them are photo albums of his family that fill him with memories.

While he holds them close, he is grateful that he is now in a position to make the best use of his days ahead.

“What I want to look for now is how I can help others,” says Mr Koh.

“As long as I’m physically and mentally fit, I’ll do whatever I can to contribute.”

Inspired to help others like Mr Koh? Join the companies and organisations giving back monthly through the auto deduction scheme at

SGShare

, and help build a more inclusive and caring Singapore. 

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