As you all know in order for me to occupy my time here while Dustin is at work, I have signed up to volunteer. Dustin found the program SG cares. This program was designed to cater to all sorts of people, ones who are like me and don't have a job, ones who can only volunteer on the weekends or as little as once a year, the volunteers get to pick and choose when, where and what they want to volunteer for. They have a calender that is full of different opportunities every day.
The first job I did was volunteer at the HI Community Thrift Shop. The job descriptions explained that it was just going to the store, go though the different clothing that was donated and decided if it is worth keeping or if it is damaged. If the clothing is good enough to keep it is put out for sale. I don't know what I was expecting when I got there but I knew I was going to enjoy myself.
Walking to the shop I realized that I was in an area of Singapore that didn't see a lot of expats, it was 'local' and I was definitely getting some looks, I can only imagine what some were thinking. I got to the shop and was met by one of the paid workers and he showed me what to do. I was there with another woman who was rather young, I'd say in her late 30s early 40s. She was a business woman who had her own business and retired. She wanted to give back to the community and thought that the way to do it was though SG cares. We got to work and started to go though and arrange clothing.
Though out the shift there I was met by a lot of people and was introduced to what the HI Thrift shop really was. This shop was on a compound and I was told it was a rehab center for drug and alcohol abusers. In Singapore if you are cought with drugs, even marijuana, it's certain that you will get the death penalty. The rehab center is like any other rehab center and the thrift shop helps generate money to have social gatherings for the center and it helps the people at the center get reintroduced into life outside of rehab life.
One man I met was an older Indian gentleman. He was there as a councilor, but told me that he use to be a resident at that center. His story was very interesting, he said that he was hooked on heroin and was a trafficker of marijuana. He told me that one day he was very high and stumbled into a church for some shelter because it was raining (this man was also homeless). He said that he saw Christ on the cross bleeding, it was like Christ was right there in the flesh. Of course Christ was not but the man said that he wrote it off and went on with his day. He eventually got arrested, and had to do jail time.
Now I know what your thinking, why didn't he get death? Well the penalty for drugs back when he got caught was just a certain amount of strokes of the cane. He said he did his time and ended getting 3 painful strokes of the cane. He finally realized his ways were not good and decided to go to the rehab center that I was at. He told me that he found God there and really cleaned up his act but he did relapse after he was released. He was allowed to go back to the same center and stayed for longer and really got clean. He is currently 11 years clean and a very faithful Christian.
This man was the only one I got a story out of, the other people who came in and out of the store just passed me by. I did say hello and they nodded. I know they knew what I was saying because it seems that everyone knows some English. I am not sure if they were comfortable talking with me because they were not confident in their English or not. Either way I had a great time and really enjoyed myself. I was asked to go back and I am sure I will be going back soon.
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