Most of us are oblivious to the fact that heart disease and stroke are the world’s number one killer of women. Hence, the Singapore Heart Foundation is calling all women in Singapore to take charge of their health so that they can ensure better care and healthy living among their family members.

There will be a symposium held in conjunction with Mother’s Day and participants can learn more on heart health, the truth about fats and growing active & healthy kids. There will also be a free health screening and free goodie bag giveaways worth $90, so register with YMCA Member Services today at tel: 6430 2288/87.

YMCA of Singapore is proud to be a partner for this event.

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

The famous late US President John F Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” In a modern individualistic society like ours, we can often be preoccupied with our personal affairs and neglect the welfare of others. However, when Jesus came to this earth, He came with a servant’s heart though He is the mighty God. Ultimately, He gave his life for all humankind that those who believe in Him might live.

As YMCA of Singapore celebrates its 105th anniversary, we are mindful of our purpose to serve others with the love of God. Christ can work in and through us when we adopt a serving attitude and mindset. Come and serve together with us!

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you for your reign over earth. We thank you for leading YMCA for the past 105 years. We thank you in providing the leadership, staff, manpower, facilities, members and volunteers. Thank you for leading and guiding the Y and we pray that we will fulfill your calling and mission at the Y. May you provide for our needs for the many programmes so as to enlarge our capacity to reach out to the community. We ask that many people will be blessed by our activities. We pray also for the Christian staff to be a testimony for you to the non-believers in the workplace so that they will experience God’s love and be drawn to Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Volunteers wanted!
Inspired by our Y Outing Volunteer, Jia Yin? You could make a difference to our beneficiaries too. Accompany them to places of interest, join them for a sing-a-long session or choose from the list of other volunteering opportunities. Simply contact Pauline, Yewchong or Eileen at 6430 2220/2210 for more information on how you can volunteer in our Y Service Programmes today!

Join the Sudoku Competition & win a one-night stay at the River View Hotel!
Enter the YMCA Sudoku competition, held during recreation night and stand to win a
one-night stay at the River View Hotel! There will be other games such as Otello, Chinese chess, checkers, billiards, badminton, taspony and scrabble for everyone else. Register with Member Services at 6430 2288/87 or email us at members@ymca.org.sg today! Come join us for an evening of fun and games!

Learn the Chinese Language & Culture!
In partnership with Shanghai YMCA, YMCA of Singapore is organising a Mandarin and Cultural Enrichment Programme. It enhances participants' grasp of the Chinese language and culture through creative drama workshops, outdoor activities and meaningful community interaction, respectively.

Departure period: May/June, Nov/Dec

Interested schools and educational centres that would like to form a group for our customised learning trips can contact Thomas at 6430 2249 or email him at thomaswu@ymca.org.sg for more details.

Official Launch cum Disbursement Event of Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes 2007
Citibank-YMCA Youth for Causes (YFC) has been a great success over the past 4 years, reaching out to 1.7 million people, mobilising 30,400 youth volunteers island-wide and raised more than S$1.5 million for many Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs).

This year, in conjunction with Citibank and YMCA of Singapore’s 105th anniversary, 105 teams will be selected to be given a seed funding of S$1,600 to implement their projects over a 16-week period from 21 May to 1 September 2007. YFC is also an event of the President’s Challenge 2007.

With Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Minister of State for Finance and Transport as the Guest-of-Honour, the Official Launch of YFC 2007 will be held as follows:

Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes Mentors’ Briefing
There will be a briefing session for all mentors, with new updates and information on this programme and how they can guide their teams. Please RSVP your attendance to Mr Ho Weixin at yfc@ymca.org.sg.

Keen to volunteer? Be trained.
If you are working or volunteering at a non-profit organisation, get equipped through a professional certificate course that hones management skills and service-learning, set against the background of the non-profit sector.

Click here for information on dates and modules covered. For more information on how to apply, contact Elaine Chiam at 6440 2237 or email elainechiam@ymca.org.sg.

Join us for the Global Day of Prayer
What started as a humble call to all Christians in South Africa for a day of repentance and prayer, the Global Day of Prayer movement has now expanded vastly, uniting millions of Christians from all over the world in prayer. Many have been overwhelmed by the testimonies of God’s powerful work in answer to these prayers. YMCA of Singapore will be organising a 24-hour prayer chain on Tuesday 22 May, from 12am to 12am the following day. If you would like to commit to a specific prayer time slot, please contact Francesca Seah 6430 2268 or email her at francescaseah@ymca.org.sg for details. Log on to the Global Day of Prayer website for more information.

Come support YMCA Project Bridge Youth for their Soccer Finals!
YMCA Project Bridge youth will be playing against home team, Hougang Shenghong Family Service Center (FSC), for the finals of the under-19 soccer tournament. Organised by the Hougang Shenghong FSC, it aims to build camaraderie and team spirit in youth. So come on down with your family and friends and support our youth! For more information, contact Mr James Vaz at 6362 0700.

BikeYworks – The Y Mountain Bike Workshop @ Ubin
Pick up an exhilarating sport and enjoy the rustic charm of Pulau Ubin! In this full-day workshop, our experienced instructor will guide you through the basic techniques of handling your mountain bike safely on cross-country terrain. For enquiries, please email yihui@ymca.org.sg or call 6430 2296.

BikeYtour – Plentong Ride
Hit the natural and off-beaten trails of Plentong with your mountain bike & be treated to a satisfying full day of riding. Participants will get to ride through a myriad of terrain with rubber estates, oil palm plantations etc. For enquiries, please email yihui@ymca.org.sg or call 6430 2296.

Congratulations to YMCA T-shirt Design Contest Winner!
Congratulations to Yeo Yong Chuan on his winning entry for the YMCA T-shirt Design Contest 2007. He has won himself a one-night stay at the Siloso Beach Resort. Members of the public were invited to vote for their favourite T-shirt design during the YMCA Open House and Yong Chuan's design yielded to the most popular choice.

Great Fun at the YMCA Open House 2007
The YMCA Open House proved to be a great success as YMCA members, volunteers, beneficiaries, staff and the public got together for an exciting day of performances, food, games and bazaar sales. Passer-bys, intrigued by the colourful balloon displays at the entrance, joined us in the launch of YMCA's 105th Anniversary celebrations. Visitors also got to learn more on the humble beginnings of YMCA and its dynamic programmes that include local & international community outreach, volunteer programme, education services, Christian development & lifestyle programmes.

Many also took the opportunity to sign themselves up as YMCA Life members at just $105 (U.P. $500) with the pledge of 105 volunteer hours in YMCA for a period of 3 years. They are entitled to free usage of the swimming pool, usage of gym and billiard room at special rates, 10% discount at Y Cafe and other perks. For more information on YMCA Life Membership Promotion, contact Member Services at 6430 2287/88 or log on to the website.

Youth Member of YMCA of Singapore Selected for Youth Caucus
Ms Cheong May Anne, a Youth Member of YMCA of Singapore, was selected by the National Youth Council to participate in the Youth Caucus. Ms Cheong is a volunteer with YMCA Community Service Programmes and was a past participant of Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes. [more]