A look back at Year 2009 (From a WORLDCHANGEAGENT)

We have started calling ourselves ‘World Change Agent’, instead of ‘team member’.  Because that is what we strive to be and what we hope to inspire others to be as well.  So, I had the privilege of being tagged in a Facebook note by one of the World Change Agents, Darren Lin, who has been part of the Blessings in a Bag Family for quite some time!  So, I’ll leave you to read through his WONDERFUL piece of writing!

Keep the Faith and Walk in Love,

Emily Teng

BLESSINGS IN A BAG - A LOOK BACK AT 2009

I know this may seem a little overdue with 2/12 of 2010 having crept past us. But the least to say, 2009 was a monumental year for Blessings in a Bag – one that brought about much fun, laughter and sweat (well, you can include tears of joy as well) for all who (be it directly or indirectly) added to the chapters of the Blessings in a Bag story.

2009 showed us that with faith, hope and love, we can travel far in our dreams. 2009 was without the shadow of a doubt, a year to remember as Blessings in a Bag first premiered on local television. A feature on Mediacorp’s Channel U in March 2009 led the way to a greater public scrutiny on who we were and what we were. Emails and donations-in kind generously poured in from the public, totally catching us all (at Blessings in a Bag) off-guard at the spontaneity of reactions.

In the same month of March 2009, CROCS Singapore generously donated a significant amount of shoes to support our beneficiaries. Kids and village children in the Tiwala Kids and Communities were lucky recipients of such wondrous goodwill.

The ensuing months from April to July were equally rewarding. In August 2009, Flesh Imp came on-board as a partner. The clothing chain inked an agreement to provide us with brand new clothing every two months. By mid September, Singapore Airlines 5C’s was part of the Blessings family as well.

The month of October arrived with aplomb as we launched our 2nd drop-off point (located at *SCAPE Youth Park) in town. Our partnership with *SCAPE meant that we could have a greater coverage of donations across the island. The launch was a huge milestone for the Blessings family as we had previously operated with a single drop-off point in Serene Centre, courtesy of Comics Mart – our loyal supporter since 2007. Hard work, sweat and commitment ensured that the launch was every inch of a success.

… As I look back on these events that took place over the course of 2009, I cannot help but shudder at the amazing work everyone had put in – be it the core members, volunteers or the support from the public. Each and every one of us rose to the occasion when it most mattered. Everyone was of the same belief that miracles would and could happen if we put our minds, hearts and souls to it. It wasn’t by mere coincidence that Blessings in a Bag would still be here today without the unwavering support of those who really cared. The value that Blessings in a Bag was creating for the children of Asia was too hard not to admire or to even ignore, even if it meant that shipping costs were coming straight out from our founder’s pocket. The value that the organization was creating was so much more than what we can value in dollars and cents.

If I could recall correctly, during an email exchange between Emily Teng or Emily (as we all know her to be), she asked if I had a ‘game-plan’. My reply to her was a sheepish ‘No’ (well it’s not as if an email can capture my emotions but my reply was almost an embarrassing ‘No’.) I didn’t have a game-plan at all. All I had was a rough collection of ideas on how we could promote our causes. My usual replies to Emily would be to “K.I.S.S” (“Keep It Short & Simple”). I always held the belief that for things to happen, you need to keep it really simple and put it real hard work. That is how success comes to most – eventually. It is almost laughable that a year and many months past as a core member in Blessings, I still don’t have a game-plan for many of our projects. It is not to say that I do not plan ahead. I do plan ahead. In fact, I have a host of wonderful and nicely written proposals for the team to look through. But to me, Blessings in a Bag was more than just a ‘centre’ of proposals and half-baked ideas. It was more of having the real intent to push a raw idea to fruition.

Though along the way, we stumbled, in the sense that issues kept surfacing – the team was able to ride through everything unscathed (in a non-physical way). Like Emily often puts it “A setback is a setup for a COMEBACK” (with screams at the end of the line) – we often face issues and setbacks in what we do. What matters most is for us to “Keep the Faith and Walk in Love” (plagiarism alert: I stole this line from her again).

As we face up to 2010 and the challenges ahead of us, let us all work together in a common tone, with arms locked, towards a common vision that we hope to bring to the lesser privileged children across Asia. With the heart-wrenching factual accounts of poverty, famine and natural disasters constantly recurring in our society these days, let us not forget those who really need our help in such times of urgency.

With a simple tagline of “Do What You Can, With What You Have’, let us all proceed in the right direction for the fresh year ahead of us. This note goes out to the team members: Arbella, Dan, Tony, Doug, Melissa, Joyce, Yvonne and everyone (a whole list of people) who has been part of Blessings or has been involved in Blessings in any way.

God bless you all and have an awesome 2010 ahead!

With warmest regards and thanks,
Darren Lin
World Change Agent (PS: Honestly, I am still getting used to this role… This makes me sound like superman, without the cape and undies that is)