President's Message

AWA President’s Message - Reflecting on our 2023-2024 Year, Julia Tan

Our theme this last year was to, “Have Fun!”, from my perspective, I think we accomplished it! 

We did so much this past year. Here are just a few highlights:

• Over 400 km walked this year

• 42 magazine articles published

• Over 250 tennis matches

• More than 100 hours of tennis clinics

• Started a new Pickleball activity

• Hosted 720 attendees at our Major Events

• Local tours had a once in a lifetime Kusu 100th anniversary pilgrimage

• A multitude of gallery tours

• More than 300 miles raced by our runners

• We found lost ancestors, learned Chinese, read books, played games, drank coffee, explored new restaurants and bars and so much more!

Not only did we have fun together but we gave back to the broader Singaporean community. 

AWA has put in 1000 hours of community service. That took shape in several different ways:

• 1500 pallets of food packed at Food from the Heart

• Partnered with the People’s Association to deliver meals for major holidays to those in need as well as bringing a taste of Halloween to local children through their haunted houses. We found out that we will also be receiving a Certificate of Merit for our the work that we do later this summer. 

• Worked with KidsRead, a National Library Board program, to develop literacy for underprivileged children

• Helped care for families with sick children through our partnership with the Ronald McDonald House

None of this would be possible without the participation of our volunteers. You are what makes AWA what it is. You all go above and beyond whether you organize events and activities, tell others about AWA, when you lend a helping hand, or give your time behind the scenes. AWA is nothing without these efforts. 

At our AGM and Volunteer Appreciastion Lunch on May 7th, we formally recognized the volunteer efforts that each of you has given to AWA but it deserves a more structured, holistic approach. Our organization is almost entirely volunteer-run, unheard of for a group our size. Next year, we are launching a Volunteer Appreciation Committee to better appreciate everyone who volunteers. The goal is to make our Volunteer Appreciation lunch the culmination of our appreciation efforts. Please reach out to office@awasingapore.org if you’d like to be involved in this committee.

Our theme for 2024-25 will be “Because Community Matters.” Our goal is to make AWA a community that matters to its members and a place where you belong. We will do this by focusing on three areas, a more concerted volunteer appreciation effort, strengthening our bonds, and making AWA more accessible across Singapore.

I mentioned the launch of our Volunteer Appreciation Committee and my hope that we can put in better processes for our volunteers to understand how valuable they are. We will strengthen our bonds through programs like our recently launched Sunshine-grams. Each month you can request a pick-me-up note to be mailed to another AWA member to brighten their day. 

We will work together as a team to make AWA more inclusive to members outside the Central area. We recently launched a monthly AWA Coffee & Friends - North Edition for members in the northern part of Singapore. My hope is that this program will grow organically and we can better serve the needs of the community in this area. Additionally, we will create resources to make it easier for working women to find activities that suit their schedules. 

AWA is where I found my community and my home in Singapore. All of you make AWA fun for me. You care deeply about our members and the roles that you have taken on. You see things that need to be improved and raise those concerns. You proactively implement ideas to make our organization run more effectively. I’m humbled by your efforts and grateful to you!