EBENEZER:--- While most families were spending time together on the first day of the 2014, thirty volunteers from the St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation spent January 1 entertaining and treating seniors at St. Martin's Home - a tradition that the foundation has been embarking on for the past ten years.
The extensive and entertaining programme began with a prayer. A New Year's cake was then cut and shared among clients and staffers.
Volunteers danced and sang for (and with) clients in a fun karaoke session; treated them to a lion dance performance and performed a skit about "three blessing men." The skit conveyed the message that love is the most important thing to have in a home.
Volunteers also delivered a special sign language performance, which clients followed.
The curtains closed on the celebrations with volunteers presenting 67 gift packages containing Dettol soap, Vicks VapoRub, a teddy bear, toothbrush, rice crackers, art drawing, colouring book, water, snack, instant coffee, etc to clients and 29 gift packages to staffers valued at US $1,296.
Tzu Chi volunteers are always grateful for the opportunity to pay homage to the country's senior citizens and felt that doing so for the New Year was extra special.