#MyFSGPledge - Nathan George

“I want to be part of a positive community that genuinely cares about one another. That is why I spend my off days volunteering, providing a listening ear to troubled youths.”

— Nathan George, 24
Store Manager, Forward SG participant

I never thought I’d be volunteering. When I was 17, I dropped out of school, engaged in illegal activities and was incarcerated. Leading up to my incarceration, a pro bono lawyer linked me up with my mentor who introduced me to volunteering.

I started out cleaning the homes of the elderly once a week. I ended up doing that consistently every Wednesday for two years. As I cleaned their homes, the elderly would often comment that my parents must be so proud of me. Ironically, back then, that was certainly not how my parents felt. As we chatted, the elderly also shared stories about their own children — both good and bad, which helped me see things from my parents’ perspective.

Now that I have a full-time job, I still make time to volunteer twice a week at Hug, a non-profit social service agency that supports at-risk and incarcerated youth, as well as their families.

I play the role of a befriender and counsellor to those who have been incarcerated, waiting for trial, or on probation. Many of them don’t know what it is like to have loyal friends. Usually, they are also not surrounded by people who have the patience to listen to them without judgment.

I meet these youths at the coffee shop for a chat. Sometimes, all they need is a listening ear and that's something I can provide. Being able to be there for them gives me a huge sense of fulfilment. I wished someone had helped me this way when I was their age. I feel that I am filling a gap for something I didn't have when I was younger.

Through Hug, I met two incarcerated youths four years ago and counselled them. Today, both have integrated well back into society and are even volunteering at Hug. We have come full circle, and that feeling is indescribable.

I attended the Forward SG session at Toa Payoh West CC last year because I wanted to share more about what we do at Hug and hope more people will sign up to volunteer. Community support holds us up when we stumble and reminds us that together, we can build a more compassionate Singapore.

Download the infographic of Nathan George's MyFSGPledge [PDF, 12.5 MB]