In line with its “Community” pillar, Hong Leong Club collaborated with The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Singapore to hold befriending sessions at the Hong Leong-NKF Dialysis centre in December.

Staff volunteers from 12 companies across the Hong Leong Group spread some Christmas cheer to patients over four befriending sessions. The volunteers took time to speak to the patients, listening to their stories and experiences. Each patient was also presented with a goodie bag containing a thermal blanket, an oral thermometer and a box of teabags.

All the staff volunteers found the befriending sessions meaningful, and after learning more about what dialysis patients go through, some were even motivated to reach out to their respective Human Resources departments to organise talks with NKF on kidney health, as they felt the importance of sharing this information with their office community.

Here are some takeaways from our volunteers:

"You truly get to meet people from all walks of life and learn inspiring stories. We better understand the implications of this condition, and it’s fulfilling to be able to accompany them and to hopefully help them feel a little better." - Kwek Pei Xuan (HLC President), Hong Leong Asia

"Volunteering with NKF helped me slow down and reset from my usual work/study routine. It reminded me to be present, grateful, and more intentional with how I spend my time. It benefited me by giving me a better perspective and purpose. I also became more confident in communicating with others, being patient, and helping respectfully. What I learnt that I can use daily is empathy in action - small gestures and consistency matter. I also learnt teamwork and responsibility: doing my part properly helps everything run smoothly." - Nyan Aung Lynn, R3 Precast

"I gained a deeper understanding of what kidney dialysis patients go through every day. This made me more thankful for my own health and more motivated to use my time wisely. Volunteering also gave me a sense of satisfaction because I felt like I was contributing something meaningful to the community." - Aung Min Khant, Island Concrete (Private) Limited

Hong Leong Club hopes to continue fostering this spirit of community by organising more befriending sessions and inviting more staff to participate in this meaningful activity.