Family: The Heart of the Matter
By Team Solidarity 合 & Liz Koh
Family.
One heart moulded out of many.
Dad is the cardiac muscle – the family’s strength who pumps love in and keeps the home in a steady rhythm.
Mom is the heart’s veins – the family’s nurturer who flows love where its needed and squeezes out the negative to protect her family.
They keep love circulating in the home, allowing relationships to sprout and grow. For like blood, love gives life. They keep the home warm, creating a safe environment for the kids where they know they can always return to when the world is cold. Because without warmth, life withers. Thus with mom, dad, and children, beautifully and poetically a family thrives.
But what if you rip dad out?
Alcoholism, adultery, absenteeism.
Tissue by tissue slashed out, leaving shreds in its wake. Without muscles to pump, blood becomes stale. Losing warmth and life, the family withers away and dies.
Or what if you rip mom out?
Un-appreciated, un-loved, un-supported.
Vein by vein clogs up, climaxing to a disaster. Without the veins aiding flow, blood turns into poison. Finally erupting, instant death is inevitable.
And the children.
They die a thousand deaths.
In a conference on At Risk Youth 2015, 3 Nov 2015, the Supreme Court records that “Between 2013 and 2014, 53% of youth arrestees or those with a BPC order came from families of divorce, while 59% came from single-parent families”
This is alarming.
Furthermore, in an article by The New Paper, Samaritans of Singapore figures reveal a shocking suicide trend – numbers are rising, and an increasing number of young children are contemplating suicide. Clinical psychologist Dr Balhetchet expressed, “Loneliness is a big issue, the lack of social support, emotional support. Families need to communicate and show children that it is okay to be sad or to have problems, and support them through it.” According to a Channel News Asia article, studies show that depression, the most rampant mental illness to ravage Singapore, may be affecting up to 18% of our youths. Without proper treatment, it may even extend to adulthood.
There is no acceptable excuse.
These people are right here in our midst. We need to open our eyes to them. They are our friends, relatives, the neighbour next door… How can we blatantly ignore the immense struggle that their family faces? How can we turn a blind eye to the unbearable stresses weighing upon family relationships?
A heart does not exist for the sake of existence. Neither does it exists for its own purposes. Instead, a heart exists to pump blood, to pump vivacity and life, through a living, breathing body. With a heart, the body has true meaning and purpose. Families are the heart, the heart of a nation. How can an island nation such as Singapore make an impactful difference, if at the heart of our country, families are in shards? If a victim of cardiac arrest collapses in front of our eyes, why hesitate to call for help and save his life? How much more will we panic if the lifeline of our nation is at stake?
There is no time to lose! It is never too early to avert a nationwide family crisis.We must prevent the foundation of this nation – families – from crumbling down.
This mentality ignited the passion in us to be the conduit of hope for families in Singapore. The 2019 Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes (YFC) program gives us the platform to do just that. We, Team Solidarity 合, purpose to save the future of families through Focus on the Family, a social service organization dedicated to helping families thrive at different stages of life. They empower and work alongside teens, working adults, couples and parents to make family work, transforming society through healthy and positive family values.
Strengthening families? A team of four cannot do this on our own. It’s up to you to stand in solidarity with us. As fellow members of this body, this nation, all of us have a part to play to keep the heart of families in the pink of health. It starts with us, you and me.
Start with valuing your family and setting aside time to spend with your parents and siblings. You never know – in the blink of an eye, good things can come to an end. Treasure the moments; don’t take them for granted. Not every person is richly blessed with the love and warmth of a thriving family…
Yet besides your own family, there are countless others around that urgently need strengthening and restoration. If your heart beats for the family cause, come aboard with us on this mission to help these struggling families, through Focus On The Family!
You can make an impact by
Donating to our giving.sg page
- -$10 helps 1 struggling parent gain skills to raise a strong family.
- $50 nurtures 1 at-risk youth to become a champion for strong families.
- $100 gives 1 inmate a chance to rebuild broken family relationships..
- $300 equips 10 low income families with support for their parenting journey.
Joining our exciting family-bonding events
(100% of profits from all our events are channelled to Focus on the Family to restore and strengthen families.)
Volunteering with us
Join the family at: https://tiny.cc/udnz6y
(gain invaluable, memorable, and enriching experiences!)
Partnering us by aiding fundraising efforts
Your next essential haircare product is waiting for you at: https://tinyurl.com/y5kbt5r8
(unique and super-value fundraising items abound!)
Following and sharing our Instagram and Facebook pages
It’s time. Let’s resuscitate Singapore’s heart to thrive again!
The Homeschool Gazette 
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