If you read my previous post, I wrote of the lovely residents of the St Vincent Home, and how we had a little project to take them to Universal Studio. We were thwarted the first time by a huge thunderstorm, set the next date for the 22th of July, and will you believe (I could barely believe it!) it rained like crazy that morning again! Sadly and very disappointingly for the old folk, we can to cancel. But persistence won in the end, and third time was indeed a charm; our third attempt on the 11th of Aug was successful! It was a slightly overcast, cool morning, perfect for a day out at Universal!

I must admit that a part of me was a little sceptical; I wasn’t sure how much the old folk would enjoy or even get to see of the place. They are ambulant, but I figured they would probably not be able to enjoy many of the rides. How wrong I was!

A shout-out first to the kind staff at Universal for making the extra effort. They kindly made the exception and led the characters to the old folk as it was difficult for them to jostle with the crowd to greet and have their picture taken with them. A big, big thank you, to every one of you, for going the extra mile, and for making the day extra-special for the St Vincent residents!

They were so thrilled to meet the characters, and appreciated that they managed to get a picture with them too!

Other than photo opportunities with the Universal characters, many other pictures were snapped, so that everyone had memories of this happy day.

They also had fun in the Universal store as each one of them got to pick out a small souvenir of their choice as a keepsake. Dear Auntie Jane was so pleased with her Teddy bear!

And here’s the part that surprised me. Many of the residents were game for the rides!

A very happy Uncle Peter and Heath on the Dino-soar ride!

A bunch of them also had a go on the spinning ride!

But the biggest surprise was the Revenge of the Mummy ride. For those who have not yet been, it is a high-speed roller-coaster…in darkness. Some of the helpers wanted to go, and I offered to bring the old folk for coffee while we waited for them. However, no one would have guessed that Uncle Peter (who is 83!), Sister Rosalind (who is 77!) and three others wanted a go as well!

The Universal staff manning the ride; they were concerned the old folk would not be able to handle it. Some of them kindly showed them a video of the ride, and gently reminded them that this was a thrilling, high-speed ride. The oldies were still game though, with Sister’s only concern being that her wimple stayed on!

And so they went on it, as all of us said a little prayer for them. After the ride, Uncle Peter was not only all smiles, he clapped and said he enjoyed it immensely! We just had to get a snap of two of our oldest warriors who survived the Mummy’s Revenge!

We ended the day by getting popcorn in a souvenir container for them to bring back to the Home. I didn’t realise how many of them like popcorn!

It was a happy, happy day, and more than just doing my little bit, I enjoyed myself with the old folk too. Such enthusiasm (we were there from 10 in the morning to 6 in the evening!) and energy…I want to be as excited about life when I am their age.

Below is some basic information should any one of you want to do your little bit to bring cheer to the lives of these residents. It could be something as simple as cooking a pot of curry and taking it over to the Home (they love their curry!), or just popping in to give them a little of your time; perhaps teach them to play a new game (mahjong, anyone?). Just take the first step to get in touch, and ask what you can do.

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St Vincent Home

St. Vincent Home is a sheltered home in a residential arrangement that provides basic amenities to its ambulant elderly residents, but let the residents manage their own daily activities to maintain their independence within the community. Residents at the Home are above 60 years of age, and rely on public assistance as they have no immediate family to care for them.

Regular social interactions and recreational activities are organised for the residents by staff and volunteers to keep them active.

Head of Agency:		Ms Poh Po Neo Lily
Address:		Blk 261, Waterloo St, #05-01, S180261
Telephone:		6337 6535
Fax:		6336 1513
Email:		stvincenthome@catholicwelfare.org.sg
Affiliation:		Society of St Vincent de Paul

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