In November 2014, 5 volunteers at the Institute of Mental Health, Singapore banded together to form a youth volunteering group, Matchsticks of IMH. Fast forward 5 years, we have engaged over 700 youth volunteers and have a current strength of 40 to 50 volunteers weekly. These volunteers spread joy and serve residents in five long-stay wards, one acute rehabilitation ward and the child's ward every week. Members of the group would plan and execute activities for the residents of IMH to participate in. These activities include a variety of crafts (painting, paper crafts, sand art and many more), board games, physical activities/exercise, singing, outings and celebrations during festive periods. Additionally, Matchsticks of IMH frequently organises mass events such as excursions and parties for the residents to enjoy outside of their wards.
Beyond volunteering at the hospital, Matchsticks of IMH also actively participates in anti-stigma efforts within the community by leveraging our experiences with the residents to educate and engage people in mental health conversations. These general outreach programs provide us with a platform to share our volunteering experience at IMH and display the residents' artworks to the general public. As the stories we share are based on volunteer anecdotes, our experiences with the residents help to defy stereotypes of people with mental illnesses that the general public may be exposed to on the media.
