My name is Clement, and I’m a husband and father of two children. I’ve been a volunteer with Focus on the Family Singapore for 10 years.  

When I attended the volunteer orientation, I discovered they needed people with skills I didn't have, such as website development and facilitation. However, they also needed someone for logistics, which I could help with since I had a car.  

In 2017, when FamChamps was looking for mentors, a staff member of Focus on the Family challenged me to come on board as a mentor. Despite my doubts regarding my ability to engage with teens, I also “selfishly” wanted to prepare myself for my kids' teenage years. What better way to do that than by volunteering as a youth mentor? 

My journey as a mentor had its share of challenges. The first camp experience left me feeling demotivated as they weren't very responsive.  

However, witnessing the dedication of the FamChamps staff inspired me to continue in my volunteer journey.

In the following years, I continued to volunteer with FamChamps and got to experience mentoring across different secondary schools. With support from the teachers, I watched these youths blossom, step out of their comfort zones and tangibly witnessed the fruits of the FamChamps programme when the students carried out their Family Service Projects. 

Through this volunteering journey, I've learnt that no act of service is too small. I started by assisting with logistics and ended up mentoring youth, discovering along the way that it's okay to start small. 

Inertia often keeps us from doing things we’ve never done before but choose to try anyway. If we don’t try, we’ll never know!

It is also my hope to see families complete and whole, and for my children’s generation to believe that strong family ties are foundational and possible. 

Clement Cheong
Active FamChamps mentor