In celebration of International Volunteer Managers Day on the 5th of November, we're delighted to spotlight one of our own, Serene Cheng! Her dedication and contributions to the social service sector have also recently secured her a coveted spot in the National Council of Social Services’ (NCSS) 40-Under-40 programme, a signature leadership programme that aims to empower young, promising social service sector leaders to contribute their voice in shaping the sector's future.

Having grown up in a low-income family, Serene experienced first-hand the challenges faced by underprivileged children and families, and translated that into empathy for the community and a drive to close equity gaps in the society.

Through her work as a Volunteer Manager at Filos, Serene and her team work hand-in-hand with volunteers and partners to provide equitable access to resources and empower underprivileged children, low-income families, and ageing seniors. Besides building the foundation of volunteer management work at Filos, Serene's impact also goes beyond her role – her contributions have set her apart as a driving force for positive change and empowerment.

Through a collaboration with NCSS and 'Our Grandfather Story’, Serene helped raise awareness of the essential role of Volunteer Managers in the sector through a video feature. She also single-handedly set up the communications department at Filos and at a sector level, led the coordination of the Empowerment Learning Journey, in collaboration with NCSS, during which Filos shared about best practices with fellow sector professionals as the Empowerment Champion for the family sub-sector.

But that’s not all, this year, Serene was appointed as an NCSS Volunteer Management Champion. Alongside other Volunteer Management Champions, she would be contributing her experience and expertise to uplift and build stronger volunteer management practices in the sector. Her journey showcases the impact a person can have when driven by passion and dedication.

We are proud to have Serene as part of the Filos family and look forward to the incredible contributions she will continue to make in the years to come!