They call him ‘Mr Kindness’
Sitting opposite me, Dennis Yeo looks like an unlikely sort of hero. Middle aged, casually dressed in a yellow T-shirt (with just the kind of logo which tells you he’s not quite grown up) and with a laptop open so that he can monitor the many work emails demanding his attention, he could be any Singaporean. Perhaps, however, the blue rinse in his hair should have alerted me to his alter-ego. For Dennis Yeo is not just anyone. To the people he helps, he is someone quite special. He is a charity superman.
He’ll also be hugely embarrassed by this blog; but if I’m to tell you a little more about the new charity GIVE.asia Kindness, then I need to tell you about the man behind it.
But first, what is GIVE.asia Kindness (‘Kindness’)?
You’ve (hopefully) seen the campaigns on GIVE.asia; the one’s that ask you to help in situations of dire need. Perhaps it is the mother who is desperately seeking to raise the money for a life-saving operation for her child? Or the unexpectedly widowed father-of-five needing emergency funds to tide the family over the next few months until he can return to work? Perhaps it is the group of kids asking strangers to contribute to their campaign to raise money for elderly cardboard collectors?
Kindness is a new not-for-profit organisation (charity status has been applied for and is awaited) that will help GIVE.asia fundraisers achieve fundraising success. Its aim is to ensure that no person living in Singapore will be deprived of proper medical care because it can’t be afforded and to support underprivileged families (and groups) raise the money they need to see them through.
Kindness will support and guide individuals through the process of raising the funds to meet their immediate needs and help them face the future.
GIVE.asia fundraising campaigns all have one thing in common — they reach out and ask strangers to make a difference. They ask you to put your hand in your pocket and contribute. But as the giver, how do you know the people are honest? How can you be sure the need is genuine? And how do you get to know whether your donation has made any difference at all? Kindness has a role to play here too. Set up in consultation with the Commissioner of Charities and operating in accordance with the newly enacted Code of Practice Kindness will ensure transparency; it will make sure that all information is honestly given and, as it will collect and distribute the monies raised, it will ensure accountability.
Or in other words, as a donor you can be sure that your money gets to where it is needed.
In essence this means that, for now, Dennis will meet with and help bear the burden of every one of those souls in need.
I ask Dennis how he manages the emotional toll of engaging day-in, day-out with other people’s tragedies and how, for example, he copes with supporting parents whose child is dying? It’s clear from Dennis’ face that this is not easy;
“I do find it emotionally challenging. I have to understand properly what they are going though, to hear their story so that I can help them share it with the world. Most of these people can’t manage to speak clearly for themselves due to the pain of their situations”.
Dennis continues resolutely;
“It’s my job. I have to be tough not to be drawn in or else I won’t be able to help effectively. I do cry sometimes, but I have an emotional detox each Sunday when I ban myself from working and answering calls. I spend time with my family, walk the dog and watch TV.”
Helping other people wasn’t always Dennis’ job. Previously a successful businessman, I wonder why Dennis walked away from making money in favour of making a difference? Dennis laughs “a mid-life crisis!”
He’s clearly uncomfortable talking about himself but, after probing, Dennis admits that he was ready to give back;
“It was an emotional transition for me. I thought that if I could use my skills to help other people, then why not”.
Dennis worked for three years for the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, followed by a stint as Head of Fundraising at the Red Cross before moving to GIVE.asia.
Dennis’ first encounter with GIVE.asia was as a fundraiser. In 2016 he set up a page for a sixteen year old Thai girl who had come to Singapore to study. She had been knocked over by a car whilst on her way to volunteer in an old people’s home and was in a coma in KK hospital. Her family did not have the funds for her treatment. Not only did Dennis set up a fundraising page to raise the money for medical expenses, he shared her story on social media, badgered the Thai Embassy in to providing a translator so that he could communicate with the student’s parents and shamelessly campaigned on her behalf. In two weeks Dennis raised $132,763 for her hospital care and rehabilitation. And do you want to know the most amazing thing about this? The thing that tells you everything you need to know about Dennis ‘the unlikely superhero’? He didn’t know her, had never even met her; Aroonrak was just a girl he read about in the paper.
From changing that one life to heading up Kindness, Dennis continues to work tirelessly on behalf of others. Since the organisation was set up in May 2018 the Facebook videos of him talking to people and families in need have racked up more than 36,000 views and, through Kindness, GIVE.asia campaigns have so far raised more than $200,000 for people in need. Dennis’ aim is simple;
“To help anyone who needs it”.
He’s there in the time of need. He listens and tells the story. He verifies and promotes the campaign and then he links people with the agencies who can provide ongoing assistance once the crisis has passed. Whilst his job is to ensure the financial success of the fundraising campaigns quietly, behind the scenes, Dennis does so much more.
It’s no wonder they call him ‘Mr Kindness’.
(Kindness will verify and manage the finances of each and every personal GIVE.asia campaign.Campaigns that are set up for peer-to-peer fundraising or that are raising money for an otherwise established charity registered with the charity commission do not fall within the Kindness remit).
If you know of someone in need contact www.giveasiakindness.org
Lucy-Ann Dale
