Janice Lim, Centre Manager of LB AAC @ Clementi 344, joined LB in early 2021 brimming with ideas, corporate expertise as well as volunteering experience that brought a fresh perspective to the table. Here at the AAC, she had proposed the slogan E.T.E. – which stands for Empower To Engage. This would pave the way for an ongoing journey of collaboration, community building and positive change for the LB seniors under her team’s care.

Earlier in her career, Janice had spent five years in the USA working in a university set-up, helping international students settle into their new environment by arranging for home hosting and organising relevant events and activities for them. Upon returning to Singapore, she built upon her profession in the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) sector, with her portfolio ranging across admissions, outreach and international recruitment, financial assistance and events management.

In 2020, Janice decided on a career switch. Years of volunteering in organisations such as Willing Hearts and Ronald McDonald House Charities, as well as serving in her church’s seniors ministry had allowed her to gain much insight into the needs of both youths and the elderly. “I found that (joining LB as a Centre Manager) would be a more direct interaction with the ground to meet seniors’ needs,” she explains.

At LB AAC @ Clementi 344, Janice realised many seniors still have much to contribute to the community even after their retirement. Hence she started the E.T.E. initiative, to Empower (a senior) To Engage (other seniors) by having them teach various skills or conduct programmes at the AAC. Through observation, Janice and her staff identified LB seniors whose talents matched their willingness to serve as Senior Volunteers. E.T.E. was rolled out with a Senior Volunteer teaching balloon sculpting to fellow LB seniors, and this soon expanded to other programmes such as Upcycling, Community Gardening and Fun Walks, all fully led by the Senior Volunteers, who currently number at around 20.