LIGHTS FOR HOPE 2025 

For many of us who celebrate, the excitement of Deepavali begins weeks before. We ask ourselves — who should we visit, who should we invite? What are we going to wear, what will be on the table, when do we start baking cookies?

But for the families we support, these are questions they don’t get to ask. Their reality is different. Every dollar is stretched thin across rent, groceries, and bills. By the time Deepavali arrives, there is little left for the simple joys of the season.

One mother shared that she skips meals in the days leading up to Deepavali, just so she can buy her children a small packet of cookies. Another father told us he avoids taking his kids to the shops during the festivities, because he doesn’t want to see the disappointment on their faces when he can’t afford what they’re asking for.

With your support, we will provide:

🍪 Festive cookies, so children can share in the joy of the season
🛒 NTUC vouchers, to help with groceries and daily essentials
💰Cash disbursements, to ease urgent household needs

Lights for Hope is about making sure families can celebrate together without the shadow of “not enough” hanging over them. But more than that, it is about restoring hope for Deepavali, and for the months ahead.

This year, Lights for Hope is raising $50,000.

Beyond the season, your generosity will also help fund campaigns for families facing unseen struggles year-round like single parents, caregivers and migrant brothers.

You’ll be helping families like:

MR MOHINDER

Mr Mohinder, 57, who has endured unimaginable loss. In 2017, his wife, who had been battling depression, died by suicide — taking their two youngest children with her. Since then, Mohinder has carried the weight of grief while trying to stay strong for his two surviving sons, now teenagers living in Indonesia. He lives alone in a one-room rental flat in Singapore, battling PTSD and surviving on social aid. Even with so little, he sends half of his support money across the border to cover his sons’ school fees and daily needs, often eating just two meals a day himself. His love for them keeps him going, even when his own future feels uncertain.

MDM RANI
At 63, she is a cancer survivor and mother of two who once ran her own cake business. But after a fractured hip and worsening arthritis, she is now wheelchair-bound. Today, she and her son live in a small rental flat, doing their best to get by on a single income. In October 2024, her son secured a full-time job as a bakery counter staff, hoping to restore some financial stability. However, the family’s community financial assistance ended due to his new employment status. Vinesh now works long hours to make ends meet.

MDM ANANYA

Ananya has been raising her 13-year-old son Kiran on her own since moving to Singapore in 2009. Earlier this year, her employer stopped paying her salary, leaving her without income for six months. To survive, she borrowed from friends, relied on temples for meals, and gave up her own bed so Kiran could sleep comfortably. Their arrears grew quickly — rent went unpaid and over $7,000 in school fees piled up, putting Kiran’s education at risk. Despite the strain, Ananya presses on. She walks long distances when she has no bus fare, continues a part-time MBA.

We’ll also be honouring our leading donors on this Lights for Hope page, as a way of shining a light on those who help us keep hope alive for others.

Together, let’s light up this season of hope for Deepavali, and for every family who needs a helping hand in the months to come.