In Singapore, Agnes Tan and Enoch Yang have spent nearly two decades showing how Vincentian service can grow from a simple response to need into a lifelong relationship of friendship, faith, and hope.

When they joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference at St. Joachim in 2005, they could not have imagined that one small initiative would shape so many Saturdays—and so many lives.

They had encountered families struggling to give their children the educational support they needed. Agnes and Enoch understood that financial assistance was important, but they also saw something more: without encouragement, guidance, and patient accompaniment, many children would continue to face the same cycle of poverty.

In 2007, with the support of the parish and volunteer tutors, they helped establish a Saturday tuition program. At first, the work was demanding. Volunteers sometimes went personally to collect the children from their homes and even had to wake them up so they would attend. Today, a chartered bus brings the students to and from the church, but the heart of the program remains unchanged.

It is not simply about improving grades.

“The program belongs to the Lord,” Agnes explains. “Enoch and I, with all the diligent volunteer tutors, are here all the time for the children.”

For Agnes, academic achievement is not the only measure of success. What matters is that the children continue trying, learn to distinguish right from wrong, and grow into responsible and compassionate adults.

That vision has transformed the tuition program into something greater than a classroom. The children come to study English, mathematics, science, and Mandarin, but they also find friendship, games, outings, mentoring, and adults who believe in them. For some, the program has become a place of safety and belonging.

Dennis was one of those children.

He and his two siblings began attending the program when they were in primary school. They came regularly and worked hard. Then, in 2015, tragedy struck twice. Their father died, and only two months later Dennis was hit by a motorcycle.

His injuries were devastating. His skull and pelvis required extensive reconstruction, and he remained in a coma. Doctors could not say with certainty whether he would ever wake up.

Agnes and Enoch continued to visit him week after week.

They sat beside him. They spoke to him. They remained present even when there was no visible response and no guarantee of recovery.

About five months after the accident, shortly before Christmas, Dennis woke up.

Agnes remembers it as a miracle.

Recovery, however, did not mean that every difficulty disappeared. Dennis regained limited speech and mobility, but he continued to experience seizures and other lasting effects of the accident. Employment proved difficult. Jobs that required standing for long periods or working at a fast pace were often beyond what he could manage safely.

His friends moved on, and loneliness became another burden. Yet Dennis continued returning to the Saturday program that had accompanied him since childhood.

“My life is quite boring because my friends have moved away,” he said. “I like to come here and learn, especially Math.”

He also began helping during breaks and remaining part of the community. The program was no longer simply a place where he received lessons. It had become a family that still had room for him.

Enoch recognized that many of the boys lacked stable father figures. He sometimes took Dennis and others fishing, using the quiet time together to listen, offer advice, and strengthen relationships. He also accompanied Dennis to Mass and encouraged him in his faith.

Dennis later faced depression and self-harm. At first, he refused medical assistance. In that darkness, he began speaking to God.

“From the outside I seem happy, but on the inside, I’m sad,” he explained. “After I hurt myself, I started talking to God. Now, I just talk to him.”

His words do not offer an easy ending. They reveal something more truthful: accompaniment does not remove every wound, and faith does not always make suffering disappear, but faithful presence can keep a person from facing that suffering completely alone.

Today, Dennis’s family no longer requires financial assistance from the Society. Yet Agnes, Enoch, and the other volunteers have not walked away. Their friendship continues.

This may be the most important part of their story.

Vincentian service is not only about responding to an immediate need. It is about recognizing a person, building trust, and remaining close over time. Sometimes the most meaningful service is not dramatic. It may consist of returning every Saturday, sitting beside a hospital bed, helping with homework, taking someone fishing, or simply saying once again: “You are still welcome here.”

The tuition program now supports 25 children and involves approximately 30 volunteers. After many years of leadership, Agnes and Enoch are preparing a new generation of young adults to take responsibility for its future. Their work will continue through those they have guided and inspired.

Agnes follows one simple principle when a child needs help: “Just come, just come. God knows before we do.”

For Vincentians everywhere, her words are both an invitation and a challenge. We may not always know how a story will unfold. We may not see immediate results. We may feel that what we can offer is small, but we can open the door.

We can make room.

And we can remain.

That is how a few Saturdays in Singapore can become a lifetime of hope.

Article based on information from the 2025 Annual Report of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Singapore.