By Diana Othman

MR STANLEY Tan learnt about giving the hard way. The now 52-year-old and his six siblings were raised almost single-handedly by their mother.

The family could afford only one meal a day and Mr Tan's mum took on various jobs to support the children.

'In a way, my mother gave sacrificially and I learnt that giving sometimes had to be sacrificial,' said Mr Tan, whose father abandoned the family when he was 10.

It was a lesson that inspired a lifetime of charity work. Today, Mr Tan is a prolific volunteer, and his resume includes a laundry list of major charities. He is:

• president of Beyond Social Services, a welfare organisation which helps kids at risk of delinquency;

• chairman of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC);

• vice-president of Mainly I Love Kids, where he is involved in projects to help children and the poor in countries such as Thailand and Timor Leste; and

• council member of the Singapore Red Cross Society.

'When I find that so little can do so much, it becomes a very enjoyable involvement,' he said.

Volunteering is actually his second career. Seventeen years ago, he switched from being a full-time businessman to focus more on volunteer work. He said he enjoys helping the less fortunate lead more regular lives.

'I find that just as exciting and stimulating as making a good investment,' he added.

Mr Tan began volunteering at a Methodist-run children's home for orphans a few months after his father left.

As a donation of $1 was required to visit the children, Mr Tan walked part way home from school to save money on bus fares.

'I didn't even think I was volunteering during that first visit but they made me feel useful and that my visit was meaningful,' he said. 'The experience helped me enjoy volunteering.'

However, the road has not always been smooth. The father of two daughters, aged 24 and 20, is divorced. At 40, his marriage ended after about 15 years.

He has also suffered from migraine for 40 years. He used to get weekly attacks that could last for as long as three days, though the condition steadily improved. But Mr Tan said these obstacles are not a deterrent to volunteering.

'As the saying goes, you cry because you have no shoes until you see someone with no legs. In my case, I just don't have the shoes.'

Said Mrs Tan Chee Koon, chief executive officer of NVPC: 'He is both compassionate about the needs in society and passionate about the work that's needed to be done about it.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on July 28, 2008.