04 October 2012

Singapore, 4 October 2012 – StarHub is celebrating World Charity Day, which falls on 10 October 2012, with an SMS Donation Drive—and we want our consumers to get involved and do their part by messaging in a donation.

From 6 October till 2359hrs on 10 October 2012, StarHub mobile customers can send a message to 1460-73637 to make a $2 donation to one of three charities: Arts@Metta, SWAMI or Xin Yuan Community Care. Not only does the full $2 go towards the charity with no administrative deductions, but the StarHub Sparks Fund will match each donation dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000 per charity.

StarHub is no stranger to getting their consumers involved in their charitable efforts. Since 2009, StarHub customers have been able to use their StarHub Rewards points to redeem a tax-deductible donation to Minds Towner Garden School. To date, over $330,000 in donations has been redeemed by StarHub Customers.

“StarHub is a responsible corporate citizen that has always believed in giving back to society,” says Ms Jeannie Ong, Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, StarHub. “Through our StarHub Sparks Fund, we frequently support programmes and groups that empower disadvantaged youth. However, we wanted to raise awareness for the needy on World Charity Day and involve our consumers in our charitable efforts.

“Some people might find a large donation too daunting, or writing a cheque and posting it too tedious. We want to make donating—in easily affordable amounts—as simple as sending a text message, hence our SMS Donation Drive. Now our consumers can literally take just a minute to make a small but meaningful donation towards social good using their mobile phone; it is that simple. We are also happy to double their donation by matching it dollar-for-dollar from StarHub’s Sparks Fund.”

Ms Ong explains that having three charities allowed consumers some choice as to which cause they wanted to support: youth, elderly or disabled. After some research on various charitable organisations, the three charities were chosen due to their greater need for funding as well as the holistic and long-term support that they seek to provide for their beneficiaries.

Xin Yuan Community Care cares, supports, counsels and provides basic healthcare, education, social and financial welfare to needy children and youth. Some of the services it provides include In-home Support Services, Reading Programme, Free Therapy Service, Food and Nutrition Programme, Educational Service Programme and Rehabilitative Services.

For those who wish to donate to a cause for the elderly, they can choose SWAMI (Sunshine Welfare Action Mission), which provides holistic quality care for the elderly and needy through the following services: Nursing Home, Dementia Day Care, Day Rehabilitation, Home Medical, Home Nursing, Home Help and Respite Care.

Consumers who would like to support the disabled community can donate to Arts@Metta, which aims to provide equal access and enriching artistic endeavours for Metta School alumni youths with special needs. Through related-cum-employment opportunities under a sustainable framework, Arts@Metta helps to ensure that Metta graduates remain engaged and integrated with the society, and also helps to keep such high-risk youths from institutional care.

For more details, please visit www.starhub.com/smsdonation for more details.

How to Donate

StarHub Mobile consumers who would like to make a donation can send a message in this format <Charity> <NRIC> <Name> to 1460-73637. Examples of the messages to send are as follows.

METTA S70*****A Name Surname
for a donation to Arts@Metta

SWAMI S90*****A Name Surname
for a donation to SWAMI

XINYUAN S89*****A Name Surname
for a donation to Xin Yuan Community Care

Consumers can make as many donations as they like. All donations are of a $2 value and this will be reflected in their next mobile bill.

Terms and Conditions

Customers are only permitted to make their donations using their own mobile account and NRIC number. Only customers aged 21 or above (as of 31 December 2012) will be permitted to make donations. Donations are non-tax-deductible. 100% of all donations will be given to the charity chosen.