AFTER an argument with her sons three years ago, Madam Ong Seok Kheng moved out of the family's condominium to live by herself in a one-room rental flat.

But when she found herself unused to the Holland Close neighbourhood and lonely, she became depressed and spent days in her flat crying and missing her sons.

The turning point came when she met a social worker from a neighbourhood-link centre run by Fei Yue Community Services The social worker who introduced her to some people, many of whom were of her age.

'I felt like I was part of a family again when I met these people,' said Madam Ong.

The 72-year-old is now an active volunteer at the centre and spends her free time cooking for the area's needy families, or just spends time with her friends at the centre daily.

Fei Yue Community Services, which was set up in 1990, started as a family service centre reaching out to residents in Bukit Batok. But it has since cast its net wider.

It now has two arms - Fei Yue Family Service Centre, which runs an array of various programmes in neighbourhoods, and Fei Yue Community Services, which has child-adoption programmes and activities for handicapped children, among others.

Fei Yue Community Services director Leng Chin Fai said: 'We basically want to reach out to anyone and everyone.'

Fei Yue works closely with the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports to identify needs within the community and plans programmes to meet them.

Its three family service centres in Choa Chu Kang, Yew Tee and Bukit Batok each house more than 15 programmes for groups ranging from children and youth to parents and the elderly.

Its activities for the aged, for example, include art contests, nature walks and Chinese gongfu classes. Couples preparing for marriage can also sign up for its marriage preparation workshops.

Fei Yue also has two neighbourhood-link centres and two student centres across the island.

With 300 volunteers and 70 staff, Fei Yue also reaches out to the community through its hotlines. It either helps them directly or puts them in touch with other agencies like the Young Women's Christian Association.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.