MilkLion: Join The MileLion’s Christmas Fundraiser 2023

Every year since The MileLion began in 2015, I’ve been channeling some of the website’s proceeds to support worthy causes. 

What’s even more awesome is how the miles community has come out in support of these campaigns. Collectively, we’ve raised more than S$111,000 to date for various charities.

• 2015-2017: S$5,000 for World Vision Singapore
• 2018: S$980 for World Vision Disaster Response
• 2019: S$11,703 for Methodist Welfare Services
• 2020: S$8,760 for New Hope Community Services, S$5,128 for The Food Bank Singapore, S$18,755 for The Salvation Army
• 2021: S$21,835 for Care Corner Singapore
• 2022: S$39,040 for New Hope Community Services

This year’s campaign is called The MilkLion, and seeks to raise S$50,000 to support aLife, a charity providing essentials such as milk powder, diapers and baby food to underprivileged mothers.

Why support aLife?

Donate Here

While I didn’t have any crazy credit card or travel adventures this year (though I did figure out a great way to earn KFC vouchers), it’s still been a year unlike any other.

In July, The MileLioness and I welcomed the MileCub (mile high cub?) into the pride. I’m aware this sounds like one of those hackneyed clichés that every new parent spews, but watching her grow has been a joy unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced: her fascination with the simplest of objects, her frustrations with learning to roll over and crawl, her cooing and babbling as she tries to form basic sounds. And as a Christian, raising the MileCub has helped me appreciate so many aspects of my faith more clearly, like the father’s heart that God has for His children, or the humility of Jesus to enter the world in the form of a helpless baby. 

I had a lot of trepidations about becoming a father, but financial concerns weren’t one of them. And that is a tremendously privileged position to be in. Put it another way: when your chief concern regarding pregnancy expenses is how you can maximise miles rather than minimise cost, you’re living in a bubble.

I love the MileCub, and like every parent, want to provide her with everything she needs. But unlike every parent, I’ve never had to ration diapers or wet wipes. I’ve never had to stretch out milk powder. If I run low on something, I don’t have to think twice about ordering it. That’s the unfortunate reality for some, however, and with the ongoing cost of living crisis, it’s getting harder and harder to afford all the things babies burn through.

That’s where aLife comes in. aLife Ltd is a secular, non-profit Institute of Public Character (IPC) that runs the aLife Mothers’ Assistance (ALMA) programme.

ALMA assists new mothers who face financial difficulties providing basic necessities to their newborns, with a specific focus on the first two years of life- the most crucial period for nutrition and development. In addition to providing milk, diapers and other basic supplies, ALMA Befrienders also journey with the mothers to provide the necessary support structures to decrease their social isolation. 

Eligible beneficiaries are accepted mainly on a referral basis from Social Service Agencies and Family Service Centres.

How much are we seeking to raise?

Donate Here

For The MileLion’s 2023 Christmas Fundraiser, we’ll be seeking to raise S$50,000 to support the work of aLife, with funds specifically earmarked for the ALMA programme. aLife is an approved IPC, and all donations of at least S$50 will qualify for 2.5X tax deduction.

The fundraiser starts today, and runs all the way till 25 December 2023. I’ve already got the ball rolling, and hope that you’ll join me!

To give you an idea of how far your money goes, S$200 is the amount required to provide basic baby essentials such as vitamins, toiletries, milk powder and rusks for a month. I’m hopeful that you’ll consider sponsoring a baby or two (or twenty)!

Which credit card should I use for donations?

There’s absolutely no shame in wanting to earn some credit card points from your donation. Charities pay a 1.8% fee to Giving.sg regardless of what mode of payment is used, so why not?

Unfortunately, AMEX nerfed points for charitable donations this year, except on the AMEX Centurion and Platinum Charge cards, so there’s not a lot of options left:

Card	Earn Rate
Maybank Manchester United Card	2 mpd + 3% cashback (on days where Man Utd win)
	0.4 mpd + 1% cashback (otherwise)
Maybank Visa Infinite	1.2 mpd
AMEX Centurion	0.98 mpd
AMEX Platinum Charge	0.78 mpd
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature	0.4 mpd

Alternatively, you can use the following cashback options:

Card	Earn Rate
AMEX True Cashback Card Apply	1.5% cashback
UOB Absolute Cashback Card Apply	1.7% cashback

Conclusion

This year’s Christmas Fundraiser aims to raise S$50,000 for aLife in support of needy mothers and their babies. As always, if your current circumstances make it difficult to support financially, please don’t sweat it. There are plenty of other opportunities to volunteer, or donate in kind.

But if 2023 was a good year for you, would you consider helping in whatever small (or big) way you can? A little milk money can go a very long way.

Thank you for your generosity, and have a blessed Christmas period!