An Interview with ACS Volunteer Sarah Tam

Welcome to another “face of ACS”, an interview series starring ACS Volunteers and their journey in serving the non-profit community.

Sarah has been ACS’s volunteer consultant since 2019.  Her background in Customer Strategy, Marketing and Omni-Channel Management adds valuable insights to the development of NGOs’ social campaigns, as well as in designing the very successful Intergeneration Symposium.

What 3 words would your friends use to describe you?        

Reliable, Resourceful, Restless

What has your ACS volunteering journey been like? What particular instances which have stood out for you (and why)?

I was introduced to ACS 3 years ago by an MBA alumni Albert Au, who owns a social enterprise and spoke highly of ACS’s programs.  My first encounter was at a SPRINT Hackathon event – OMG it was intense and hard work, where I had worked with the team for 9 hours straight to come up with a social innovation proposal.  I felt exhausted by the end of the day, yet the experience was so gratifying that I kept coming back for more.

Since then, I have participated in ACS’s signature programs (ASCEND, ENGAGE, IGNITE), their community projects (e.g. Mind Matters, Intergeneration No Boundaries Symposium), and joined the Community Outreach team.  What I love about ACS is the variety of structured capacity building programs which really help address NGOs’ strategic and operational needs, so that they can achieve their social objectives more effectively.  As a volunteer, not only was I able to extend my 20+ years of business experience to benefit the society, I got to network with a group of capable & like-minded volunteers, and in a compact period gained in-sights from a wide spectrum of social organizations.

What advice do you have for a new ACS volunteer? 

Just Do It – don’t hesitate to try out different programs and project roles offered by ACS, even if you have little experience in consulting / facilitation or know nothing about the non-profit world.  ACS provides well thought-through program structures, materials, and peer support,  so that you will never feel lost.  Just come with a fresh and open mind, and have fun!

“Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have” –Jim Rohn. 

Thank you Sarah!

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