From big pay cheque to big messes: The Singaporean of the Year finalist who chose hoarders

SINGAPORE: Mr Steven Goh was killing time at a neighbourhood pavilion, waiting for a client, when an elderly woman walked up to him. She hesitated for a moment, then asked a simple but unexpected question: Would he follow her home and take a look at something?

“I was curious, so I followed her,” Mr Goh recalled. He was 47 then, working as a financial planner, with no idea that this small act of curiosity would change his life.

Her home was packed wall to wall with metal scraps and discarded items. The woman had once earned a living as a karung guni, collecting recyclables to sell, but age and illness had slowed her down, and the things she once managed had grown into an overwhelming burden.

“I told her I could try to find some volunteers to help,” Mr Goh said. “That’s how everything started.”

That night, he reached out to friends, hoping someone would lend a hand. Not one said yes. Still, he refused to let the woman down. He posted a message on Facebook instead.

Four strangers replied.

Together, they cleared the woman’s home.

The experience stayed with Mr Goh. Seeing how much difference a handful of people could make in a single day left a deep impression. In 2012, he founded Helping Joy, inviting those same four volunteers to continue helping elderly people trapped in similar situations. One of them now works full-time as a centre manager at the charity. Another still volunteers despite holding a delivery job. The other two stepped away in 2014 due to work and family commitments.

What began as a spontaneous act of kindness had quietly grown into a lifelong calling.

Walking away from stability

Helping Joy gained momentum quickly. Social workers, grassroots leaders, and care facilities began referring more cases, and the requests never seemed to stop.

Before long, Mr Goh found himself pulled in two directions—his career on one side, and the charity on the other. In 2016, he made the difficult choice to resign from his job and devote himself fully to Helping Joy.

It meant giving up financial security. Divorced since 2014, Mr Goh is also a father to a 14-year-old son. Today, his income as the charity’s co-founder is closer to that of an executive manager—far less than what he once earned in finance.

“But I don’t need luxury,” he said. “As long as I can support myself, that’s enough. I get to learn things others don’t, and I get to make friends along the way.”

His work has not gone unnoticed. Mr Goh is a finalist for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award, now in its 11th year, which recognises individuals and groups who have made a meaningful impact on society.

The hidden work behind a clean home

To the untrained eye, decluttering might seem straightforward. In reality, it is physically exhausting and emotionally delicate work.

A single session can stretch six to eight hours, after days of preparation and home visits to understand each beneficiary’s circumstances. Mr Goh and his team must calculate how many volunteers are needed and raise between $3,000 and $5,000 to replace broken appliances, unsafe furniture and damaged fixtures. Painters and handymen are often called in to make the space livable again.

And nothing is simply thrown away.

“We open every trash bag,” Mr Goh said. “Even the ones with cockroaches, bedbugs, or thick dust.”

Every item is sorted by hand. Anything usable is shown to the resident first, and nothing is discarded without consent.

“To them, every item matters,” he said. “It may look worthless to us, but it could hold memories or comfort for them.”

A second chance at home

One of those helped is Mr Lee Han Tiong, 76, whose Boon Lay flat was cleaned by Helping Joy in 2025.

Divorced and with one son, Mr Lee had lived with his mother until she passed away three years ago at the age of 98. Over time, the flat filled up with old magazines and household items she refused to throw away. Mr Lee also endured a bedbug infestation for more than a decade.

“It was very scary,” he said quietly. “There were too many bedbugs. I had no choice but to throw things away.”

With mobility issues, he depended on an electric scooter, but even that became infested. Its cushion had to be discarded.

When Helping Joy first stepped into his home in late 2025, the team removed infested items and began clearing the flat. They are due to return for further treatment. The charity also provided essentials like a refrigerator, washing machine and clothing.

“I was very happy to see them clean my house,” Mr Lee said, smiling as he recalled the day nearly 40 volunteers transformed his living space.

Doing the work himself

Mr Goh doesn’t just coordinate from the sidelines. He is often on the ground—scrubbing toilets, fighting cockroach infestations, clearing faeces and bottled urine, and hauling bulky furniture down staircases.

Over the years, he has learned that hoarding is rarely about mess. It is often rooted in trauma, fear, and loss. That is why Helping Joy keeps returning long after a home has been cleaned, checking in and rebuilding trust.

“We replace what they cling to with something else,” he said softly. “Our love and care.”

Care until the very end

Helping Joy’s work doesn’t stop at restoring homes. For beneficiaries with no family, the charity also steps in at the end of life, arranging funeral services and final rites.

“We can’t just walk away when they pass on,” Mr Goh said. “That’s their last journey, and we want to be there.”

From simple wakes to religious ceremonies, Helping Joy honours these wishes—sometimes even collecting bodies from hospitals when there is no next of kin.

“It’s about saying goodbye properly,” he said. “And closing the chapter with dignity.”

Why he keeps going

Since 2012, Helping Joy has decluttered more than 300 homes and supported over 800 elderly people. Funded entirely by donations, the charity sometimes relies on Mr Goh and his team to cover shortfalls themselves.

Today, Helping Joy has seven staff members and around 200 long-time volunteers.

“We couldn’t do any of this alone,” Mr Goh said. “It’s always been teamwork.”

With Singapore’s ageing population, he believes the problem of hoarding will only grow.

“I can’t stop,” he said simply. “If I do, who will take care of them?”

For Mr Goh, the most meaningful reward isn’t awards or recognition—it’s the quiet moments.

“When someone thanks me sincerely,” he said, “that’s something money can never buy.”