I began a new quarterly series in 2026 to interview disciples of Christ who serve God outside the church walls. I have interviewed lay Christians in 2024 and pastors of various churches in Singapore in 2025.
Second in the series is Abraham Yeo, the co-founder of Homeless Hearts of Singapore.
Related Posts:
- Interviews: Lay Christians in 2024
- Interviews: Pastors of Singapore Churches in 2025
- Interviews: Kingdom Workers in 2026
- All interviews
Who is Abraham Yeo?
Abraham Yeo (@yeuann) is the co-founder of Homeless Hearts of Singapore (“HHOS”), a ground‑up initiative to befriend and journey with people who are homeless. He started this in 2014 with Mervin Lee.
After graduating from the National University of Singapore with a degree in Computing, Communications and New Media, he began praying about his life direction. As he did, God opened his eyes to the needs of the poor and deepened his compassion for the vulnerable. In October 2019, he resigned from his software engineering job to serve full‑time at HHOS in an unpaid capacity. Alongside his work with HHOS, he is also a stay‑at‑home dad to three young children aged 5½, 3, and 19 months.
Abraham married Cheng Yu in November 2019, and some of their homeless friends were among their wedding guests. Besides being a full‑time staff member at Youth with a Mission, Cheng Yu also serves alongside Abraham to befriend mothers and families with young children who may be facing homelessness.
Over the past few years, their family has been hosting regular dinner gatherings in their Punggol home for their homeless friends, and has even opened their home to a few homeless families for temporary stays. This forms part of their personal ministry, which they call Abba’s House, a space dedicated to recovering the “lost art of hospitality.”
They are currently attending Sunday Services at Bartley Christian Church. On a side note, Abraham enjoys a wide range of books, from science fiction and Christian literature to topics on science, physics, mathematics, and computer science.
Jump to the Relevant Section:
About Homeless Hearts of Singapore
Can you tell us more about Homeless Hearts of Singapore?
Homeless Hearts of Singapore (“HHOS”) (@homelesssg) is dedicated to befriending and supporting people experiencing homelessness across Singapore. What began in 2014 as a small two‑person effort in two central locations has grown into a volunteer movement of more than 200 people, supported by a core team of eight.
At the end of 2018, it was registered as a charity under the Charities Act (Chapter 37), and in 2019, it became a partner of MSF’s Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) network. Today, HHOS serves about 70 homeless friends weekly across 17 locations islandwide.
The practical and community‑based support HHOS provides includes:
- Helping homeless friends navigate community support systems
- Working with shelters, social workers, and community partners (churches, mosques, NGOs) to find safe accommodation
- Conducting fortnightly night walks and festive celebrations
- Collaborating with government and social service agencies to connect rough sleepers with essential resources
- Collaborating with healthcare and community partners. For example, in July 2023, it partnered with Mount Alvernia Hospital to offer free flu vaccinations, eye checks, and basic health screenings.
Beyond providing practical support, volunteers also spend time listening, talking, and journeying with each person. Although HHOS is not a homeless shelter, it plays a crucial bridging role by walking with homeless friends emotionally, mentally, and relationally while guiding them toward long‑term stability.
The Past
Looking back…
How did you come to accept Christ?
I’m a second‑generation Christian, but I often felt out of place in Sunday school because of my unconventional style and mannerisms. Most of my peers avoided me, yet one Sunday school teacher took time to talk with me and make me feel welcome. His gentleness left a deep mark on my heart.
After I entered Raffles Institution, one of Singapore’s top schools, the distance between me and others at church grew even wider. Some rejected me after learning I was from the school, and I responded with bitterness, dismissing them as “ignorant.” I walked away from church, became agnostic, and grew increasingly elitist. My focus shifted to academic success and worldly achievements. I looked down on those from less privileged backgrounds and became arrogant and argumentative.
By Secondary 3, I realised how unpleasant I had become. My attempts to change my habits only showed me how hard it was to be good. Life felt meaningless, and I feared death. Around that time, a persistent thought began to echo in my mind: “Come back to Me.” I tried to ignore it, but it returned daily until one night I prayed, “God, if You’re real, show Yourself to me.” Nothing happened—at least not immediately.
Over time, however, I noticed certain schoolmates who radiated warmth and goodness. To my surprise, they were Christians. Their humility challenged my cynicism. As I studied science, I found evidence of design in creation and concluded there must be a Creator. Among all religions, Jesus of the Bible stood out as uniquely real. Still, I hesitated, knowing that following Him would require real change.
Before my O‑levels, I was invited to a healing rally at the Indoor Stadium, and I felt prompted to respond to the call to believe in Christ. Afraid, I prayed, “Lord, how about tomorrow?” At that moment, the preacher declared, “YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MAY HAPPEN TOMORROW!” I broke down and surrendered my life to Jesus that night.
A deep peace filled my heart, and my fear of death vanished. When I returned to church, the sermons spoke to me as never before. I prayed for a place to grow and was led to Hope Church in 1998, where I was baptised at 17. There, God humbled me and led me to serve the poor and later to teach Sunday school—ministering to children who didn’t fit in, just like I once was.
In 2019, God called my then‑girlfriend, who is now my wife, and me into missions and planting street churches for the homeless. We moved to 3:16 Church and served there for three years. Eventually, God led us to Bartley Christian Church, where we found genuine love, humility, and community.
How were you called to start HHOS?
It all began during my mission trip to Japan in 2012, where I helped with the tsunami disaster relief efforts. Many survivors had lost their homes and felt forgotten. One thing they kept saying etched into my heart: “Please don’t forget us.”
When I returned to Singapore, I started noticing elderly people sleeping in public spaces. It felt only right to care for those in need here as well. But I couldn’t find any information on homeless outreach groups in Singapore.
Hence, with my secondary school friend Mervin, we prayed and asked God to lead us to where the homeless were, and He did. We simply brought food and reached out to them. Over time, we started a Facebook page and invited others to join us on our fortnightly walks. That was how we “started small,” and how HHOS was founded on prayer.
From the beginning, we also hoped to be a firestarter, to build simple structures that would help churches join the mission, mobilise believers, and partner with the wider community. Singaporeans are willing to help, but we often think in practical, task‑oriented ways. Yet homelessness is rarely just a practical problem.
What are the most memorable lessons you had?
Once, a Malay family visited our place. I invited them to sit around the table to talk through their concerns, as Chinese and Western cultures often prefer discussing matters at a table. But the father suggested sitting in a circle instead, because that felt more relational and natural in their culture.
Then, for Chinese culture, there can also be a strong sense of self‑sufficiency—sometimes to the point of refusing help even when the children are struggling. All of this meant learning to see from within their cultures rather than imposing my own, especially in how people seek and receive help.
Another lesson I learned is to adopt a missional mindset and be humble, going to where people are instead of waiting for them to come to me. Go to them, sit under them.
There’s a homeless friend who was an alcoholic, and we visited him weekly for six months, but we did not share much about God with him. He was not a Christian, yet he would often say things like, “I thank God I’m alive today,” and meant it.
One day, he pulled me aside and said, “My life is nothing because I’m a drunkard.”
I shared the story of the prodigal son with him and asked what he thought of the story.
He replied, “I want to be a Christian.” So I led him to pray and welcome Christ into his heart, after which he said, “Now I feel very peaceful.”
Curious, I asked him, “What made you want to become a Christian?”
He said, “Because I see how much you love me.”
“How do you know we love you?” I asked.
“Because you keep coming back again and again.”
He made me understand more deeply what it meant to dwell among flesh like Jesus. And contrary to what is common among justice and mercy work, rather than talk about people, walk with them. Do not see people as problems to be solved but as people to be loved.
If given a chance to return in time, is there anything you would do differently?
I should have addressed the early signs of a character flaw in a core team member and given a clear warning. I even wrote a testimonial for this person, only to later discover they had told me half the truth. A core team must be built on integrity and people who avoid gossip. At the same time, those who ask tough questions are invaluable because iron sharpens iron, and they help keep the team accountable.
Another lesson I’ve learned is the importance of rest, especially during ministry. Once, I pushed myself to join an outreach walk while exhausted, and when someone triggered me, I snapped. I was more easily triggered then because I was tired. So, listen to both body and spirit.
Were there moments you felt like giving up?
Yes, especially during the early years, most notably the first two. I thank God for my co-founder, Mervin, who encouraged me through those times. I often felt frustrated that the church did not fully understand our ministry and homelessness. Many churches viewed homeless ministry merely as a co-curricular add-on — a community project or local charity initiative. While that is one aspect, it was disheartening to see the missional dimension overlooked. Homeless ministry is not just a community service activity, but an integral expression of Christian mission and the church’s calling.
Slowly, I realised that for churches to gain understanding and buy-in takes time. We at HHOS simply had to keep showing up and do the work. The church I am part of now is supportive. They even invited me to give a talk to raise awareness about homelessness in Singapore, and thus provided a platform for this ministry.
A few years after starting HHOS, I met others who had started a similar ministry around the same time as HHOS. For me, this was a clear confirmation of the Holy Spirit’s prompting. He stirred hearts in different places, yet toward the same mission, allowing the ministry to sprout simultaneously.
The Present
Looking at now…
What is the “job scope” as a co-founder of HHOS?
I handle back-end administrative tasks and advocacy work, both online and in person. I also manage our chat group, which helps us stay connected with our homeless friends and maintain communication with partners.
As for Mervin, he is now focused on his full-time job, but he remains part of our core team’s WhatsApp group, keeping up with what’s happening and occasionally sharing valuable insights.
Looking back, all of this has been God’s quiet preparation for missions. I’ve never liked paperwork or admin, but God has graciously grown in me a knack for understanding and grasping how systems and workflows function. I’ve even learned about accounting, auditing, and governance. These often-unseen skills are crucial for laying strong foundations for any organisational work and navigating the authorities.
As Corrie ten Boom said, “There is no paperwork so deep that His love is not deeper still.”
What does homelessness in Singapore look like today, both in numbers and in lived experiences?
Beyond numbers, the reality of homelessness is shaped by complex life factors, including family breakdown, job loss, and health challenges, that accumulate over time.
Most people become homeless not because they run out of resources, but because they run out of relationships. Broken families, fractured friendships, and the absence of a support network leave many vulnerable and alone. Without meaningful relationships, people slip through the cracks. That’s why our focus has always been to build relationships. You can outsource many things, but you can’t outsource friendship, presence, or love.
And when there’s opportunity, we share the gospel because our hearts are restless until they find rest in God, whether homeless or not.
What can churches in Singapore do more to help the homeless?
During COVID, churches in Singapore saw the reality of homelessness more clearly. When the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) recognised the scale of the issue, they reached out to various religious organisations to open their spaces for temporary shelter. I’m heartened that many churches were among the most willing to open their doors.
At the same time, I believe the Church in Singapore must continue to shed its middle‑class culture. Too often, when a homeless friend asks the church for help, the first question becomes whether the person has a job. Once, when I shared about our work at HHOS with an upper‑middle‑income cell group, I was questioned about KPIs, milestones, and goals, while my emphasis on the importance of building genuine friendships was ignored. For them, helping the homeless was not about humbly showing Christ’s love, but rather, a project to do some good works.
However, the Church is called to go to the root and build relationships before trying to fix the practical problems. Does the Church know the poor among them? Or do the poor slip under the radar because of how they are treated? Do they leave because they don’t feel accepted or that they belong?
It would be wonderful to see churches raise awareness and encourage individuals and families to host our homeless friends in partnership with social service agencies. This is the art of hospitality—where redemption becomes visible, and people are reconciled to Christ.
Family is the primary vehicle God wants to show His redemption. It can serve those around us who come from fractured or absent families. To a homeless world that has never known a father’s love, hosting families can carry and reveal the Father’s heart. People encounter the Father’s heart through hospitality, through being welcomed, seen, and treated as part of the family.
This is how the Church becomes home.
Are there partner churches?
Pastor Rick of Yio Chu Kang Chapel was deeply moved to support the homeless community after attending the Micah Conference on Christian social justice. He reached out to HHOS to explore partnership opportunities and thereafter approached other churches to open their spaces for hosting the homeless. Today, the church has established a community service arm, Bless Community Services (“BCS”), which manages Safe Sound Sleeping Places (“S3P”). S3Ps provide stayers with bedding, lockers, toiletries, warm showers, washing machines, dryers, a pantry, and WIFI access. As of January 2026, they have provided shelter for 370 individuals.
They are
- S3P@YCKC (in partnership with Yio Chu Kang Chapel),
- S3P@Inspire (in partnership with Faith Assembly of God),
- S3P@GLCC (in partnership with Gospel Light Christian Centre),
- S3P@Space79 (in partnership with Grace Methodist Church),
- S3P@BPMC (in partnership with Bukit Panjang Methodist Church).
I’m also encouraged that the current Methodist Bishop, Rev Philip, was willing to hear Bless Community Services share about the need for more churches to open their spaces as Safe Sound Sleeping Places for our homeless friends, as well as the unique challenges faced by homeless young people.
What can individuals/families do to support your work?
Compared to when we first started, I’m heartened to see more people seeking to understand the homeless situation in Singapore and more individuals stepping forward to volunteer with us. As of mid-April 2026, here are our volunteer statistics:
At the most basic level, if you know someone who needs help, or if you’re a social worker engaging someone who may be homeless, you can fill in this help request form at https://help.homeless.sg.
Beyond that, there are several meaningful ways to support this work. You can partner with us financially or invite us to share at your church to raise awareness. Practical items like warm socks are always needed, and cooked food is a blessing to our homeless friends. You can even “donate” a space, such as a condo function room, for community activities like festive gatherings. You can also volunteer your skills as entertainers during these events or as hairdressers during our walkabouts.
The most pressing need, however, is for individuals and families to open their homes to host our homeless friends, especially young people who have aged out of the foster care system. One encouraging story is of a single mother with two teenage sons who quietly hosted a man with disabilities for ten years, never seeking recognition. Community can be a place of redemption, like in the book of Ephesians.
Home for Good supports foster families and advocates for vulnerable children, serving as a trusted network across all races and religions. We hope to build similar support for youth who have left the foster system as well.
If you’re interested, contact us at homeless.sg, and we will guide you step by step. We partner you with a social worker and a homeless friend, walking together in a tripartite support structure.
Most importantly, pray first. Let God show you where He is calling you to serve. Because if it is driven only by compassion or pity, it will be difficult to sustain.
How do you deal with difficult people or people who don’t like you?
I’ve learned to deal with them through the eyes of grace. And also always pray before any missions for God’s supernatural grace to deal with difficult people during ministry.
What are the joys of doing what you are doing?
To experience God’s pleasure when I obey Him. Whenever I sit with people who are struggling, I’m often moved just watching them respond to us, as if Christ’s love is flowing through me to them. I remember sitting beside a man, taking his hand, and he began to cry. I cried too, and then felt what it is to mourn with those who mourn.
Then it’s amazing to witness signs and wonders. For example, a teammate woke from a dream feeling an urge to pray for the alcoholic uncle I had mentioned earlier, and later that very day, he accepted Christ. Father is already at work, inviting us to join Him where He is moving, to witness His wonders, to be where He is, and to do what He is doing.
In this season, what is God speaking to you about or teaching you?
I’m learning to walk in a ministry of meekness or weakness. Paul’s letters to the Corinthians wrote about how God chose the weak to shame the strong and what it means to serve in weakness. It’s not a popular topic in the modern Singapore church today, but it is crucial. We often mistake our strengths, eloquence, and confidence for ministry competence, even labelling it a “spirit of excellence.” Yet Scripture teaches us to die to self and rely on God’s power rather than wise and persuasive words. If you study the epistles to the Corinthians, Paul wrote that to the weak, he became weak… but he NEVER says anything about “to the strong I became strong”.
And so I have learned that many believers in Singapore, mostly Singaporeans, will be uncomfortable or offended with the simple, “childlike” way HHOS operates. Even with finances, some churches were taken aback when they asked about our fundraising plans, and I told them we ask God directly for the funds and trust in His providence. And really, we were never in lack all these years, by God’s grace.
And again by God’s grace, my core team, even the non-believers, understands and believes strongly in this simplicity and sincerity. This doesn’t mean we dismiss excellence in our work. We constantly strive for transparency, clarity, and accountability, such as conducting an audit of our finances. We do what is right not only in God’s eyes but also in people’s eyes.
However, as HHOS became more prominent, the Holy Spirit prompted me to go lower. Instead of spotlighting what we were doing at HHOS, He led me to highlight the work of other homeless outreach groups. And in a posture of meekness, even though I’m called to public speaking and advocacy, I intentionally choose simple words, simple clothing, and simple mannerisms – in Paul’s words:
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:3-5 (ESV)
Ultimately, it is about the meekness just as Christ has. To bend down with Him to humbly serve, and enter into His crucified weakness so that we too can enter into His resurrecting power.
What fruit of the Spirit do you think God is growing in you?
I would say joy. It’s important to find joy and have fun when serving. I’ve seen how, in some non‑Christian ministries, justice work is filled with anger, and everything feels like a constant fight. But when joy is present, the posture shifts. Joy lifts the atmosphere and sustains us longer.
What is your bible verse of the season?
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Psalm 61:2b (NKJV)
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
The week before this interview was a challenging one for us at HHOS. We had to settle some crucial paperwork, and I was feeling quite discouraged. So on the day of the deadline, I stopped by St Andrew’s Cathedral to pray and wait on the Lord.
Even though I believed God would work things out, I still felt nervous. A verse came to mind: “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” I opened my Bible, and it landed on Psalm 61, the same verse. I read, meditated, and prayed, feeling comforted that the Lord was near and speaking as I interceded over the paperwork. Then, the paperwork came through just in time. I sent it to our corporate secretary right before the deadline.
The Future
Look forward…
What would you like to see for homelessness in Singapore in the future?
To strengthen support for the homeless community, I have developed the #CityOfRefuge app, which uses a real-time database to coordinate responses and to remind befrienders via WhatsApp/Telegram of the ongoing needs of our homeless friends in the community.
This app also supports our research and data collection, which in turn helps government agencies and organisations to better understand and serve those who are homeless. One surprising finding is that nearly half of the homeless individuals we encountered are youth below 35 years old. This insight helps raise awareness of a group of hidden homeless young people who are often overlooked.
Hence, I would love to see more safe places opening up for young people and families with young children who are homeless. I am heartened by the work of Ken and Addy at The Last Resort. It is a safe shelter and caring community for young people built on God’s grace and promise.
To view the latest statistics and updates, you can visit https://cityofrefuge.homeless.sg/.
What’s one piece of advice for people starting their own ministry outside of the church?
Seek God in prayer, and keep partnering with a church, even when you’re serving beyond it.
Where do you think God is leading you next?
God is possibly opening doors to mission work overseas to serve refugees who are displaced and, in effect, experiencing homelessness. My teammate is also networking with other homeless groups in other countries as well.
Fun question: What would you be doing if you did not choose this path?
I don’t think I would choose any other path.
Editor’s Note
We thank Abraham Yeo for sharing his journey and the insights he has gained from faithfully reaching out and building relationships with those who are homeless. As I interview him, I can sense his conviction to approach justice work in Jesus’s way and his genuine desire to connect his homeless friends to the body of Christ, so that more of God’s grace and love can flow to them. If this post speaks to you, feel free to leave a comment or send us a message to encourage Abraham.
If you liked this, you may enjoy reading other interviews too: shema-rhema.com/blog/category/interviews
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