Vernetta Lopez
To many, Vernetta Lopez is a DJ and actress with a funny bone. But few know her "serious" role as President of anti-poverty organisation ONE Singapore.
As pack leader, Vernetta strategises, connects people and creates initiatives like the Corporate Adoption Program where companies adopt charities under their corporate social responsibility projects.
Currently, she is busy with their upcoming Every ONE Can Grocery Warehouse Sale.
Come 29 October 2011, ONE Singapore collaborates with FoodXervices to open their warehouse selling foodstuff. This event supports Willing Hearts who provides three daily meals to the needy.
Those keen on groceries at wholesale prices, feeding themselves and the less fortunate simultaneously can visit Tanjong Pagar Distripark between 10am to 3pm.
Society, not a charity
For Vernetta, she is reluctant to focus on just one charity and ONE Singapore "helps a whole bunch of people".
She says, "Our range of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) helps a whole spectrum".
"We're not charity, we're society. We raise funds for others, publicising groups needing greater exposure".
With "Ensure Environment Sustainability" as her favourite and most urgent MDG, Vernetta feels the dying environment perpetuates poverty when natural disasters drag the poor downwards.
Deeply passionate about this, she reckons waste will become resource eventually and everyone should make changes to recycle and reduce pollution now.
But isn't it also true that unequal wealth distribution and widening rich-poor gap perpetuates poverty, and this successful entertainer cum entrepreneur of a wedding planning business falls into the former?
Vernetta says, "This is why I'm part of ONE Singapore. At the same time I'm not a millionairess, someone with gazillions of dollars".
She adds, "I ask the same of people like Oprah Winfrey who earned $290 million last year. If I had $290 million, I will build a company going into rubbish. Every smoky mountain, every landfill is a goldmine and I would give back to society".
Struggling daily, Vernetta shares she will be happier saving the planet. And she has considered quitting entertainment to fight poverty.
However, seeing how celebrities use fame to benefit others like Angelina Jolie, Vernetta concluded her career also brings greater effectiveness.
"If I earn millions, I would give back millions. If you don't do something useful with your money, you got to be a twit!"
Different projects
Pulled in different directions, she admits neglecting ONE Singapore while juggling many plates.
Busy filming Okto TV's Knockout, upcoming new projects will also see her producing and acting.
Now seen on the kids' channel's "Zero Hero" Season 2, Vernetta resumes her role as Mimi Wong, aka Lady Magnificent. The mother running the Magnificent Heroes family, she is "terrible… having few husbands varying in size and characters".
Despite not revealing who these "men" are, one thing is certain — she moved on from Timothy Nga to Pierre Png in Season 2.
So who makes a better husband?
"Both have a mak nenek (mother, grandmother in Malay) quality!"
"Tim is methodological but Pierre is a kid sometimes. I had to take a sweet from him and say no more! He is very mischievous, different from Tim that way".
Describing her real personality as sensitive, bad (food) decision maker, Vernettta is also a creative home-body good with her hands.
Vernetta Lopez2
As hobby and therapy, Vernetta does beading. Started three years ago, she is interested to have a jewellery line — part sideline, part charity.
Keen to do some nice signature pieces, Vernetta hopes to eventually auction her creations for charity. No concrete plans are in the pipeline but she also wishes to partner social enterprises to sell her range.
Super mum in the making?
So is all this devotion of her time and energies to charity an extension of her Lady Magnificent super-heroine character?
Laughing heartily, Vernetta objects, "No way, I won't call myself a superhero! "
"I love to emulate or aim towards 'superhero' values but I would never call myself that. I think we all aim to be heroes -- even if you do one small thing, in their eyes, you are a hero to whoever you help."
If not a superheroine, how about being a super-mom like her onscreen character?
Vernetta muses that her husband and herself are happy, and with her working so hard at career and charity, she is "too lazy to be a mother".
At 38, Vernetta adds, "We are grappling with it -- I see the clock but don't hear it ticking yet".
Keen for more marital bliss but not banning motherhood, she continues, "I just got married again and feeling truly happy".
"I feel pressure… even from my gynaecologist! But I should reach a decision soon".
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