Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong

What was your new year’s resolution? To seek a pay raise? Move to another country? The hopes and dreams of underprivileged members of our community are often much more modest than these – their wishes could be as simple as visiting their hometowns, having a new electric water heater or even act as a bus captain for a day. While many of us may see these wishes as easily achievable, granting them could change someone’s life for the better. Are you willing to give the underprivileged a helping hand to realise their dreams this year?

Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong’s “Realise Love Realise Dreams” project has been successfully running since 2012, recruiting volunteers and raising funds to help make people’s dreams come true. So far, the project has brought joy to 70 eligible individuals – giving, for example, a young man with disabilities being a bus captain for a day; giving new home appliances to people with terminal cancer, accompanying elderly people with mobility problems as they visited relatives in their hometowns, and offering assistance to seniors living in rural areas who needed to repair their doors and windows.

Recently, we held a launch ceremony on 17 February for the 2019 version of the project to make the public aware of the continuing successes of Realise Love, Realise Dreams. We invited Hong Kong actor Mr Jason Chan to be the event’s publicity ambassador, while to deepen public understanding of the project’s concept and past achievements, display boards and donation boxes were set up in the shopping mall which hosted the launch. The ultimate aim of the event was to encourage the public to give more to the underprivileged and help to bring their dreams to life.

The ceremony was officiated by The Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Soo Yee-po, J.P., Chairman of the Christian Ministry and Membership Affairs Committee of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong. ‘Even though Hong Kong is a developed society, there is also a growing wealth gap and increasing social inequality. We hope to use the Realise Love, Realise Dreams project to promote generosity and a volunteering spirit while encouraging those in need to seek help in order that they live better lives”. The Rt. Rev Soo, J.P. said.

Mr Jason Chan also spoke at the event, describing the trip to visit two senior people living in Fanling alone. On stage, he shared his volunteering experience with the audience, with his service target, 80-year-old Sau Ying, by his side. Sau Ying lives in a rural area of Fanling, and after having knee surgery a few years ago, her mobility became limited – for the past ten years, she has literally had to crawl upstairs to her rooftop to perform housework.

Thanks to the assistance provided by social workers and the Realise Love, Realise Dreams project, a handrail has now been installed on her roof access staircase. “Installing a stair handrail may only be a minor project with a low cost, but it demonstrated care and respect to this lady and other seniors. It was rewarding to see their priceless smiles”, said Mr Chan.

Mr Law Ho Hin, a young man with disabilities who was given the chance to act as a bus captain for a day, also attended the launch ceremony with his mother, and shared his experiences with the audience. Other guests included two Correctional Services Department officers, Kai and Fai, who talked about their experiences volunteering with the project and how they took several elderly participants on a visit to Ocean Park. They then encouraged others to donate their valuable time to the project, just like they did.

We encourages all our members to consider making a donation to the Realise Love, Realise Dreams project this year. We also urge anyone in need to apply for assistance from the project.

Please click here to learn more about the Realise Love, Realise Dreams project.

Have you ever played walking football? Introduced to Hong Kong from the UK, walking football is an emerging sport designed for middle-aged people and those with chronic illnesses, it has rapidly become a big hit in countries around the world; the first Walking Football World Cup will be held in the UK in 2020. Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong helped to introduce the sport to Hong Kong, and to continue our leading role, we plan to partner with AXA Hong Kong to hold the 2019 Walking Football Fun Day on 23 February. Two former Liverpool FC players, Bruce Grobbelaar and Patrik Berger, alongside local celebrities like Alfred heung Kin Ting, Edwin Siu Ching Nam and retired football player Leslie George Santos, will attend the event. This fun day will be a great opportunity to enjoy a close encounter with celebrities and football players, so don’t miss out! See you at Happy Valley!

Event: 2019 YMCA-AXA Foundation Walking Football Fun Day
Date: 23 February 2019 (Saturday)
Time: 14:00 - 17:00
Venue: Happy Valley Racecourse public forecourt
For enquiries, call: 2783 3615
(Admission is by ticket only)

City dwellers are more likely to suffer from health issues, both physically and mentally due to stress, especially when we lack of rest or being driven by negative emotions. Given this, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong has launched a series of activities to help the public to relieve their stress with the theme of "R-Day," in the hope of promoting health message and improving people’s lives.

Our Kowloon Centre is hosting a practical health and well-being seminar, where those attending can learn more about stretching, slow breathing techniques and even the concept of slow eating. Give yourself a break and sign up today!

Date: 16 March 2019 (Saturday)
Time: 11:00 - 13:00
Venue: 3/F, Kowloon Centre at 23 Waterloo Road, Yau Ma Tei
Target: Members aged 18 or above
Cost: HK$100
Enquiry Number: 2783 3319 (Mr Sheh)

Miss Chan Siu Lan, a registered social worker working at our Hin Keng Centre, was recognised at the 28th Outstanding Social Worker Awards in the “Most Remarkable Experience in Helping People” category. She won the award for taking on a counselling role for a secondary student in Form 2 who lacked the motivation to learn and who had low self-esteem. To encourage the student to think positive and overcome their difficulties, Miss Chan spent a significant amount of time with the student, eventually discovering that they were interested in photography. By arranging photography workshops and sharing sessions where the student could meet peers with a similar background, the student not only improved their photography but gained self-confidence at the same time. At the ceremony, Miss Chan expressed her gratitude to the student for the nomination and the honour of winning the award.

YM Fleur is our social enterprise founded in May 2018 which promotes environmental protection and enhances employment opportunities for women through creating dried floral products. After only six months of operation, YM Fleur received the “Most Engaging Social Enterprise Rising Star Award” at a ceremony put on by the Tithe Ethical Consumption Movement. Receiving this award has enhanced the determination of YM Fleur to serve society to the best of our ability.

Just before the arrival of the Chinese New Year, our Y-Care Corporate Partner Dah Sing Bank dispatched a team of corporate volunteers to our Chai Wan Centre to learn how to prepare some traditional foods for the festival. These volunteers then visited elderly people living alone in the district, bringing with them festive gifts and the treats they had made. During the visits, the seniors shared their stories of Chinese New Year customs with the volunteers, and the volunteers helped them decorate their apartments in return.

Every year, our Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village offers free admission to all on the third day of the Chinese New Year. This year’s event proved to be particularly popular, drawing a record high of nearly 6,000 participants. Visitors were able to freely roam around and enjoy all of the village’s facilities, including the trampoline, archery field, rope course and badminton and basketball courts, as well as the barbeque area where everyone gathered to eat, drink and celebrate the festival.