Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the social unrest that Hong Kong has endured this year, the enthusiasm of our volunteers remains undampened. Some years ago, in order to encourage members of the public to join the ranks of our volunteer force, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong launched the YM Volunteer Awards programme which recognises the efforts of our volunteers. Due to the pandemic, this year’s awards ceremony was held online, with celebrated DJ Timothy Cheng Tse Shing invited to spice up the event as the host and narrator. In addition to the awards, the ceremony also saw sand painting and singing performances by volunteers – all of which motivated the participants to continue to be persistent with their volunteer work and stand shoulder to shoulder with us during these challenging times.
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To ensure that our members, volunteers and staff remained safe and socially distant, this year’s YM Volunteer Awards Ceremony was held virtually, then recorded and shared with the public on our Facebook page. This year, the total number of registered volunteers was close to 13,000. Approximately 1,700 volunteers received awards, who together had amassed over 118,050 hours of service over the year. During a speech at the ceremony, Ho Kai-ming, the Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare said, “Volunteering not only brings people together, it benefits their personal development as well. I believe that God uses our hands to perform voluntary work and make the world a better place. I hope that every one of you remains enthusiastic in your volunteering work and that you continue to encourage your friends to join our force by spreading your positive spirit.”
To improve the entertainment value of the awards ceremony, DJ Timothy Cheng Tse Shing, as the show’s host and narrator, introduced this year’s outstanding volunteer groups. The event also featured a sand painting performance depicting the spirit of mutual aid that is ever-present among Hong Kong people. Chasy, a volunteer from our Kornhill Centre, presented an original song sung in acapella style, hoping to motivate both volunteers and service users during the pandemic. The sand paintings and songs were created especially for Hong Kong people, in the hopes that these will act as an inspiration and encourage people to continue supporting Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong.
This year’s award-winning volunteers were drawn from all kinds of ages and backgrounds. Among them, the “Magic Illusion” group, one of several recipients of the Outstanding Volunteer Group Award, stands out. They are a group of young people who love magic but who have also had several unpleasant life experiences. The group consists of a diverse collection of young people: one member has been bound over by the court; others have special learning needs or have performed poorly in school. Since forming Magic Illusion, these young people have found a sense of purpose by improving their magic skills and bringing joy to disadvantaged people in the community.
Magic Illusion has been invited by hospitals and rehabilitation institutions to present magic shows to elderly people with vision and hearing issues, and to teach magic skills to former psychiatric patients, allowing them to regain their joy and self-confidence. The group has also designed a well-received magic course for SEN students in the Tin Shui Wai area, and have repeatedly been invited to host magic shows by the Social Welfare Department, the Home Affairs Department and other local organisations. Their efforts are well known and highly appreciated throughout society – making them deserving recipients of this award.
Another winner of the Outstanding Volunteer Group Award was the “Comfort Preparatory Committee”, a group formed by the 7th Student Union of the University and College YMCA. Given the tense social atmosphere of Hong Kong over the past year, a rising number of young people have been struggling with emotional distress. This group decided to perform voluntary work that focuses on the mental health of young people. Thanks to their efforts, through different healing workshops and large-scale Zentangle creations, over 200 young people were able to learn stress management tips and learn how to restore their positive energy.
During the ceremony, the Rt. Rev. Dr Thomas Soo Yee-PO, JP, Chairman of the Christian Ministry and Membership Affairs Committee of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, said, “Even though our volunteers have had to stay home to fight the pandemic, they continued to fully exercise their strengths and help the disadvantaged in society. Persistence in volunteering, rain or shine, is not just a slogan, but something our volunteers put into practice.” He also quoted the Bible, Romans 12:12, saying, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer”, encouraging everyone to be resilient and overcome adversity.
Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong will continue to bring care and hope to vulnerable groups across the city by gathering the strength of our volunteers. Please
click here to join the YM Volunteer movement. And
click here to watch this year's YM Volunteer Awards Ceremony!