YMCA 2020 October Perspective
28-10-2020
Cover Story
Rain or Shine: Our Volunteers are Persistent!
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.
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!
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!
What’s New
Mapperthon Sports Project calls for volunteers
Since the launch of the Jockey Club Mapperthon Community Action Project in February this year, we have recruited an impressive 1,200 young people, aged 12-39, and 400 seniors, aged 40-65, as sports volunteers for the project. Through participating in different sports and various types of volunteer training, they are all motivated to serve the underprivileged in the community.
Click here to learn more about the Mapperthon Sports Project. Do you enjoy sports and helping the community through volunteerism? Then click here to register!
Click here to learn more about the Mapperthon Sports Project. Do you enjoy sports and helping the community through volunteerism? Then click here to register!
Love movies? Then come to our screenwriting workshop!
It’s definitely not easy to write a screenplay that is fascinating, compelling and heart-warming all at the same time. If you want to learn more about how to create a screenplay and get some writing tips, then you won’t want to miss the screenwriting workshop organised by the 7th Hong Kong Secondary School Mini-Movie Competition! At the workshop, Mr Neo Yau Hawk Sau, a multi-talented digital artist, YouTuber and mini-movie producer, will share his secrets of writing a good screenplay with the audience. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, click here to register now!Date: 21 November 2020 (Saturday)
Time: 15:00-17:00
Venue: Diamond Room, the Cityview Hostel, 23 Waterloo Road, Yau Ma Tei (MTR: Yau Ma Tei Station Exit A2)
Instructor: Mr Neo Yau Hawk Sau
Cost: Free
Fireside chat on ESG
Fireside chat on ESG The COVID19 pandemic is now spreading rapidly across the world, creating devastating effects on economies and livelihoods everywhere. When facing the chances and the challenges, we find there is a growing awareness of the importance of ESG and sustainability. As part of the upcoming Hong Kong FinTech Week this November, there will be a Fireside Chat session with speakers from around the world, free to share with participants from listed companies how to improve corporate sustainability through managing ESG issues properly. click here to register the virtual fire chat now!Topic: FinTech for SDG and ESG Excellence - A Virtual Fireside Chat
Date: 03 November 2020 (Tuesday)
Time: 19:00 – 21:00 (HKT)
Activities Highlights
The Be a Global Citizen Prize Presentation Ceremony
2020 marks the tenth year of our”Be a Global Citizen Campaign”. Despite the social unrest and the pandemic that have rocked Hong Kong over the past year, our enthusiasm for caring about the community and shouldering our social responsibilities remains as strong as always. This year’s campaign drew 222 participants who competed for the Gold medal – the highest number ever recorded – while 27 silver and 42 bronze medals were also awarded. The winners of Be a Global Citizen Photo Contest were also announced at the ceremony. You can click here to view the winning photos and learn more about the stories behind the photos.
Click here to watch the 2019-2020 Be a Global Citizen Campaign Online Prize Presentation Ceremony.
Click here to watch the 2019-2020 Be a Global Citizen Campaign Online Prize Presentation Ceremony.
Findings of our Four-Region Study released
To better understand how young people in four regions of South China view the concept of overseas exchanges, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong collaborated with the Youth Services Organisation of Guangzhou, the YMCA of Macau and the Teacher Chang Foundation to conduct a broad survey on the status of youth exchanges in the context of globalisation.A total of 316 people responded to the survey. The findings were fascinating – among the highlights were that young people in all areas are eager to participate in overseas exchanges, and believe that experience is more important than knowledge; though they also expressed concerns about culture shock brought on by globalisation as well as the potential loss of traditional culture. The Association will continue to provide young people with opportunities to participate in various international youth exchange activities and encourage young people to actively engage with the world as a new generation of global citizens.
Click here for the details of the survey.
Providing hygiene supplies to the vulnerable
As the pandemic continues to rage around the world and here at home, one of our Y-Care CSR partners, CITIC Telecom, recently donated masks, hand sanitizer and food to our Shek Kip Mei Centre before the Mid-Autumn Festival to give back to people in need in the community during this difficult time. Around 300 people benefited from their generous donation.
Donating mid-autumn gift sets
Last month, the Association’s Kornhill Centre received 400 mid-autumn gift sets sponsored by the Synergy Association International. These were given to members of the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong’s Y's Men's Centre for the Deaf and the Chinese YMCA Home of Love – Yung Shing Sheltered Workshop. The volunteers of the Synergy Association International also joined our volunteers from the Project Joy programme on a visit to low income families, elderly people and the homeless in the Eastern District of Hong Kong Island, sending their warmth and love to people in need at a time when they need it most
Discover YMCA Channel
7th Hong Kong Secondary School Mini-Movie Competition
Copyright © 2020 Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, All rights reserved.
Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong © 2024