750 Christmas presents
donated to HKFYG's youth

The two Federation kindergartens and 4 of our Youth SPOTs will be the focus of Ms Eva Wong’s generosity this month. Ms Wong and her philanthropic friends have formed an association called 越寬薈 and have given us an unprecedented number of Christmas gifts as a gesture of love and kindness towards underprivileged youngsters in the community. On their behalf, thank you Ms Wong!

Underprivileged children benefit from Emirates Airlines donation

The proceeds raised by Emirates Airlines at a Hole in One golf tournament at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling will be used to fund activities for children from low-income families in Tin Shui Wai. The Federation is very grateful for the donation of over HK$38,000. Contact Bonnie, tel 2123 9598 for more information.

Free toys for Tin Shui Wai children

e-services are running a project called Gachapon for Love for deprived children in Tin Shui Wai on the u21 website for the next 2 months. 200 free toys will be donated by 大昌玩具出口有限公司 to be handed out to children at Tin Shui Wai Youth SPOTs.

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co Ltd sponsors distribution of rice at Youth SPOT
HKFYG's e-services are going to run a project for the elderly in Tsuen Wan sponsored by the Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co Ltd from December 07 to January 08. The project is called Rice-giving in the Year of the Mouse and free rice will be distributed to the elderly via Tsuen Wan Youth SPOT.
Community Investment & Inclusion Fund supports project for after-school care
This collaborative project with Heung Hoi Ching Kok Lin Association Buddhist Chan Shi Wan Primary School will provide a caring environment for P1-2 pupils after school hours and build mutual support networks for their families. It began in November and will run till October 2009 in Northern District, organized by the HKFYG Jockey Club Cheung Wah Youth SPOT. Contact Mr. Tin-sang Wong who is in charge of the Youth SPOT for more details, tel 2669 9111.
Cooking for Life organizes culinary activities for youth
Approximately 70 HKFYG-nominated young people from underprivileged backgrounds have been nominated for this programme run in co-ordination with major Hong Kong hotels and restaurants. They are provided with free activities, food, uniforms and kitchen equipment. Training in cookery and preparation for possible careers in the hotel and catering industry are combined with field trips to markets, farms and restaurants. Chef Martin Yan accompanied the young participants on a recent visit to a fish market and will be acting as a Cooking for Life Ambassador.
Visit www.cookingforlife.org.hk or contact Ada, tel 2123 9598, for details.
Heart to Heart schools and companies 2007-2008
Enrollment has just taken place for this year's Heart to Heart project. Since the project began in 2005, 277 schools have signed up and 106 companies have joined the campaign, providing funds support to 212 community service projects. The schools are paired with companies to create a caring force of volunteers who work together. It cultivates a genuine wish to serve others and enriches young people's lives by showing them how much they can help the needy. Heart to Heart Companies donate HK$3,000 for each sponsored school service project and may send volunteers to work with students from the Heart to Heart Schools. Tel 2169 0032 or visit www.hkfyg.org/yvn or www.u21.hk for more details.
 
 
Hong Kong Youth Dance: Auditions

Date 9 December 2007 and 20 January 2008
Place HKFYG Tsuen Wan Youth SPOT
Eligibility youth aged 15-24 who have learned dancing for 3 years+
Commitment a commitment of 1 year to the group is requested
Artistic director Andy Wong
Enquiries tel 2395 759
email lcss@hkfyg.org.hk
Info and application form at www.u21.hk/dance

Hong Kong Youth Dance
 

Some websites with information on volunteering in Hong Kong include:
www.volunteering-hk.org/youth07/
www.avs.org.hk
www.volunteering-hk.org/
english/aboutvs/vs_about.html

www.swd.gov.hk/en

Executive Director & Youth Volunteers

5 December International Volunteer Day

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in
the service of others. Mahatma Gandhi

5 December is International Volunteer Day when the world celebrates volunteerism. It has an important role for youth and for corporate social responsibility, especially when corporate volunteers offer mentorship to their young counterparts.

This form of cross-sector relationship is the foundation of the Heart to Heart Project which was launched in 2005, bringing together schools and businesses in sponsored voluntary work.

277 schools have joined the campaign since then, with over 100 companies supporting them. Many set up volunteer corps of students for whom HKFYG provides training and workshops. Sponsors commit HK$3,000 to support each project run by these schools and receive a Heart to Heart Company logo in appreciation. Read Forums for feedback from participants.

Contact Anna for more information about volunteering with the Federation.
email anna.lau@hkfyg.org.hk tel 2169 0032, www.hkfyg.org.hk/yvn

 
Interaction: youth and the elderly, coorporate volunteers with youth
Project Relay Volunteers
 

HKFYG runs several projects for the needy with youth as voluntary helpers. There was a Harbour Day outing recently and long-term projects include Project Relay and Heart to Heart. All of them are designed to bring young people together with those who are less fortunate than themselves so that they see how much they have to offer.

A 16-year old volunteer, Cheung Hoi-ki , from HKFYG Jockey Club Ping Shek Youth SPOT told us:

I wanted to help the underprivileged. It meant so little time and effort on my part and so much happiness for them.

On the harbour outing, low-income families from Wong Tai Sin and Tseung Kwan O had the chance to celebrate on a vessel owned by the HK Ferry Group. The children and their parents were treated to a marine parade on deck, and entertained by ferry staff, with a sumptuous buffet lunch, a conjurer and a live band.

:We wanted the youngsters to discover the beauty of the harbour with us, said Candy Lee, Human Resources & Administration Manager for the Group. They hardly ever go by ferry and it was a joy for all of us to see them treasuring every moment.

The smiling faces of the children were what affected us most, said other volunteers from HKFYG's Youth SPOTs. For some of them it was the very first time they had been on a ferry.

 
Harbour Day Ferry Outing

This is not the first time HK Ferry Group has been involved with volunteering at HKFYG. They are also one of our Heart to Heart companies and Candy joined a team from the Shek Lei Catholic Secondary School on visits to the ELCHK Grace Day Activity Centre for the mentally handicapped:

With the help of the NGOs like HKFYG, we corporate volunteers can make people like this feel happy and warm. I hope many more companies will encourage their staff to volunteer…it meant a lot to everybody.

Pupils at Chan Su Ki (La Salle) Primary School with staff from Heart to Heart company, Allan International Holdings Ltd, organized a sports day for The Association of Parents of Pre-School Handicapped Children. Ms Cheung, president of the company, stressed the role parents can play:

Primary school is the best time to give the younger generation positive values … with more contact and communication they will grow up less prejudiced about differences … parents are very important because they can encourage their children to reach out while also giving them emotional support they need …

 
Harbour Day Ferry Outing

Our school believes in the goals of volunteering and will promote culture of giving, said Miss Yu, the school's headmistress.

Heart to Heart Project
 

Voluntary service with the elderly is another facet of the services organized by HKFYG and is the spirit behind Project Relay which began in 2003 at the time of the SARS epidemic. In 2007, the project was revived by HKFYG to support the needy among our rapidly ageing population with home visits. Volunteer Elaine Cheang told us about it:

What was totally unexpected was how much we could share with the elderly and they loved to be listened to. For example, 95-year old Mrs Chan has an amazing memory and could tell us all about her life spanning nearly a century of Hong Kong's history.

The elderly Mr Cheng's feedback said it all:

The love and care of the youth volunteers, their kindness and dedication, lit up my life!

The thought was echoed by 21-year-old Cyrus Cheng:

The fact that we cared, that's what mattered to them most, said Cyrus, just a smile from us made all the difference.

 
Project Relay Volunteers

The fundamental ethos of volunteering is that it is better to give than to receive. When asked why they give their time freely, volunteers say that it makes them feel happy to do so. The reciprocity involved is what makes it really tick, for everyone involved.

Contact Bonnie in Partnership, tel 2123 9598 to talk about collaborating with us or call Anna, tel 2169 0032, for more information about the Youth Volunteer Network


21st IAVE (International Association for Volunteer Effort)
Asia Pacific Regional Volunteer Conference 2007 Nagoya-Aichi
9 December 2007 Youth Forum & Youth Plenary Session on the theme of:
Diversity and Collaboration in Asia-pacific Youth Volunteer Activities
Youth Workshop III: Gather GYSD Power in Asia-Pacific
Youth Virtual Forum on the theme of:
Global Environmental Issues - environment, society, economy
www.iave2007nagoya-aichi.jp/eng/youth.html [accessed 27/11/07]

IAVE representative in Hong Kong: Agency for Volunteer Services
tel: 852-2527-3825 e-mail: avs@avs.org.hk
www.avs.org.hk


 
Making volunteering attractive
International Volunteer Day Logo
 

International Volunteer Day is celebrated in Hong Kong on 5 December and awards are given for outstanding service to the community. Figures published by the Social Welfare Department’s Steering Committee on the Promotion of Volunteer Services* show that in 2006 HKFYG came fifth among all organizations with a total of 498,459 service hours completed out of 17,366,605 for all Hong Kong.

 
registered youth volunteers
aged under 12 in HK: 48,841
aged 13-25 in HK: 270,890
youth members in HKFYG Youth Volunteer Network: approx 117,000

From youth's perspective, benefits of volunteering rest largely in career and travel advantages, as borne out by an HKFYG poll survey.** The poll, conducted by random telephone sampling, found one in five of the respondents had done volunteer work in the past year. Of those who had not, the majority found the concept attractive on a one-off basis but the biggest obstacle was lack of time.

There has been no shortage of volunteers for the 2008 Olympics and the activity itself is a key factor for obvious reasons. Other good motivators are online recruitment, provision of mentors and giving frequent rewards. All of these are used at HKFYG.

NSGVP Statistics
www.givingandvolunteering.ca

A survey done in Canada, also in 2000 *** found over 80% of 15-24 year-olds volunteered in order to develop better communication skills and over half were motivated to volunteer because it was seen as an opportunity to improve job related skills and career options.

The benefits of volunteering for disadvantaged teens are particularly strong because it provides empowerment, engagement and a sense of inclusion. A study**** of 3,178 American youth aged 12-18 shows that 40% believe they can make more difference in their community than those who don't volunteer. They are motivated most strongly by a desire to help others but are again likely to be interested because they can gain work skills or experience.

* http://www.volunteering-hk.org/english/aboutvs/vs_stat.html [accessed 4 December 2007]
** The Views of Young People on Volunteering. HKFYG Youth Poll Series no 84. December 2000
*** National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating 2000 www.givingandvolunteering.ca
**** www.worldvolunteerweb.org/browse/volunteering-issues ... [accessed 15/11/07]

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