May 2019 - Hope of the City Newsletter
Volunteers From Far and Away
Hope of the City had the pleasure recently of welcoming 41 students and teachers from Norway to serve together in our city. These energetic visitors from the Norwegian Bible School spent May 8 at China Holiness College in Sham Shui Po, introducing Norwegian culture to 5 classes and even bringing samples of their native food. Over a lunch of pizza and pasta, they also got in some one-on-one English practice with the kids. Then on May 8, they headed out to a drug rehab centre in Sai Kung. There was much to learn from the young men of Christian New Being Fellowship, and the rainy weather did nothing to dampen spirits as they exchanged stories, sang and played ping pong together.
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Making New Friends in SSP
A new round of family home visits in Sham Shui Po kicked off on Apr 6 with a ‘Get-to-know-you’ event at the YWCA. Five families and the 16 Hope volunteers who will be visiting them each month played games together and had the chance to connect in an atmosphere of fun. The first home visits then took place on May 4, with families and volunteers eager to meet again and start planning for an upcoming picnic outing. We’re happy to report that the YWCA’s social worker, Suyi, was very impressed by the patience and love shown by our volunteers.
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NTK Elderly Step into History
It was a pleasantly mild day on Apr 27 when 48 Hope volunteers accompanied 48 elderly from Ngau Tau Kok on an outing to Tai Kwun in Central. For many, it was the first time they had ever stepped foot in the historic Victoria Prison compound. They were amazed by the beautifully restored buildings and snapped plenty of photos, though some were a bit spooked when touring the prison cells, even knowing they were long out of use. On a happier note, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the dim sum lunch that followed, praising the excellence of the yummy ‘heart’s delights’.
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Loving the City welcomes Light Be
During 2019, Hope of the City is sponsoring a series of poverty awareness talks called ‘Loving the City’. Part II in the series was held on Apr 14 at Island ECC and attracted 53 participants. This time, our speaker was Ricky Yu of Light Be, an organization focusing on social housing. Ricky shared about some of the innovative solutions Light Be has pioneered in their efforts to provide adequate housing to struggling families. He also explained how landlords can participate in creating housing opportunities for those in need. Be sure to join our next talk on July 7.
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From Partying to Fundraising
May was an exciting month for IDEAL, one of our favorite local partners. On May 4, a dozen enthusiastic Hope volunteers joined 43 youth and parents for IDEAL’s quarterly birthday party. They led musical games and helped serve up the mouth-watering mom-cooked snacks, leaving everyone with warm hearts and smiles from ear to ear. Then, on May 11, five Hope volunteers lent support to 60 IDEAL members for their 30th anniversary Mother's Day charity walk at The Peak. After posting route markers along the winding scenic walk, they joined the parents in heartily cheering their children on.
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