Get ready for Hong Kong tradition, an opportunity to get all your Christmas shopping done in one place AND support a variety of charities. The Michaelmas Fair organised by St. John’s Cathedral has been around for decades. A true local tradition.
There are handicrafts, home produce, white elephant, second-hand clothes, books, Christmas cards and decorations and much more. For the kids there are game stalls, and food and entertainment fo keep you going. Proceeds go to various charities that the cathedral supports. Don’t miss it.
The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge is a registered charitable institution under the companies ordinance in Hong Kong. It was established in 1986 under the Mission for Migrant Workers to provide charitable assistance and social counseling to the needy migrant workers and their families. Today it runs two shelters which last year served about 700 foreign domestic workers.
Bethune House is funded through donations from local churches, migrant organizations, service institutions, and concerned individuals in Hong Kong and overseas. Recently their overseas funding dried up after the churches involved focused on less developed territories. Read more about Bethune House‘s plight in this SCMP article.
To keep Bethune House going a donation appeal has gone out to raise $1Million in order to continue their work and Mission among the abused and distressed women migrant workers and their children.
Donate to Bethune House Account Name: The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge Limited Bank Name: Hang Seng Bank HK Savings Account: 284-8-241309 Swift Code: HASEHKHH
(All cash donations of HK$100.00 and above are tax deductible.)
If you have any questions or need a receipt for your donation, please reach out to the Mission for Migrant Workers directly. Their contact information is as follows:
Tel: (852) 2522-8264
Fax: (852) 2526-2894
Email: mission@migrants.net
Website: http://www.migrants.net
The Christmas Fair of the year is just around the corner. Michaelmas Fair at St. John’s Cathedral is a Hong Kong institution, with game stalls, marching bands, second-hand clothes, white elephant, charity stalls, and tons of Christmas gift ideas!
If it’s Christmas cards you are after, they have those too, or pop into the Cathedral’s Bookstore which stocks probably the largest collection of charity cards in Hong Kong.
PathFinders Limited is an independent, secular and non-partisan humanitarian services organisation with tax-exempt charitable status in Hong Kong.
Since their founding in 2008, PathFinders has helped over 4,800 of Hong Kong’s most vulnerable babies, children and migrant women. Over 10% of the children Pathfinders has served would, but for PathFinders, have been at extreme risk of abuse, neglect, even trafficking.
Mission To ensure that the most vulnerable children born in Hong Kong, and their migrant mothers, are respected and protected.
Vision
For all children to be respected and protected.
Values
PathFinders’ approach is non-judgmental, respectful, passionate, courageous, empathetic, discreet and collaborative.
Why does Hong Kong need PathFinders?
The babies, children and women that PathFinders help are either not supported, or are inadequately supported, by Hong Kong’s existing public welfare, healthcare and access to justice structures. In effect, they fall through the cracks of Hong Kong’s otherwise world class social welfare safety nets.
Who does PathFinders help? PathFinders helps pregnant, migrant women (principally current or former foreign domestic workers) in distress and their Hong Kong-born children. Despite legal protections, too many of these women are unlawfully fired once their pregnancy is announced or discovered. In 2016, 88% of the fathers were in Hong Kong. Once their employment is terminated, these pregnant women immediately become homeless. Within two weeks they lose access to all public welfare support. Now destitute, they and their babies are among the most vulnerable and underserved people in Hong Kong.
What you can do to help Volunteer: PathFinders is looking for motivated and passionate volunteers to help vulnerable children and their migrant mothers. Join PathFinders to make a unique and valuable contribution to our community. How you can help:
* Workshop Facilitator
* Supplies Coordinator
* Outreach Ambassador
To learn more about PathFinders’ stories, services, and other volunteer opportunities, to their Meet and Greet volunteer workshop.
Check out the calendar by following this link and sign up for PathFinders’ upcoming events. Join PathFinders to make a difference!
Donate Supplies: PathFinders collect and distribute pre-loved and new baby supplies to migrant mothers and children who desperately need our support. PathFinders gladly accepts donations of the following items for distribution to their clients:
* Newborn and children’s clothes (size up to 2 years)
* Baby blankets
* Baby carriers, baby slings and wraps
* Disposable diapers (up to 1yrs/11kg)
* Lightweight foldable pushchairs (See our ‘Pushchairs for PathFinders‘ collection campaign!)
* Baby milk formula (newborn to 1 yr) – expired baby food is not accepted.
* Maternity clothes
Please ensure that all donated items are dry, clean and in good condition.
Include your name, telephone number and email address inside each of your donation bags/boxes.
Drop Off Locations
PathFinders’ Office – Unit 2D, Worldwide Centre, 123 Tung Chau Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon (Map)
(Monday – Friday, 10am – 6pm)
Volunteer’s Home – C4, 101 Repulse Bay Road, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong (contact tel: 60441268 or victoria@pathfinders.org.hk to organise drop off)
Despite Hong Kong’s wealth, nearly 15 per cent of residents lack the ability to meet their most basic needs. Recent studies have shown those most at risk are elderly who live alone, with 37% unable to afford the basics, and children, with more than one-fourth living below the poverty line.
What is Serve-a-thon? Serve-a-thon Hong Kong brings together NGOs, corporates, government, media and civil society in collaboration to raise public awareness about the importance of community engagement in helping address social issues.
Over nine days, from May 6th through May 14th, the city will unite in service through hundreds of volunteer activities taking place across Hong Kong. This Hong Kong-wide ‘service marathon‘ offers volunteer opportunities for individuals, families, schools, civic organizations and corporations to come together and serve the community.
More than 75 major cities around the world host some form of service marathon. Serve-a-thon Hong Kong will be the largest-ever collective volunteerism-based event of its kind in Hong Kong. 2017 is the inaugural year of this annual event in Hong Kong.
Serve-a-thon supports those at greatest risk
*Animals
*Children and youth
*Elderly
*Environment
*Ethnic minorities
*Migrant workers
*People with disabilities
*Refugees
*Women
Why Volunteer?
Join Hong Kong’s first-ever collective service marathon and be part of this important initiative that gives back to the community:
– Learn more about Hong Kong’s pressing social issues
– Familiarize yourself with Hong Kong’s vibrant NGO sector and its valuable work serving those in need
– Sample different types of volunteer activities at different times of the week
– Participation is free for individuals and groups
– All volunteer hours will be counted and reported back following Serve-a-thon
– You can join as an individual or as a group
Date: 6-14 May 2017
Please note:
– Sign ups for activities are taken on a first come, first served basis, just simply check the calendar
– Registration is free to individuals or groups (families, friends, neighbors, schools, universities, churches, civic organizations)
– Group names will be posted on the website
– Corporations are required to follow the corporate registration procedure
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. These 17 goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice.
The volunteer opportunities within Serve-a-thon Hong Kong work to meet these global goals while serving the local community. For more information, please visit their website
About the Organisers: HandsOn Hong Kong (HOHK) is a registered charity that mobilizes and empowers the community to meet pressing social needs in Hong Kong through volunteer services. Founded in 2007, HOHK runs more than 100 volunteer activities each month; in 2015 alone the team organized 1,436 volunteer activities and served 107,000+ beneficiaries, many of whom include children and youth, the elderly, refugees, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) is a federation of non-governmental social service organizations. The establishment of the HKCSS came about after the end of the Second World War. In 1947, the HKCSS was established to co-ordinate and plan the diversification of various relief and welfare services. In 1951, the HKCSS became a statutory body under the Hong Kong Code of Practice (Cap. 1057). The rapid development of Hong Kong after the war and social welfare services has become one of the focus of government development. The HKCSS has been firmly in the position and has been an important partner in the development of social welfare since the 1970s. At present, the HKCSS has more than 450 institutional members who provide quality social welfare services to the public through its more than 3,000 service units.
Get ready for Hong Kong tradition, an opportunity to get all your Christmas shopping done in one place AND support a variety of charities. The Michaelmas Fair organised by St. John’s Cathedral has been around for decades. A true local tradition.
