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In response to our ever-changing social and economic environment, the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui’s social enterprise, Good Kitchen, has adjusted its operation strategies and has transformed its catering business into food manufacturing since 1st May, 2017. To deliver its heartfelt gratitude to the support from various sectors, the Welfare Council hosted a thanksgiving dinner cum “Servanthood Leadership” dinner series, “Holding on and letting go” on 28th April, 2017. A total of 123 guests, friends and staff joined together to look back at the wonderful moments and celebrate the future of the Good Kitchen as well as learn the spirit of servanthood leadership on this eventful night.   The Welfare Council invited Ms Florence Hui, Under Secretary for Home Affairs, the Rt Revd Andrew Chan, Bishop of the H.K.S.K.H. Diocese of Western Kowloon and The Revd Kenneth Lau, Chaplain of the Welfare Council, as the officiating guests of the Ceremony to celebrate the Good Kitchen’s new mode of operation. Accompanied by Dr Jane Lee, the Director of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, 3 guests put the labels – “Healthy”,  “Environmental-friendly”, “Innovative” and “Caring” respectively into a basket filled with fresh and healthy food, suggesting the Good Kitchen will continue to create healthy and fresh dishes while promoting and extending the messages of “Healthy”, “Environmental-friendly”, “Innovative” and “Caring”.   In her opening remarks, Dr Jane Lee, Director of the Welfare Council, said, “Such transformation is to prepare for the Good Kitchen’s future development. It is always hard to say goodbye but I believe that it is not the end of the story but a new chapter of the Good Kitchen. I am sure that the Good Kitchen is ready for new challenges and I hope you will continue to support the Good Kitchen. I also want to thank the community for their generous support for the Good Kitchen by making donations or working with the it on various community projects.”   Also, Dr Lee mentioned that the dinner series has always been a well-received programme held at the Good Kitchen, where Father Thomas Kwan, the Rt Revd Andrew Chan and the Rt Revd Dr Timothy Kwok were invited to share the theory of spiritual management with participants. She felt grateful for the leadership of them and Father Thomas Kwan for hosting the Servanthood Leadership dinner series in that evening. Dr Lee then presented the Awards of Appreciation to the partners and staff of the Good Kitchen in recognition of their effort and contribution all along.   A keynote speaker of the dinner series, Father Thomas Kwan, is the Honorary Professional Consultant of the Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research, CUHK as well as the Welfare Council’s Spiritual Development Consultant. Father Kwan’s views on holding on and letting go were inspiring and the participants found the experience physically and spiritually fulfilling. At the end of the dinner, guests and employees grasped the final opportunity to capture the precious moments of the Good Kitchen, filling the night with warmth and happiness.    30th April was the last operation day of the Good Kitchen before moving on to a new stage. The Good Kitchen team shared sentiments of regret but the team still served every customer with heart and dedication. On that day, Mr Joseph Man, Deputy Director of the Welfare Council led a group of staff of the Welfare Council’s headquarters to visit the Good Kitchen and say thank you to the Good Kitchen team. Staff also shared how the Good Kitchen established and experiences to conclude the afternoon.   Good Kitchen will move forward. Blessing by the Rt Revd Andrew Chan to the Good Kitchen: May the Lord give us the ability to hold on and the courage to let go; the wisdom to hold on and the depth to let go; the perservance to hold on and the bravery to let go; the determinedness to hold on and the spiritual strength to let go. May the Lord show us the meaning of life, truth and His will in holding on and letting go.   The Past and Future of the Good Kitchen Founded in 2013, the Good Kitchen was the first Chinese eatery in the form of social enterprise that has been actively promoting caring to underprivileged groups, healthy eating, eco-friendliness and innovative social services while maintaining high standards of food quality, attracting compliments from celebrities and gourmets as well as wide media coverage. Fulfilling its social responsibilities, the Good Kitchen was well-recognized by the public.   Collaboration with Various Organisations Over the past few years, the Good Kitchen has promoted a number of service schemes to support the underprivileged members of society, persons undergoing rehabilitation, ex-offenders and female immigrants from the mainland. Besides, it has worked with the S.K.H. Holy Carpenter Church Community Centre to provide an internship programme to seniors, which increased their chances of rejoining the workforce. Events such as work shadowing programmes, tours to social enterprises, parenting talk and the local food feast also held at the Good Kitchen.   Caring for Society Unlike regular takeout, the Good Kitchen has advocated eco-friendly eating habits. With the sponsorship of the DBS Social Enterprise Advancement Grant, new services including “Meals for Good” and “Soup for Good” were launched to offer enterprises in the surrounding districts nutritious lunches and double-boiled soup, helping workers establish healthy and eco-friendly eating habits. The Good Kitchen also launched its Suspended Meal Scheme. Empowered by donations from various sectors, it offered meal coupons to low-income individuals so they could enjoy free lunches at the Good Kitchen. In a show of corporate responsibility, the Good Kitchen co-organized varied charity movements with a number of corporations, which included to host the “Good Spirit” caring activity with the Henderson Land Development Company Limited and bring festive foods to households on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, street sleepers, persons undergoing rehabilitation, immigrants from the mainland and singleton elderly so they could feel the love and care of society.   Ready for New Challenges Backed by profound experience in the industry, the Good Kitchen is well prepared for new challenges ahead. Currently, the food factory has started operation. In addition to providing nutritious lunch boxes and soup, catering services, festive foods and food manufacturing, the Good Kitchen will continue to offer job opportunities and training to the underprivileged groups. Please support the Good Kitchen! For any sales enquiry, please contact us via the following ways:   Good Kitchen Tel: 2541 7031 (Ms Ching/Ms Tse) Email: gk@skhwc.org.hk Facebook: www.facebook.com/goodkitchen500 Fax: 2752 7382 Website: www.goodkitchen.com.hk Address: Flat 3A, 4/F, Hoi Luen Industrial Centre, Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon

Charity Raffle 2017 has come to an end. Thanks for your generous support. Below is the Lucky Draw result on 5th May 2017:   Winners should register by calling 2521 3457 and collect the prizes at the Welfare Council's Headquarters during office hours between 12th May 2017 and 12th June 2017 or else prizes will be forfeited.Address：12/F, 112 Kenndy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong Office Hours：Mon-Fri: 9:00am-5:30pm Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidaysLottery Licence No.：4583  

The Welfare Council successfully held its Charity Raffle 2017 from mid March to May 2017. Blessed with the support of every generous donor, supporting organizations, staff and the S.K.H. communities, the event has raised more than HK$4.6 million. Funds raised from the activity will be dedicated to support the Welfare Council’s services, such as the development of innovative projects and providing and social support services, thus better suit the needs of individuals who require assistance. On 5th May, the Welfare Council invited its professional consultants, sponsors, teachers and service users of the Western District Elderly Community Centre and St. Luke’s Settlement Neighbourhood Elderly Centre to the Charity Raffle 2017 Lucky Draw. All prizes were drawn in the presence of the guests while awards of appreciation were also presented to the Sheng Kung Hui’s secondary schools, primary schools and kindergartens and churches which raised the most fund to thank them for their support.   The Lucky Draw were held at the David Li Kwok Po Community Hall, H.K.S.K.H. St. James’ Church, where some of the Charity Raffle consultants including the Rt Revd Andrew Chan, Bishop of the H.K.S.K.H. Diocese of Western Kowloon and the Rt Revd Dr Timothy Kwok, Bishop of the H.K.S.K.H. Diocese of Eastern Kowloon, the Revd Tsui Yuk Dan, the Diocesan General Secretary of the H.K.S.K.H. Diocese of Hong Kong Island,Mr Wilson Mok, Vice-Chairman, Anglican (Hong Kong) Early Childhood Education Council Limited, Mr. Tse Chang Keung, Chief Administrator, Anglican (Hong Kong) Primary Schools Council Limited, and Ms. Terese Wong, Chairman, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Women’s League, together with Mr Lo Kin-ming, Honorary Treasurer of the Welfare Council, drew 60 winning numbers on the spot. Guests eagerly checked their tickets to see whether the winning numbers in hand.   In her speech, Dr Lee, Director of the Welfare Council, said, “The Welfare Council has held its Charity Raffle activity for the third consecutive year. Apart from the sale of raffle tickets at the Sheng Kung Hui’s churches, schools and social service units this year, limited teddy bears designed by the Welfare Council were also sold for charity. The lovely teddy bears were sought after, contributing to an increment to the total charity income. On top of that, during March to April 2017, the Welfare Council was allowed to place donation boxes at 60 shops, creating the opportunity to encourage the public to give generously through the event and get to know the Welfare Council. Support and encouragement from you truly attributed to the impressive results of the Charity Raffle 2017.” Dr Lee was grateful for the support from all sectors and encouraged employees to maintain their efforts to raise funds for the disadvantaged groups in the coming year.   Mr Lo Kin-ming, Honorary Treasurer of the Welfare Council, then presented awards of appreciation to sponsors and supporting companies. Also, to thank Kia Motors (Hong Kong) Ltd. for sponsoring the first prize, the Welfare Council gave an exclusive paper craft meticuously designed by Mr Sun, a 88-year-old man received the “Honorary Award” of the 21st Outstanding Volunteer Awards Presentation Ceremony, to a representative from Kia Motors (Hong Kong) Ltd. Spending over 10 production days, Uncle Sun worked seriously from the start to finish. The lovely paper craft features a logo of Kia Motors (Hong Kong) Ltd. as well as traditional Chinese pattern to symbolize good luck.   Furthermore, the Sheng Kung Hui’s secondary schools, primary schools and kindergartens and churches of dioceses of Hong Kong Island, Eastern Kowloon and Western Kowloon which raised the most fund were awarded the “Most Caring Heart Awards”, the heart-shape mosaic art pieces made by members of the PGR Fusion. Last but not least, the Welfare Council feels grateful to every generous donor, consultant members and other groups for their full support of the Charity Raffle 2017. Funds raised will go to the Welfare Council’s social services supporting the S.K.H. community as well as every community member.   Recipients of the Most Caring Heart Awards Church (HK Island) HKSKH St. Mary’s Church Church (Eastern Kowloon) HKSKH Holy Trinity Cathedral Church (Western Kowloon) HKSKH All Saints' Church Secondary School St. Stephen’s Girls’ College Primary School Diocesan Boys’ School Primary Division Kindergarten Sheng Kung Hui Kindergarten   Acknowledgment to the Supporting Organisations (in no particular order): Kia Motors (Hong Kong) Ltd Mr Wilson Chu Sino Group Wing Yip International Limited Oasis of Hope Smartech International Marketing Limited EyeCare HK Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) Limited Ogawa Health Care International (HK) Ltd. Yan Wo Tong Herbal Tea Shop Play House Management Services Limited Jenn Jewelry City Miles (HK) Ltd. King Parrot Group The Banqueting House Memorigin Watch Co. Ltd. Tai Po Mega Mall Solar Tower∙Camp Ocean Park Yuen Long Plaza Choco Choco Jumpin Gym U.S.A. Ltd. Haagen-Daz Orchid Padaria Religious Education Resource Centre Kong Footcare Limited Dessertissimo Lemongrass House Health Factor Foods Company Ltd./ Manna Organic Station Ying Kee Tea Hosue Grove Company Limited 80M Bus Model Shop Xi Zhan Tree Children's Lodge DOMA International Twins Co. Bakery Shop Beef King Restaurant Dynasty Feast Nice Inn Restaurant BB Shop Hong Kong Co. Ltd. Hoi Kee Stationery ME100FUN Mustela

Since September 2016, the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council has launched its Pilot Programme for Training in Childcare for Grandparents. The Tung Chung Integrated Services and Western District Elderly Community Centre recruited 40 grandparents for the programme, 37 of whom have successfully completed it. Last Saturday, the Welfare Council held a graduation ceremony cum celebrity sharing session at the David Li Kwok Po Community Hall, H.K.S.K.H. St. James’ Church to recognize participants’ effort and achievement. A veteran artist, Mr English Tang, was also presence in the ceremony to share the joys of caring for his grandchildren.   Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Keung Choi Yin, service director of the Welfare Council, pointed out that the Welfare Council organised the first phase of the Pilot Programme for Training in Childcare for Grandparents with the support of the Lotteries Fund and Social Welfare Department, teaching grandparents how to take care of newborn babies. Participant’s family members were invited to witness the wonderful moments of the grandparents in the ceremony. Keung hoped that family members could recrognise the efforts put in by grandparents to achieve a loving family with intergenerational harmony through mutual trust, acceptance, appreciation and tolerance, and a mutual concern for new life within the family. A short video of the grandparents listening attentively to their instructor and sharing learning experiences with the guests was also screened.   One of the participants, Mrs Yip said that she enrolled for the programme in preparation for the birth of her twin grandchildren. The programme did not only teach her skills of looking after newborn babies and how to communicate effectively with her son and daughter-in-law but also showed her varied childcare techniques and baby care products. Her daughter-in-law has since shown more trust towards her. Knowing the pressures faced by today’s parents, she hoped she could help alleviate their burden and allow them to focus on work.   On the other hand, a retired couple, Mr and Mrs Lam, also successfully completed the programme. Encouraged by their daughter, the couple applied for the programme to enrich their knowledge in childcare so that they can better take care of their little grandkid. Ahead of the programme, they were worried about not knowing how to bathe her daughter’s baby properly but now they are well equipped. “When we were young, we had to work hard to make a living and spent little time with our children. We do enjoy looking after our grandchild after retiring,” Lam added. He also praised the programme for its practicality, making him feel more confident in caring for his grandkid.   Ms Keung Choi Yin, service director of the Welfare Council, presented Certificates of Graduation to the participants who felt happy for completing the programme. The Welfare Council also invited a veteran artist, Mr English Tang, to share the joy of taking care of his grandchildren in the celebrity sharing session. As a grandpa of three, Tang’s youngest grandkid was born in January 2017 and he is experienced in caring for and communicating with little kids. More than that, the ceremony featured four booths introducing eco-friendly nappies and baby products as well as organic food and hand-made soap suitable for the elderly and children.

This article has Chinese version only.    

The biennial Outstanding Volunteer Awards Presentation Ceremony is organised by the Welfare Council to recognize volunteers, corporate volunteers and group volunteers’ enthusiasm and efforts in social services. This year, the 21st Outstanding Volunteer Awards Presentation Ceremony was held on 11th March at the Assembly Hall, 4/F, North Tower, YMCA of Hong Kong, where Mr Stephen Sui, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, was invited as the officiating guest and 86 awards were presented. Among the awardees, the eldest volunteer was a 92-year-old granny while the youngest one was a girl of 15 years old. Last year, the Welfare Council dedicated 150,000 hours to a turnout of over 310,000 individuals. An impressive crowd of nearly 200 volunteers, representatives from corporate volunteers and group volunteers and guests attended the award presentation ceremony. The theme of ceremony was “Go the extra mile”, which aimed to encourage one to do small things with great love. At the ceremony, 3 “Honorary Awards” and 51 “Gold Awards” were presented to individual volunteers, while 18 corporations and 14 organisations were awarded the “Corporate Caring Awards” and “Organisation Caring Awards” respectively. Gold Award winners have accumulated more than 50 service hours over the past two years, and volunteers who received the Gold Award for 3 times were granted the Honorary Award. Mr Stephen Sui, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Loewe Lee, Executive Committee Member of the Welfare Council and Dr Jane Lee, Director of the Welfare Council, presented awards to awardees of different categories.   In his speech, Mr Stephen Sui, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, acknowledged the Welfare Council’s dedication to promoting voluntary services and grooming volunteers. He also affirmed volunteers for their contributions to society and organisations including the Welfare Council for their passion for motivating voluntary services so that volunteerism has established itself in all sectors of the community. “Different individuals, families, organisations and corporations made up a team of 26,700 volunteers of the Welfare Council, with the youngest one at the age of 6 and the eldest one being over 90. As a platform with individual volunteers serving over 100,000 hours and group volunteers dedicating over 30,000 hours, the Welfare Council has the ability to mobilize its volunteers in a large and significant scale,” he added. Mr Stephen Sui, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, also delivered his heartfelt gratitude to the volunteers for their silent endeavours and expressed his well-wishes for the Welfare Council’s work and achievements.   Dr Jane Lee, Director of the Welfare Council, applauded corporate and group volunteers for exercising social responsibility, serving the community amid hectic schedules and sharing love and care with the underprivileged groups. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Lee said, “The Welfare Council has never ceased to promote volunteerism and nurture volunteers. Through the biennial event, we have the chance to recognize volunteers’ selfless effort. Every year, the number of volunteers have grown: the number of volunteers up from 15,000 volunteers last year to 16,000 volunteers this year. The volunteers also produced excellent results: they dedicated 150,000 hours to a turnout of over 310,000 individual.” Dr Lee promised that the Welfare Council would join hands with Hong Kong people to bring warmth and care to the service users and create a harmonious society with various sectors.   During the ceremony, a video documenting thoughts of a number of volunteers was screened, which adhered to the spirit of “Go the extra miles”. A kind-hearted Chinese medicine practitioner, Mr Lam who pays regular home visits to elders living in Ping Chau and provides free medical consultation to children residing in villages in remote areas on mainland China, also joined the ceremony. He bought the guests special massage wards and delivered love and care to guests by teaching them a five-step massage.