Bank of China (Hong Kong) made a generous donation of HK$50 million in 2019 to support the initiation and operation of 32 projects of the Kuk. One of them was the District Elderly Campaign launched by Elderly Services from 2019 to 2023. The campaign aimed to bring together corporate/ individual volunteers through 14 elderly centres to convey a caring message in the community during traditional Chinese festivals (Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter Solstice and Chinese New Year), where volunteers visited elderly singletons/elderly doubletons at their homes and participated in centre activities. In view of the recurring epidemic, the Bank of China (Hong Kong) also sponsored the Kuk to launch the “Compassion in Solidarity, Resilience to Overcome Adversity” Assistance Programme to distribute hot meals and anti-epidemic supplies to grassroots families and people in need, covering districts across Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories.

With support from Dr LEE Ka Shing, Martin, GBS, JP, Chairman of Henderson Land Group, and a HK$5 million donation from the Lee Shau Kee Foundation, the Kuk established the Po Leung Kuk Lee Shau Kee Youth Development Fund during this term. The fund aims to support underprivileged youth in their continuous learning and provide financial assistance in times of unforeseen circumstances. It also sponsors youth programmes and helps youth to give back to society.

With the support of Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, one of the Kuk’s service unit, Blue Sky Short-term Food Assistance Service Team launched the Electronic Food Bank Service to assist individuals who were not able to benefit from the short-term food assistance service of the Social Welfare Department during the pandemic. The service users can order food through a one-stop electronic platform. The Kuk also organised community activities to help service users develop healthy eating habits.

The Kuk received funding to set up the C.K.Heung Fund for Residents of Residential Child Care Services to provide developmental and learning support to children currently and formerly under the Kuk’s residential care, including the provision of learning materials, vocational skills training, subsidies for tuition fees and living expenses at tertiary institutions, etc.

The Kuk received a donation from S.F. Express (Hong Kong) Limited in support of the “Boundless Compassion • Solidarity in Action” COVID-19 Response Programme. It provided temporary financial assistance to families or individuals experiencing sudden changes or special difficulties. During the epidemic, a total of 100 air disinfection and sterilization machines were provided to our child care and children’s residential units. To promote youth development, the Kuk and SFHK launched the “Cultural and Creative Industry Go Online-Youth Entrepreneurship Support Programme” to provide young people with training and practical opportunities to sell their products online, as well as support in logistics and distribution and promotion platforms, so as to help them realise their entrepreneurial dreams.

Shanghai Commercial Bank continued to actively support the services of Po Leung Kuk. Starting from 2008, part of the Kuk’s credit card spending was sponsored by the Bank to facilitate the provision of our services for the underprivileged.

To support local and international young artists, Ms Angela O K LEONG, BBS, Advisor of Po Leung Kuk, generously loaned to Po Leung Kuk a century-old French mansion in Happy Valley, which was listed as a Grade 3 Historic Building, to implement the Young Artist In Residence@V54. The programme provided short-term accommodation and creative space at below-market rent for young artists to enhance opportunities for diversified development. The programme also collaborated with young artists to present various exhibitions and art activities, thus providing a diverse art experience for the community.

In addition to local charitable corporations, the Kuk also received donations from overseas donors. The Sunshine for Life Charitable Trust started supporting the Kuk’s charitable work in 2016, and this year’s donation was allocated to support the Fund for the Disadvantaged and to provide assistance to low-income families of kindergartens-cum-nurseries.

Dr Margaret ZEE, a passionate philanthropist, has been a staunch supporter of our fund-raising programmes to assist the needy in the community. From 2020 onwards, Dr ZEE has pledged to donate HK$2 million to Po Leung Kuk each year for five years, in a total of HK$10 million, so that we can continue to develop our services in serving the underprivileged.

The programme supported the youth to prepare for their future careers in society. Through workshops and sharing by professionals, young people were able to understand the current situation and trends of different industries, thus enhancing their awareness of innovation and technology development and improving their “soft skills” for entering the workplace. The programme also encouraged the diversified development of youth, providing an experiential entrepreneurship programme to enhance their business knowledge and skills.

The Life Shuttle Five Senses Life Experiential Programme, jointly organised by BMCPC and Po Leung Kuk, aimed to convey positive beliefs about life and a proactive attitude towards the future through various activities. The programme also focused on promoting mutual support and love in the family and community so as to arouse the public’s appreciation and love for life.

The Wang Family Charity Fund was established with a donation from Mr Samuel WANG, son of Mrs WANG TAN Han Feng, Vice-Chairman of the Kuk (1971–72), to provide emergency financial relief for individuals or families in need of support in the event of a sudden change or critical illness. Given the widespread impact of the epidemic, their generous donation in the current year supported those in need in the community, thus providing substantial assistance to the Kuk and its beneficiaries.

With the support from CLP Power since 2014, four CLP Hotmeal Canteens were established in Kwai Tsing, Kwun Tong and Sham Shui Po to provide nutritious hot meals at discounted prices to low-income families, the unemployed and the needy elderly. Supervised by dieticians, the canteens also provided special meals for the needy, such as minced and diabetic meals, to cater for the dietary and nutritional needs of the benefi ciaries. While canteen service was suspended during the fifth wave of COVID-19, over 5,500 free meal coupons and emergency food packs were given away to canteen users to help ease their financial burden timely. Apart from sponsoring the Canteens’ operation, CLP volunteers regularly visit diners at the Canteens and organise themed activity days, helping Canteen users expand their social network and showing love and care to them.

In addition to being invited to participate in Tencent’s “99 Giving Day” in Hong Kong this year as one of the charitable organisations to make matching donations, the Kuk also joined hands with the Tencent Foundation to organise the “Together for Good!” charity programme. The programme gathered about 6,000 students from 25 affiliated primary schools to take part in the Little Safflowers painting project, whereby they could express their wish for the realisation of others’ dreams through their paintings. Besides, the programme sponsored 1,000 grassroots students and family members from affiliated schools to engage in fun activities and trainings to broaden their horizons so that they can realise their potential.

The Kuk received a donation from the Taoist Temple Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon in support of the “Boundless Compassion • Solidarity in Action”COVID-19 Response Programme, which supported our community canteens and elderly services. Our community canteens provided hot meals to assist different types of people in need, such as elderly singletons, elderly doubletons, underprivileged families, the unemployed and those experiencing unexpected events needing emergency support, etc. They offered breakfast, lunch and dinner at nominal prices, so that beneficiaries could have proper and nutritious meals to maintain their health and tide over their difficulties.

The Kuk received the generous donation from the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation to support the “Support Your Schoolmate” Love in Action Initiative to provide class resumption anti-epidemic kits to needy students of affiliated schools. The donation also supported the “Smile Again” Post-Epidemic Family Support Programme, providing mentally and physically beneficial activities for grassroots families in Sham Shui Po to relieve the stress caused by the epidemic.

ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited continues to offer the Esso Discount Card Programme and donates HK$1.00 to support services of the Kuk for every litre of petrol or diesel purchased by cardholders.

Sponsorship on food packs and online storytelling for children

Donation, sponsorship and food packing amid Covid-19 outbreak

Christmas online storytelling session with kindergarten students