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District Highlights 2021-22

Supporting Underprivileged Families & Enhancing Neighbourhood Support

Our Neighbourhoods @ Kwun Tong

  • The ongoing pandemic hit the underprivileged families in the district particularly hard. In view of the satisfactory results of “Our Neighbourhoods @ Kwun Tong Project” in 2020-21, the Kwun Tong District Social Welfare Office (District Social Welfare Office) collaborated with 32 service units in the district, including the United Christian Hospital, to set up a working group for each of the six small localities to implement the district’s key project “Our Neighbourhoods @ Kwun Tong 2021-22” (the Project), with a view to providing services for underprivileged families through the collaborative efforts of various parties.
  • A series of face-to-face activities were conducted, including (i) activities to establish a mutual support network in the neighbourhood and a cross-unit volunteer network; (ii) experiential activities, seminars and various workshops to broaden the horizons of underprivileged families/children; and (iii) activities that enabled elderly persons/their carers to know more about gerontechnology, as well as concern visits to elderly persons and their carers.
  • Participating organisations of the Project helped send out 3 000 gift packs to the underprivileged in the district. Of those gift packs, 1 500 were sponsored by charities set up by the business sector, which also sponsored over 800 stationery sets for distribution to children from grassroot families in the district. The business sector also sent a volunteer team to assist in the implementation of one of the programmes under the Project.
  • Over 5 000 people benefitted from the Project. They gave positive feedback on the Project, commenting that the activities brought them new experiences, taught them new knowledge/skills, gave them a sense of achievement and made them feel the care and support from the community. The participating service units were in agreement that the Project facilitated mutual understanding, collaboration and resource sharing among organisations.

Providing Support to Elders and Persons with Disabilities and Their Carers

  • In view of a rapidly ageing population and a growing number of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Kwun Tong, the District Social Welfare Office funded elderly centres, District Support Centres for Persons with Disabilities and Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness to implement six district support programmes to strength support for elderly persons, PWDs and their carers, with a view to building a supportive neighbourhood and alleviate carers’ stress.
  • The four district support programmes jointly implemented by District Elderly Community Centres and the Neighbourhood Elderly Centres capitalised on the abilities of the young-old in serving the old-olds. Concern visits were paid to singleton and doubleton elderly families and their carers to provide them with emotional support and foster in them a sense of belonging to the community. To enhance home safety and the daily functioning of the elders, volunteers were trained to help the elders with home safety assessment, and teach them about domestic cleaning and muscle strengthening exercises. To support carers and families of elders with dementia, information on taking care of patients of dementia and maintaining brain health was provided either through workshops or during home visits, along with stress management programmes to help relieve their stress. 25 elderly centres in the district and 350 volunteers were involved in operating the four support programmes, which benefitted more than 5 000 people.
  • “Happy Family Happy Society” and “Circle Painting With You” were two district support programmes that aimed at building a support network for PWDs, promoting social inclusion and relieving carers’ burden through cross-sector collaboration and a series of parent-child groups, recreational activities and community education activities. “Family In Love” 2021 Mental Health Promotion Project was launched to promote mental wellness, foster family relationship of persons in mental recovery and show appreciation to carers. Around 500 PWDs, persons in mental recovery and their carers participated in the Project, which benefitted over 600 people.
  • To facilitate needy elderly persons, PWDs, persons in mental recovery and their carers in accessing social services and encouraging them to seek assistance whenever necessary, the District Social Welfare Office worked with four elderly and rehabilitation services units to distribute posters, service leaflets and promotional souvenirs for social services in the community. The leaflets were made available at 34 Public Housing Estates Offices in the district and over 150 centres providing family, elderly and rehabilitation services.

Teen Bridge Project

  • With the support of the Kwun Tong Schools Liaison Committee, the District Social Welfare Office co-ordinated with 15 youth service units in the district to launch 16 projects under the “Teen Bridge Project” (the Project), in order to promote the mental health of young people, establish and consolidate their peer and family support networks, and enhance their mental wellness by engaging them in voluntary services.
  • During the pandemic, the Project successfully conducted a series of face-to-face and online activities/programmes, including (i) all kinds of emotion management groups, stress relieving activities, school mentorship programmes and caregiving activities; (ii) talks for parents and parent-child activities; and (iii) community exhibitions and volunteer activities.
  • The Project benefited over 1 000 young people and 800 parents. Participants responded favourably to the Project, commenting that it enhanced their awareness on mental health and helped relieve their stress through a wide variety of interesting activities and positive experiences. The Project also promoted positive communication between parents and children, and enhanced parents’ capability in addressing the emotional needs of young people.

Multifaceted Understanding of Cannabis Scheme

  • To enhance the knowledge and skills of frontline workers in dealing with the problem of cannabis abuse, and help targeted youth with/at risk of cannabis abuse handle their emotions, develop positive self-image and interests through experiential activities, the District Social Welfare Office liaised with the Kwun Tong Co-ordinating Committee on Outreaching Service, which comprised 13 youth service units in the district, to implement a district youth project called “Multifaceted Understanding of Cannabis Scheme” (the Scheme).
  • Under the Scheme, a variety of emotion management groups, skills training programmes and experiential activities were organised for young people, while a training workshop on cannabis abuse was organised for professionals of youth service units in the district. Over 30 at-risk youth participated in the Project. With the myths about cannabis use dispelled for them, they opted to develop drug-free interests.

 


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