Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
Have you ever read the news and wondered how you can give back to the community? Volunteering can help us better understand our society and empathise with people in need. Hong Kong has many family-friendly volunteer opportunities; here are five NGOs that give kids a chance to make a difference.
1. Breadline
More than 3,250 tonnes of food are wasted in landfills every day in Hong Kong. But one-fifth of people in the city cannot afford to take care of their needs - including getting enough food. Breadline connects volunteers with bakeries. They collect bread that is safe to eat but has not been sold and deliver it to those in need. Their “Bread Run” activities welcome families and take place on weeknights across the city. You can help out by simply signing up to volunteer with Breadline.
2. HandsOn Hong Kong
This charity tries to get everyone in the city to volunteer. Every month, they post 200 volunteer activities from different NGOs suitable for all ages on their calendar. These range from packing food for the poor to beach and mountain clean-ups. Sign up to make a positive impact.
3. Kids4Kids
You are never too young to make an impact on society. Kids4Kids was founded by eager secondary school student volunteers in Hong Kong. It offers many programmes to encourage youngsters to contribute through volunteering. These include raising money and being a reading buddy for young children. Join the students’ call and volunteer to make a difference.
4. ImpactHK
Founded in 2017, ImpactHK serves the homeless community in Hong Kong’s poorest neighbourhoods. They engage volunteers on “Kindness Walks” to hand out basic necessities. The NGO has distributed millions of meals and helped move more than 600 street sleepers into shelters. It is a family-friendly activity, with a minimum age of six-years-old for volunteers, who must have an adult accompany them.
5. Soap Cycling
A necessity for hotels, soap is a common item that goes to waste. This charity works with the hospitality industry to help recycle the resource. They collect extra soap to distribute to families in need. The aim is to improve the lives of the poor through hygiene. Soap Cycling welcomes students as young as 12 to volunteer, as long as an adult comes with them.
Use the puzzle below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.
Sample answers
Before you read: I like to donate my hair to make wigs for cancer patients. (Answers may vary.)
Stop and think: A lot of food goes to waste each day, but there are many people who cannot afford to have enough to eat. (Answers may vary.)
Consider: Instead of letting hotel soap go to waste, Soap Cycling gives unused soap to families in need.
