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St James' Settlement

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Address: 85 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai

What: Founded in 1949 as a club for children in a temple in Stone Nullah Lane, the organisation is now a social service agency that provides a wide variety of services to children, youths, families and the elderly, as well as counselling services. The charity, through Operation Santa Claus, has also embarked on food donation drive to help feed disadvantaged families in Hong Kong.

How: Call 2571 3117 or visit www.sjs.org.hk for more information. You can become a member of their volunteer network. Those who perform 25 hours of volunteer service within a year are awarded a certificate.

Teen volunteer: Melissa Chiu Ka-yan, 16, is a fifth-former at St Paul's Co-educational College. She is a member of the Beautiful Life project that provides assistance to tsunami victims in South Asia and holds wilderness camps that help young people reflect upon their lives.

'I have done social services such as visiting elderly homes, flag selling and helping children with their homework. I am now helping people outside of Hong Kong. We have written letters to young people in a Thai village. Some of their family members did not survive the tsunami.

They wrote back to us and we received their letters earlier this month. My pen friend is a Form Four girl who said she was excited to have an overseas friend. Her letter did not have any complaints or self-pity.

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