Editorial | Operation Santa Claus gives to those in need

Hope is a central message of Christmas. As Hong Kong emerges from the pandemic, that wish for the future is perhaps brighter than it has been in recent years. The season is also about giving, something not lost on the people filling shopping centres to hunt for presents to put under the tree.

But we must not forget Christmas is a time to help those in need. One way to open our hearts and wallets is through Operation Santa Claus (OSC), the annual charity campaign organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, OSC has raised HK$353 million (US$45 million) for 323 projects in Hong Kong since it began in 1988. Despite the pressures of Covid-19, the campaign raised more than HK$20 million last year alone.

This year’s OSC is supporting 15 organisations, including those caring for young people, focusing on the environment or providing medical treatments. Among the beneficiaries are Home of Loving Faithfulness, a centre for people with disabilities, Justice Without Borders which offers legal and other assistance to migrant workers fighting labour exploitation and abuse, and SLCO Community Resources which provides sign-language and sign-bilingual education to more than 2,500 people annually.

The pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to many of the city’s charities. They have had to cut back on programmes because of health restrictions. Most have seen fundraising efforts suffer as donors feel the economic toll of Covid-19.