Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: students make time after school to help disadvantaged groups
- Student volunteers at Sunshine Action nominated for Spirit of Teamwork Award, in recognition of commitment to helping elderly residents and grass-roots families
- NGO founder Sunny Mak says ‘sustainability’ key to community work, explains volunteers must be committed to helping others
It is 9am on Saturday, and inside an industrial building in Kwai Chung, a group of student volunteers have formed an ad hoc production line to pack food bags.
Without anyone giving them on-site guidance, each of the 19 volunteers methodically places staples such as rice and oatmeal into “Fortune Bags”, preparing them to be loaded onto a truck and delivered to care homes for elderly residents and community development centres across Hong Kong.
The teenagers come from different schools and are part of the Sunshine Ambassadors student group, which aims to support those in need during their free time.
Working together with the charity Sunshine Action, the student volunteers plan and organise events using their own skills and knowledge.
Each of the young ambassadors, along with volunteers they have recruited from their local communities, come to Sunshine Action’s warehouse on Saturdays to pack hundreds of fortune bags for distribution.
Members of the student-led group also visit the elderly and grass-roots families, spending time with them in the hopes of improving the emotional well-being of disadvantaged residents.
The steadfast work by the Sunshine Ambassadors has even earned the team a nomination for this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards.
The annual event, co-organised by the South China Morning Post and property developer Sino Group, celebrates the achievements of remarkable people whose endeavours may otherwise go unnoticed.
Dr Cecilia Lam Shiu-ling, CEO of the Rehabaid Society, recommended the group of student volunteers for the Spirit of Teamwork Award, which recognises corporations and groups embracing their role as socially responsible corporate residents and giving back to society.
Olive Chan Siu-hei, who first joined Sunshine Ambassadors in 2020, said members of the group aimed to make a difference for people in society, especially those being hit hard during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We hope to bring them some warmth,” the 17-year-old said.
Shawn Wang, 16, said the group brought together youths from diverse backgrounds who all wanted to provide a helping hand. “I resonate with the team spirit here,” he added.
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Mark Lee Jin-kang, also 16, said he appreciated the opportunity to get more involved in community work and to hone his personal skills.
“[At Sunshine Ambassadors] we are the ones contacting the food manufacturers and the packagers,” the student volunteer said.
Meanwhile, Joseph Lim Zhuo-yao said the students would go on to have a long-term connection with the group once they had finished school.
“Even after we graduate, we will still try our best to help with what we learnt here,” the 16-year-old said.
Members of the Sunshine Ambassadors have opportunities to do different kinds of work, such as communicating with partner organisations and programme promotion.
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Sunny Mak Yiu-yeung, the founder and director of Sunshine Action, said “sustainability” was key to community work, explaining that volunteers needed to be committed to helping others.
“I want [the ambassadors] to build bonds with Sunshine Action’s engagement efforts,” he said.
Anthony Aldcroft, who joined Sunshine Ambassadors around five years ago, said he still worked with the student group.
“It’s like having fun with friends while at the same time doing good for other people,” the 20-year-old said.
