‘Everyone here is a friend’: charity ImpactHK helps Hong Kong’s homeless find safe shelter, sense of belonging
- ImpactHK is among beneficiaries of Operation Santa Claus, a fundraising drive organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK
- CEO and founder Jeff Rotmeyer says pandemic has worsened homelessness problem in city, with average age getting lower
Hong Kong charity ImpactHK has helped 600 homeless people find safe shelter in the six years since its inception, but CEO and founder Jeff Rotmeyer says the pandemic has worsened the problem and left countless others in desperate need of assistance.
“It’s got worse on the streets,” he said. “You see the average age getting younger, the percentage of women doubling and about a 30 per cent increase since the beginning of Covid-19.”
The charity, which, in addition to providing shelter, helps people to regain their mental and physical health, and discover their purpose, has been selected as one of the beneficiaries of Operation Santa Claus (OSC) – an annual fundraising drive organised by the South China Morning Post and broadcaster RTHK.
Rotmeyer said the funding was much needed to tackle the significant surge in homelessness since the coronavirus struck the city.
The government has put the number of street sleepers at 1,500, but Rotmeyer said groups working with vulnerable people agreed that hundreds of thousands of people were living with some degree of homelessness, including sleeping in tunnels and parks, living in cage homes, coffin homes in subdivided flats, or factory buildings.
“There’s not a lot of affordable housing in this city,” he said.
He added many homeless people lived below the poverty line and were isolated from society.
“More than 90 per cent of the people we have helped have no emergency contact – either a friend or family member in their life – so they are completely alone,” Rotmeyer said.
He added some also suffered from serious physical or mental health problems and had killed themselves or succumbed to illness.
The charity’s community centre “29” in Tai Kok Tsui, a 93 square metre (1,000 sq ft) haven, just steps away from a tunnel where many homeless people have set up tents, helps about 400 homeless people every month.
The centre provides a safe environment for homeless people and offers three meals a day, toiletries and haircuts, as well as clothing and shoes.
Individuals can also use washing machines and computers and enjoy a cup of tea and a chat with others in the cafe-like lounge.
Staff also arrange festive celebrations and regular social events such as karaoke nights.
Social workers at the centre assess the needs of those seeking help, and offer assistance such as addiction recovery services and counselling to help rediscover purpose.
There is also job training and placement opportunities for those who are ready to work.
The service also offer those in need a chance to play sports and engage in volunteer work such as distribution of food.
“This helps them build confidence, pride and self-esteem,” Rotmeyer said. “After that, they typically step into community employment or they work for us.”
ImpactHK has helped 60 formerly homeless people find jobs, including four people now employed at the centre, since it was founded in 2017.
A third of the charity’s 50 full-time employees, including those who work in the kitchen, used to be homeless.
OSC’s funding will enable the charity to continue running the centre next year, including paying the rent and staffing costs.
A 65-year-old regular visitor to the centre, who identified herself only as Lau, has lived in a nearby park for the last few years.
“I found out about this centre when its volunteers were passing out eggs and water at the park, she said. “When I have time, I come here.
“When I’m hungry, I come here. Sometimes I only have crackers to eat,” the former waitress who became homeless after she spent her savings on treatment for a chronic illness.
“It’s like my home - it’s helped me become cheerful,” Lau said.
“Everyone here is a friend.”
Rotmeyer admitted it would be extremely difficult to run the charity without funding from OSC.
“Without ImpactHK and other organisations working to support the homeless community in Hong Kong, there would be a lot more people dying on the streets,” he added.
OSC, founded in 1988, has raised HK$369 million (US$47.3 million) to support Hong Kong through 338 charitable projects, including 15 being funded this year.
