Hong Kong Latter-day Saints Continue to Serve the Community Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Since May 20, 2020, the Kowloon West Stake Young Single adults goes twice a week to Pok Oi Hospital Family Development Center to assist with the renovation. They decided that despite the chaos happening around the world, there is no good or bad time to serve the community.

The Second Counselor of the West Kowloon Stake said: “We will not let the coronavirus prevent us from serving others. We hope to contribute to society and become good citizens. With the epidemic in Hong Kong begin to ease, this is a good service opportunity.”

According to the Church, participants in the project were required to wear a mask to comply with the city’s health guidelines.

The Church and Pok Oi Hospital have cooperated for many years in community services in Hong Kong. For this project, they decided to focus on renovating the family development center of more than 1,000 square feet to better enhance the services and activities offered for children, young people, and their parents. They aim to create a safe environment for families in Hong Kong to gather and bond with each other.

Feng Yilun, the service manager of Pok Oi Hospital, expressed his deep gratitude to church leaders and young volunteers for their dedicated service.

“This service brings direct manpower and financial assistance to the center, which can reduce the workload of the co-workers and the financial expenditure of the organization,” he said. “The church’s assistance in renovating the center can also relieve the pressure on the care of dual-time parents in the district. The waiting list of Evergreen Center exceeds 50 people, but the center is unable to open more service places due to space limitations. Therefore, the church can assist in renovating the venue so that children in the district can have a comfortable environment to receive care The service is also of great benefit to dual-working parents in the district.”

“At the same time, the refurbished venue can also provide a wider and more comfortable place to participate in community activities in the neighborhoods, which is of great help to the development of community networks.”

During the duration of the project, Church leaders ensured that the YSA follows the strict health guidelines. They were tasked to clean the area first and then paint all the walls.

The various contributions they have given have also provided them with valuable learning opportunities. Mei Kangni, a young single-skilled member, said: “This project brought a sense of satisfaction and success. Seeing the comparison before and after the renovation, I feel that everything is worth it.”