The Rotary Club of Lan Kwai Fong (“RCLKF”) and the Neighborhood Advice-Action Council (“NCCA”) once again organized “Love Delivery – Rotary in Tung Chung” with home visits at Yat Tung Estate in Tung Chung. On July 2nd, 2023, around 70 volunteers from the Rotary Club of Lan Kwai Fong, the Rotary Club of Green Hong Kong, the Rotary Club of Peninsula Sunrise, and PwC called at 100 low-income households at Yat Tung Estate. Not were hearty bags of daily necessities served, but the volunteers also conducted an assessment on the daily needs and mental health caring for their mental health and needs for counselling.
As the largest public rental housing estate in Hong Kong, Yat Tung Estate, composed of 25 residential blocks and densely populated with around 40,000 residents, is a poverty stricken area. Unlike the poverty of the elderly in Sham Shui Po, Yat Tung Estate is characterized by a large number of children. The low-income households spend a particularly high proportion on transportation and food expenses. An organization used the “Two Meals and One Soup” index survey to show that the cost of living at Yat Tung Estate is the highest in Hong Kong, 20% more expensive than Pei Ho Street in Sham Shui Po in the same period. Parents who work in other districts have long commute and have no time for their families, leading to a series of family issues. Some of them even give up their jobs for the care of their children because of high transportation costs and lack of childcare services.
Recently, we noted that there are various conflicts caused by mental and emotional illnesses in society. After the COVID-19 epidemic, the residents of Yat Tung Estate are also still facing living pressures from different aspects, which makes them suffering into some symptoms of the unwell conditions of mental health, such as upset, insomnia, irritability, easy crying, depression, etc., and even fear, increased distrust of others, and depression.
Erick Lin, President of the Rotary Club of Lan Kwai Fong, said that this is the second year that “Love Delivery – Rotary in Tung Chung” was held at Yat Tung Estate. In order to proactively respond to the main focus from Rotary International District 3450 on the issue of concerning mental health of individual, RCLKF wishes to establish sustainable co-operation relationship with NAAC, continues to care for the residents of Yat Tung Estate.
Andy Li, the Governor of Rotary International District 3450, believes that it is not enough to just send supplies to low-income families but to listen carefully to the needs of residents during the visits. Rotarians, who are elites from different industries and professional, are able to help people by using their own network and resources. DG Andy had met a daughter of an interviewed family in the past. She wanted to be a nurse. A Rotarian, whose classification is doctor, arranged a job shadowing to that girl in his clinic immediately. So, she could observe the daily work of a registered nurse. That experience encouraged her to study hard, and finally she studied in nursing in the university.
Ms. Elina Fung, the Executive Director of NAAC, thanked the Rotary Clubs for their proactive participation in serving the community for many years, and emphasized that the organization not only focuses on serving the elderly and low-income families, but also pays attention to health and youth services.
The Rotary Club of Lan Kwai Fong and the Neighborhood Advice-Action Council envisaged that through the implementation of the project of “Love Delivery – Rotary in Tung Chung”, we can provide necessary assistance to needy families at the estate, give them blessing packs and greeting cards, offer care and blessings, and also enhance their understanding of their emotional matters, identify their mental health needs in the early stage, and provide support services promptly.
蘭桂坊扶輪社關心東涌低收入人士生活及精神健康需要
今日華人CLUB 2023-07-03 18:59 Posted on 廣東
蘭桂坊扶輪社、香港綠色素食扶輪社、半島旭日扶輪社、羅兵咸永道合共派出近 70 位義工，探訪逸東邨 100 戶低收入家庭。
蘭桂坊扶輪社再次聯同鄰舍輔導會安排探訪東涌逸東邨的居民，舉辦“扶輪東涌蜜蜜送”。於2023年7月2日，蘭桂坊扶輪社、香港綠色素食扶輪社、半島旭日扶輪社、羅兵咸永道合共派出近70位義工，探訪逸東邨100戶低收入家庭，不但送上日用物資，關心居民生活上需要，還為他們進行精神健康的評估，關心他們的精神健康及輔導需要。
國際扶輪 3450 地區總監李兆民(中)，鄰舍輔導會總幹事馮綉文女士(左四)、蘭桂坊扶輪社社長林文彥(右二)。
逸東邨內有25座公屋，高度密集，區內4萬居民，是全港最大型的公屋邨，也是貧窮問題的重災區。與深水埗的長者貧窮有別，逸東邨的特點是兒童多，貧窮戶花在交通和食物的開支比例特別高，曾有組織以“兩餸一湯”指數調查，表示逸東邨物價是全港最貴，比同期最便宜的深水埗北河街貴了兩成。往外區工作的家長因交通時間長，無暇陪伴家人，衍生家庭問題；也有因為交通費貴、欠缺托兒服務等，選擇不工作以照顧小孩。
近日，大家都發現社會上出現各種因精神及情緒病而引起的衝突。新冠疫情過後，逸東邨居民亦面對著不同的生活壓力，導致他們容易出現不理想的精神健康狀態，例如心煩、失眠、易怒、易哭、沮喪等，較嚴重甚至出現恐懼、對他人不信任感增加及抑鬱等。
蘭桂坊扶輪社社長林文彥感謝義工們探訪逸東邨街坊。
蘭桂坊扶輪社社長林文彥表示這是第二年在逸東邨舉辦“扶輪東涌蜜蜜送”，為積極響應國際扶輪3450地區對於個人精神健康議題的關注，該社希望與鄰舍輔導會建立良好互動機制，持續性探訪逸東邨居民，關心區內居民的生活與精神健康。
蘭桂坊扶輪社社長林文彥及國際扶輪 3450 地區總監李兆民探訪逸東邨居民。
國際扶輪3450地區總監李兆民認為不能單是送上物資去服務低收入家庭，在探訪時要細心聆聽居民需要。扶輪社員是來自各行各業的精英，可以自身人脈及資源去幫助別人。曾有被訪家庭的女兒想當護士，專業為醫生的扶輪社員馬上安排影子實習，讓她可以觀察註冊護士的日常工作，鼓勵她努力學習，最終成功入讀大學的醫護課程。
扶輪社社員及義工與逸東邨居民。
鄰舍輔導會總幹事馮綉文女士感謝扶輪社多年的積極參與服務社區，並強調該會除了專注長者及低收入家庭服務外，也關注健康衛生及青少年服務。
蘭桂坊扶輪社社長林文彥及國際扶輪 3450 地區總監李兆民為街坊準備福袋。
蘭桂坊扶輪社及鄰舍輔導會冀望透過推行“扶輪東涌蜜蜜送”計劃，為區內有需要的基層家庭提供實質援助，為他們送上祝福打氣包及心意卡，獻上關心及祝福之餘，亦希望提升他們對自身情緒狀況的了解，及早識別他們的精神健康需要，並適時提供支援服務。
【蘭桂坊扶輪社簡介】
蘭桂坊扶輪社是國際扶輪3450地區第四地域旗下其中一個扶輪社。國際扶輪是一個國際性的服務組織，匯聚了商界和專業領袖，提供人道服務，鼓勵崇高標準的專業道德，並在世界各地推進善意與和平。蘭桂坊扶輪社秉承“超我服務”的理念服務社會，其社區服務對象包括小童、年青人、社會企業等，服務項目地域涉及香港、中國大陸、台灣、孟加拉等地。該扶輪社於2008年5月15日由創社社長趙敏華女士成立。 2023-24年度社長為林文彥先生。