Hands On Hong Kong

This page is divided into two sections: 1. Latest HOHK Volunteer Opportunities where you will find flexible volunteer opportunities sponsored by HOHK that are typically one-off in nature and designed to meet the needs of all Hong Kong residents, whether you’re a busy working professional, student, or parent, or a newcomer to Hong Kong and 2. Additional Opportunities which lists some of the other volunteer needs for our charity partners. Many of these opportunities require a longer term commitment than the sponsored activities listed in the first section.

The contribution HOHK and its members make to its charity partners and the community depends largely on the involvement, commitment, and professionalism of each of its volunteer members. To this end, we ask that you only sign up for volunteer activities that you are certain fit your schedule and be sure to contact us when you are unable to attend an activity you have already signed up for.

Should you experience any technical difficulties when signing up for a volunteer activity, please email us at hohk@handsonhongkong.org and include your name, email address, mobile number, and the name of the activity you wish to join.

Latest HOHK Volunteer Activities

September 6, 2008
10:00 AM-11:30 AM
Help Refugees and Asylum Seekers Learn Basic Computer Skills

Description: Despite having escaped what are often unimaginable circumstances, refugees and asylum seekers face many hardships in Hong Kong. They are not allowed to earn income and often struggle to meet their basic needs while their cases are pending, which can take up to several years. The Chungking Mansions Service Centre provides valuable services to these individuals and their families, including free meals, clothing, non-emergency medical care, and other services.

Hands On Hong Kong will help a small group of adults who use the Centre's services learn basic computer skills. No special skills or training needed, just a knowledge of software such as Microsoft Word and Excel and an interest in helping others improve their computer skills. One or two volunteers may also be needed to watch the children of the participants during the class. This project is ongoing, but as a volunteer you are only obligated to participate on the specified date you chose.

September 7, 2008
2:30 PM-4:00 PM
Visit With the Elderly Residents of China Coast Community

Description: Spend time brightening the day of the elderly residents of the China Coast Community (CCC). CCC provides residential care to English-speaking elderly residents of Hong Kong. Volunteers will visit with the residents and help them play "Pass the Parcel" game.

Age: Volunteers should be at least 16 years of age to attend this activity without a parent or guardian. Volunteers who wish to bring their children or another relative under 16 should contact Hands On in advance of the visit.

September 13, 2008
10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Paint a Wall Mural For Underprivileged Children

Description: The Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children (HKSPC) serves disadvantaged children in Hong Kong. The HKSPC’s Children and Family Services Centre (CFSC) provides care, educational, and support services to children and families in Hong Kong, including ethnic minority families.

Hands On Hong Kong will paint a mural on an outdoor wall at the CFSC. The painting will take place over the course of two days. On the first day, September 13, volunteers will paint the base coat. On the second date (to be determined), volunteers will paint the design. Volunteers who participate in the base coat painting on the 13th will be invited to join the design painting once the date is determined.

Age: 16 and up (younger volunteers are welcome if accompanied by a parent or guardian)

September 13, 2008
2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival With the Elderly

Description: Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with elderly residents of the Annie Skau nursing home. Hands On volunteers will spend the afternoon at the nursing home helping prepare for Annie Skau's Mid-Autumn Fesitval party, as well as spending the afternoon visiting with the residents and helping them enjoy the celebration.

Location: Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon. You will receive directions prior to the activity.

Age: 18 and up (younger volunteers are welcome if accompanied by a parent or guardian)

Language: Please note volunteers must speak Cantonese to join this activity.

September 16, 2008
9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Spend Your Morning Dogwalking at the Hong Kong Dog Rescue

Description: The Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) is a charity that cares for and attempts to find homes for abandoned and unwanted dogs. Most of the dogs at HKDR have been picked up (on the streets or in country parks) by Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) dog-catchers. Under AFCD policy, the dogs they capture will be taken to their kennels and will be put down, if they are not claimed by an owner within 4 days. HKDR attempts to prevent this from happening by taking in dogs from AFCD kennels to its own Pokfulam kennels. HKDR then takes care of these dogs starts the process of finding a home for them.

With many dogs awaiting adoption at the HKDR at any given time, volunteers are needed to help out in a number of ways, including dogwalking. Hands On volunteers will spend the morning walking dogs at the HKDR’s Pokfulam Kennels. Volunteers should be at least age 14. Children between the ages of 14 and 18 must have a parent visit the kennels to sign the parental consent section of the Student Volunteer Application Form.

Description: Hands On is partnering with Haven Of Hope to provide a team of volunteer mentors to participate in the charity’s mentorship program for the 2008-2009 school year. This mentorship program serves disadvantaged primary and secondary school students from Tseung Kwan O. The Hands On volunteers who sign up for this activity will serve as a team of mentors to a group of students (i.e., the “mentees”). The ratio of volunteer mentors to mentees will be approximately 2 to 1. Hands On is seeking at least 10 volunteers to serve a group of at least 5 students. Volunteer mentor teams will meet once a month with their mentee team. Each monthly activity will be planned by the team of mentors and mentees, with the guidance and assistance of the Haven of Hope mentor program coordinator.

Unlike most Hands On activities, this program requires a long-term commitment from September 2008 through May 2009. However, the program is still flexible, as mentors will only need to commit to meeting an average of once per month (see below for more details). Further, with the exception of the two training sessions volunteers must attend (see dates below), the volunteer mentor team will be able to set their own schedule for their monthly meetings.

Language: Cantonese and English skills are preferred. As the students in the mentor program are Hong Kong natives, a limited number of volunteer mentor positions on the Hands On team may be available for volunteers who do not speak Cantonese.

Requirements: Volunteers must commit to participating in a once a month group activity with their fellow mentors and mentees and are asked to keep absences to a minimum. The time commitment for volunteers is approximately one full- or half- Saturday or Sunday once a month between October 2008 and May 2009.

Training Sessions: Prior to the start of the program, volunteers will need to attend at least two of the training sessions. The full schedule is not yet available, but training will begin Sept. 20.

Sign Up: To sign up to join this mentoring program, please email hohk@handsonhongkong.org by September 12 with your CV/resume, a brief description of any previous mentorship programs you have been involved in, and the dates of the two training sessions you will be able to attend.

Hands On is looking for individuals interested in helping coordinate regular and one-off volunteer activities. We are looking for coordinators for a number of new and existing activities during the week and weekends.

While the time commitment is minimal, Hands On Volunteer Project Coordinators provide a valuable service. Coordinators act as the primary contact for the volunteers who sign up for a specific activity. They attend the volunteer activity to ensure it runs smoothly and report attendance and feedback to Hands On.

If interested in more information about HOHK’s Volunteer Project Coordinator opportunities, send an email about your interest and general availability to Shaun at shaun@handsonhongkong.org.

Asian Charity Services (ACS) is is a registered nonprofit organization aimed at empowering and equipping nonprofits to expand their organizational capacity and achieve excellence in their standards and operations so as to maximize positive impact on people, communities and nations. ACS helps build other charities' capacity through consultancy and workshop trainings. ACS is currently seeking Volunteer Consultants. Volunteer Consultants work in small teams with other ACS Volunteer Consultants from different backgrounds to brainstorm, offer advice and make recommendations to charities during ACS training workshops in areas such as strategic planning and leadership. ACS offers Volunteer Consultants the necessary resources and support to work on structured projects with other nonprofits.

Candidates should be business professionals with a passion to maximize charities’ strategic impact on communities and should possess critical thinking skills and the ability to listen and communicate effectively. For more information, email Ms. Kee-Yean Leo (keeyean@asiancharityservices.org), Associate Director, ACS.

The mission of The Rainbow Project is to establish and maintain appropriate educational facilities for children with autism and related disorders in Hong Kong.

The Rainbow Project is looking for volunteers for three of its summer programs for children with special needs. These include an art and music program for children age 5 to 11, summer school for children age 3 to 6, and a fine motor skills program for children age 6 to 12. The Rainbow Project is looking for volunteers to start as early as July 4 and would prefer volunteers commit to five days per week whenever possible. Additional details regarding these programs can be found here. Contact rainbow@rainbowproject.org for more information.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) is seeking volunteers, interns, and paid staff to work 10-40 hours per week in preparation for an event in Hong Kong hosted by former U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 1-4, 2008. Volunteers should be fluent in English and fluency in an Asian language, particularly Mandarin, Korean, or Hindi, is preferable.

Join the efforts of Growing Together, an umbrella organization of charities serving Hong Kong's non-Chinese speaking special needs population, in advocating for inclusive education for all of Hong Kong's children. According to Growing Together, current practices in education result in a deprivation of services and de facto discrimination for non-Chinese speaking children with special educational needs. Help raise awareness of this issue by participating in Growing Together’s letter writing campaign.

Background information about this issue can be viewed here and a sample letter can be viewed here. While letters should be addressed to the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Government (as indicated in the sample letter), be sure to mail your letter to the Growing Together Campaign to enable all letters to be sent at one time. Letters should be mailed to: Watchdog Early Learning & Development Centre, Attn: Abbi DeLessio, G/F East Wing, 12 Borrett Road, Midlevels, Hong Kong

Crossroads International is a charity that collects in Hong Kong's quality excess goods and redistributes them to people in need, both locally and internationally. Crossroads is looking for summer interns as well as volunteers who can make a regular commitment (one full day per week or more). For more information about Crossroads' summer internship programme, see its briefing session overview, frequently asked questions, and internship descriptions. Individuals interested in the internship programme or volunteering can contact Debbie Kruse at volunteer@crossroads.org.hk.

Trade Without Borders (TWB) is a new organization that enables streamlined, accountable, and traceable product procurement by non-governmental organizations. TWB leverages the power of information technology and present-day global trading practices to forge global partnerships whose sole humanitarian aim is improving the livelihoods of those most in need in our world today. TWB is looking for a volunteer to provide secretarial support in its Kowloon office on a flexible, part-time (but ideally long-term) basis. An ideal candidate will possess basic computer skills, have a fluency in English, as well as Cantonese and/or Mandarin, and be able to start in May. For more information, contact Joe Fernandez at joef@tradewithoutborders.org or 9185 1610.

Enrich is a training organization that runs personal finance and confidence- building training for ethnic minority and migrant women in Hong Kong. Enrich is looking for a Bahasa speaking trainer to run workshops. Training sessions are held about two times a month, usually on a Sunday. The ideal trainer will be someone with experience in teaching, community work or personal finance and women's empowerment and who is motivated to support migrant workers. the organization is also looking for trainers who speak Nepali or Urdu. Please visit www.enrichhk.org for more information or contact Myriam at myriam@enrichhk.org or 2272 4597.

Against Child Abuse (ACA) is seeking volunteers for its upcoming conference it is holding in Hong Kong from September 7-10, 2008, "Towards a Caring and Non-Violent Community: A Child's Perspective." ACA is looking for volunteers to start helping now with its conference preparation and will need a number of volunteers to help during the conference. More information about the ACA's conference is available on the conference web site at: http://www.ispcan.org/congress2008/. If interested, please send an email to the ACA at aca@aca.org.hk.