impactHK:Event 22 Announcement Plus a Story
Hey everyone,
First, let me give a big THANKS to those of you who came out last night! It was a very last minute announcement for Event 21, but considering that it was one of the coldest nights in 60 or so years, it would have been a real shame to not lend some help.
We handed out wool socks, gloves, heat packs, bananas, oranges, pears, yogurt drinks, juice boxes, cookies, four types of biscuits, and tissues to close to 80 homeless people.
It was quite a unique handout for a few reasons. Firstly, it was really obvious that the recipients of our gifts were extremely grateful. We had repeated, “Thank you!”s and there were many friendly conversations. When I hear a homeless gentlemen speaking English to us, I take it as such a sign of gratitude and connection. They really don’t need to say anything, and the fact that they do warms my heart.
It seemed like the vast majority of the homeless last night were very old. Some ladies in their eighties. More than a few in wheel chairs. I know that some shelters were opened up due to these cold conditions: not sure why they’re not always open… I also heard that these shelters work on a first come-first served basis. Common sense says that younger people could get there first leaving the elderly in the cold. This may not be the case, but it is clear that the system is flawed.
Photo by @ayeshasitaraa
I want to share something with you that happened at the very end of the handout. I was speaking with a group of guys and one lady who are always in the same homeless spot. I handed them their socks which they were really excited about. They one gentleman asked if we had any hand socks, aka gloves. Unfortunately at that point we had run out of gloves, so I gave him the gloves that I was wearing. His eyes literally got wide and I could see exactly how much that meant to him. We shared a hug and said our goodbyes.
This group of individuals are from Vietnam and are unfortunately always there. They are heavy into drugs, trying to escape their pain. Moments like this and a pair of gloves won’t solve their problems. However, I know that our exchange was meaningful and this is just the start.
Let’s keep this going! Please continue to join when you can and also help spread the word about these events. People are going to be hard pressed to find a more impact full charity experience.
Event 22
Tuesday, February 2nd
8:00PM
Nam Cheong MTR-Go out Exit A. Cross the street and enter the shopping centre. We will meet in front of the Park N Shop as usual. Please try arriving around 7:45.
$100 each
Please bring 1 or 2 reusable bags.
Have a great week everyone! Also, I hope to see you at How Cool Is That?!! It’s this Saturday!! Here’s the FB link with all the info. https://www.facebook.com/events/201043693574970/
Cheers
Mr.J
The Guest Room 
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