On 7th September 2013, COSCO International arranged a total of 19 volunteers comprising its employees and their family members in Hong Kong to pay visit to the elderly who live alone before the Mid-Autumn Festival. The visit activity, organised by a non-profit social organization namely the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council (“NAAC”), aimed to extend their regards and caring to the elderly who gave contribution to Hong Kong in the past but now live alone.

The visit activity started at 9:30a.m. After listening to the briefing by the social worker of NAAC, COSCO International’s volunteer team was divided into few groups, and carried the festive moon cakes, fruits and necessities to visit 11 households of one elderly living alone and two elderly living together in Tai Hang Tung Estate and nearby areas in Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon. During the visit, the volunteers, for the first time, encountered the elderly who is over a hundred year-old, and an elderly person who lives alone in more than a thousand square feet luxury flat. The volunteers said the elderly, who worked at different positions when they were young and made lots of contribution to society, are now living alone due to different reasons after retirement. Nevertheless, they are still optimistic and stay positive about life. They encouraged the young volunteers to fulfill filial piety and study hard. Through the conversation with the elderly, the volunteers understood the truth that health is wealth, and also found the pleasure that it is more blessed to give than to receive. All of them spent a pleasant weekend morning.

Since the beginning of the year, COSCO International’s volunteer team visited a total of 49 households of one elderly living alone and two elderly living together. The number of participants amounted to 53 attendances while over 210 volunteer hours were recorded. Through the visit, the volunteers knew more about the latest condition of the elderly, and they passed their feedback to the social workers to help them improve their livelihood. In future, COSCO International will continue to encourage its employees to participate in various forms of volunteer service, reflecting the spirit of the Company’s care for the community.

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