Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) has been established since 1952. Rooted in the Christian faith, we strive to build a humane and just society. Living up to our core values of caring for the whole person and pursing excellence and innovation, we provide the needy with suitable, professional and quality services genuinely, regardless of their ability, age, gender, class, race or religion. We care for the disadvantaged and the neglected, and strive to help improve their circumstances.
We provide diversified services through three service clusters, namely Child & Family, Youth & Social Rehabilitation, and Elderly, Rehabilitation & Community. Additionally, we provide handicapped children with appropriate education and training, and a wide range of professional services to organisations and their employees across different sectors.
Stepping into its 70th year, HKCS continues to uphold our vision of “Towards a Benevolent and Just Society, Holistic Development for All”, stand fast to our mission of “Instill Hope, Advocate Justice and Promote Harmony”, and provide people-centred services for our people and society.
Rev Dr LAM Sung CheChairman
Feeling Grateful for Future Building through Serving
Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) was formed from a merger of several local and international christian service organisations. With the Christian value of philanthropy and a pursuit for excellence and innovation, through providing professional and voluntary services and care, we aim to instill hope, advocate justice, promote harmony, and to build a society where benevolence, justice, and overall wellness could be manifested.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of HKCS. For that we must look back with gratitude, and look forward with confidence and courage. In the past 70 years, Hong Kong has experienced great changes and challenges in its society, politics, economy, and culture. The prevailing elements throughout, are the great protection and leadership of God, the beliefs, dreams, vision, and sense of duty from our predecessors, colleagues, service partners, the Hong Kong government, and like-minded people within the society that transcends generations, allowing HKCS to march on and serve, benefiting citizens of Hong Kong with different backgrounds and needs, and contributing to the development of social service in Hong Kong.
We are now entering a time of dramatic changes, with challenges that are more complicated. To a service agency, the past 70 years have helped us accumulate invaluable experiences and abilities, making us even more mature, lively, and more equipped to take on more and bigger responsibilities. In good times and bad, we will be able to keep our spirits up, summon our courage, in this ever-changing world, with an attitude of positivity, proactivity, passion, innovation, and a willingness to excel, we will continue to unleash our unlimited potential, overcome various difficulties, and provide warmth and hope to the needy. May our humble services be in the spirit of the Prayer of Saint Francis’: “where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light.” I hope that everything we do will be to glorify God and help people.
Finally, may I say a word of encouragement: “With God’s leadership we have strived for 70 years, with God's blessing we become instruments to serve and to spread the love of God. With great foresight we stand and face challenges, with gratitude we serve our community and create the future.”
Ms CHAK Tung Ching, YvonneDirector
Never forget our humble start, Move on with one determined heart.
Since 1952, Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) has walked through and witnessed the changes in Hong Kong and its social service sector in the past 70 years. If we were stepping into a time tunnel, we could have a glimpse of each and all changes in HKCS, the realm of social service, as well as the overall society in Hong Kong. I am grateful that in 70 years, under the leadership of every Chairman and Director, different insightful teams have been formed to pursue social innovation persistently. Since the very beginning, HKCS has not only been an agency that provides social services, but also a “social service laboratory”, which has been keen on acknowledging the needs of people who are in short of resources and opportunities across the decades and times, pioneering in a variety of quality, professional, and effective services, as well as advocating innovative service model. Meanwhile, HKCS also takes up a prominent role in social policy advocacy through a spectrum of methods, liaising with a vast array of service users and stakeholders from various sectors across decades and eras, in a bid to advance a more reasonable welfare policy and model for our society.
We may imagine how will the need of Hong Kong, the development of social service, and HKCS be in the next 70 years? Although no one can foresee the future precisely, HKCS’s mission and vision will remain unchanged. Encountering the changes and challenges in different times, HKCS will uphold our belief as it always does. We will do our utmost to fulfil the mission of “Instill Hope, Advocate Justice, Promote Harmony” and serve our Hong Kong community.
The number of “7” is endowed with the meaning of “perfection” in the Bible, which is also interpreted as “fulfilling the work thoroughly”; while the number of “10” embarks on the meanings of “sum” and “completion of things”. HKCS has stepped into the remarkable milestone of “70” years, which deliberately reveals the symbolic meanings from within. In the future, HKCS will continue to strive for perfection and pursue excellence in our services, accomplish our mission thoroughly, and be fully committed to serve; HKCS is holistically guided and blessed by our God, where every companion in the agency, service user, and stakeholder from all walks of life are a part of us. Walking into our next 70 years, I wish us a collaboratively built society with benevolence and justice, which will convey blessings to more people who are in need.
Food was delivered to the children through our mobile canteens and distribution centres.
Medical service was provided through our hospital, medical and dental centre and mobile dental clinics.
The grassroots were supported to make the craft and hold seasonal sales.
Pui Oi Club was set up to educate and serve the physically handicapped children.
Wah Hong Hostel opened as the first hostel for elderly in a public housing estate in Hong Kong.
To equip teenagers with a skill to earn living, we established Kwun Tong Vocational Training Centre and provided training classes in different districts.
From 1950s to 1970s , we assisted thousands of stateless European refugees to resettle in other countries and operated a large camp for Vietnamese refugees.
As the first provider of foster care service in Hong Kong, we served 19 children in the first year.
As the first to operate the service, our school workers handled about 160 cases, which were related to school failure, developmental problems or career guidance, in the first year.
The athletic gala for the elderly was organised to strengthen the elderly' body and broaden their social circle.
The Infant Stimulation & Parent Effectiveness Training Project was launched to stimulate the infants' intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth.
Our Centre for Psychotropic Substance Abusers PS33 was the first centre providing nonresidential detoxification and counseling services for drug users.
As the pioneer in introducing Employee Assistance Programme to Hong Kong, we promoted the programme by liaising with business associations.
The Hong Kong Bank Child Care Centre (Now the Wayfoong Nursery School) was established, which was the first centre funded by an employer for its staff and managed by a voluntary agency in Hong Kong.
We took part in promoting the development of social welfare in Mainland China through various exchange programmes and training.
With the Project of Elderly Abuse Research and Protocol, we put forward the Procedural Guidelines for Handing Elder Abuse Cases, laying a solid foundation to address elder abuse prevention.
The "Caring School Award Scheme" was launched to cultivate a positive atmosphere in schools.
We were the first agency to concern hidden youth phenomenon and started the counselling service.
"Online New Page - Online Addiction Counselling Centre" was launched to help young internet addicts regain their life balance.
"Centre for Harmony and Enhancement of Ethnic Minority Residents" (CHEER) was set up as the only organisation receiving government subsidy to provide people with multicultural backgrounds interpretation and translation service.
We managed the first preschool attached to the Hong Kong airport in order to support the parents working there.
The KeySteps@JC project was started to provide critical support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to build stronger foundations.
We operated two parents/relatives resource centres named "To-gather" to provide various kinds of support service for people with special needs and their parents.
The "Multicultural Outreaching Team for InclusiON" (M.O.T.I.ON) was established to deploy reach-out approach to identify and engage people from multicultural backgrounds.
