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The Director of Social Welfare (DSW), Ms Carol Yip, and members of the Tang Shiu Kin and Ho Tim Charitable Fund (the Fund) Management Committee, including advisors Mr Richard Tang and Mr Hamilton Ho, today (February 10) hosted an annual reception for the elderly and distributed lai see packets to them in celebration of the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Speaking at the reception, Ms Yip said the Fund has been providing financial assistance to needy families and individuals to help them tide over their difficulties since its inception in 1977. The Fund seeks to promote the community spirit of the two founders and follow the venerable tradition of respecting the elderly and taking care of the disadvantaged.
She said that the Fund granted $2.71 million to more than 780 approved cases in 2013-14, and the Fund had also approved another 558 applications totalling $2.05 million from April to December 2014. A total sum of $3.1 million was earmarked for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) as social relief grants for the coming fiscal year.
Ms Yip took the opportunity to extend her sincere thanks to all members of the Management Committee for their long-term support and care for those in need.
Ms Yip noted that the Government has devoted extensive resources to various services for the elderly. In 2012-13, approximately $900 million was allocated under the Lotteries Fund to modernise the facilities of over 200 elderly centres across the territory by phases. In the current year, more than $160 million has been allocated for the upgrading of 51 social centres for the elderly to become neighbourhood elderly centres, as well as for enabling all subvented elderly centres to increase their manpower and programme expenses, thus enhancing support for elderly people and their carers. Moreover, the Government will continue to increase day care places and provide extended service hours in new day care centres/units for the elderly. From March 2015 onwards, the services provided by Enhanced Home and Community Care Services (EHCCS) will be enhanced, including home support for the elderly and on-site carer training services, as well as the provision of an additional 1 500 EHCCS places, amounting to an estimated annual recurrent expenditure of about $172 million. The Government has also earmarked about $800 million to meet the cost of 3 000 residential care service vouchers in the coming three years, subject to the recommendations of a feasibility study report.
Attending the reception today were some 40 elderly persons aged from 65 to 98. The Fund treated them to a wonderful show and a lavish and healthy lunch, as well as offering them best wishes for a happy Lunar New Year.
The Fund was founded by the late Sir Shiu-kin Tang and the late Dr Ho Tim, with the DSW Incorporated acting as the trustee of the Fund under Chapter 1096 of the Laws of Hong Kong. Members of the Management Committee include descendants of the founders (advisors), prominent members of the community and representatives from relevant government departments, the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and Po Leung Kuk.
The objective of the Fund is to provide timely financial assistance to needy individuals and families in emergency situations for which other sources may not be applicable or readily available. Recipients of the Fund include the unemployed, disaster victims, the chronically ill, the disabled, single parent families and the elderly.
Ends/Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:03
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