How HSBC volunteer has built lasting relationship with elderly widow after helping her get through hard times
- Charitable initiative organised by The Hongkong Bank Foundation continues to have positive impact on Hong Kong’s community
- Winky Kwok, an HSBC volunteer, still provides emotional support to passionate fabric-patchwork maker Ivy To despite end of the programme
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HSBC volunteer builds lasting bond with elderly beneficiary
When Winky Kwok, digital manager at HSBC, joined the bank 17 years ago, she was immediately drawn to the array of charitable initiatives the company had in place for its staff to get involved in.
She has actively taken part in them as a volunteer, but she never imagined that, one day, one of the beneficiaries would become like family to her.
“The name of one of the programmes, ‘Share Your Dreams’, really struck a chord in me, as it’s about helping people fulfil their potential and having a lasting impact on their lives,” Kwok says.
The 18-month volunteering programme was a joint effort between The Hongkong Bank Foundation and the Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS), with beneficiaries identified with help from community groups in various districts. HSBC volunteers are then assigned to these beneficiaries as partners, under the guidance of AVS.
With more than 40 years of history, the foundation runs a host of signature projects that serve disadvantaged groups such as people with disabilities, elderly people and youths in low-income families. Its HSBC Volunteers Scheme, established in 1993, has seen staff contribute more than one million hours to society and has become a core element of the bank’s charitable work.
In 2021, Kwok was assigned to help Ivy To Wai-fong, a retired elderly woman who loves sewing and making patchwork items using fabrics of different colours and designs. During the project’s briefing, Kwok was told that To, known as “Auntie Fong”, was shy and reserved, and that she and her husband did not have family members or a social circle supporting them.
