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.
“When I had a chance to meet her for the first time, she turned out to be quite lively, and we chatted for three hours,” Kwok says. “At the end of that meeting, she even seemed reluctant to say goodbye. Later I found out that it depended on the subject of conversation. Auntie Fong is very animated when talking about sewing fabric patchwork.”
To is one of what many refer to as the “hidden elderly” – older people who lack family support and are not connected to community networks. It is a growing social issue in Hong Kong, which is experiencing an ageing population phenomenon.
The city’s Census and Statistics Department reports that the number of Hong Kong people aged 65 and over is projected to rise, and will represent about one-third of the local population by 2046.
To and her late husband were assigned their current flat in Wah Fu Estate, a public-housing project in the Southern district of Hong Kong, 17 years ago.
“My husband and I were not very sociable,” To says. “We just minded our own business. I did not have a good childhood, and was being picked on a lot, and when I was working as a seamstress, my colleagues also bullied me sometimes.”
She grew passionate about her job making clothes, which led to her hobby of making different fabric-patchwork items. To enjoyed collecting unwanted fabrics and transforming them into new items, such as bags, pillowcases and blankets. So Kwok and other volunteers planned to put together a joint exhibition where To would be able to display her handiwork as part of the “Share Your Dreams” programme.
However, while the programme was continuing, tragedy struck when To’s husband was diagnosed with cancer in late 2021. “It happened rather quickly, and he passed away within two months,” Kwok says. “Auntie Fong was hit very hard, and she sank into depression. For days on end, she would not eat or even drink water.”
Concerned about To’s mental well-being, Kwok decided to join the social workers to help her through the difficult time. “We put our plans for the programme on hold,” she says. “We did not even care if there would be an exhibition, as my focus was on her well-being. I made use of the programme’s resources to help her in other ways.”
The HSBC volunteer signed up with To for arts-and-craft workshops, to get the widow’s mind off her grief, and even brought her own family members along. “We’d finish a workshop and go to have meals together,” Kwok says. “Even my mother has become Auntie Fong’s friend.”
Kwok also bought a new sewing machine for To using funds from the programme and helped her to prepare for her own patchwork-making workshops in her flat, where sometimes up to a dozen people would come to learn how to sew pieces of fabric into different items.
These efforts paid off and after several months To began to slowly regain her mental strength and even started revamping the flat.
“Eventually, we were able to get the exhibition held in 2022,” Kwok says. “We had a group of volunteers and social workers turning up to support, and Auntie Fong was very happy that day.”
Peter Wong, chairman of HSBC Asia-Pacific, and David Liao, co-chief executive of HSBC Asia-Pacific, were also among the visitors who had a chance to appreciate To’s colourful handiwork.
However, the relationship between Kwok and To is continuing to develop, long after the “Share your Dreams” exhibition ended. Kwok and other volunteers still visit Auntie Fong from time to time, organising activities such as hotpot dinners to help fill her flat with laughter.
“This project has been very special,” Kwok says. “It’s not just about organising an event and chalking it up. There is a lasting human relationship that has come out of it. I feel like I have gained a family member.”
