Dear Friends of ACF,
 
Thanks to you, we have had an amazing start to the year. Through our volunteer programs we have been making a difference and positively impacting the lives of the underprivileged in many ways already.  We packed rice for delivery to the impoverished in Sham Shui Po in time for Chinese New Year celebrations. We also continued with our popular reading program for kids from low income families.  Thanks to your incredible support, all of our programs were full (with some filling up in a matter of hours).  For those of you who were not able to sign up for our programs because they were full, please know that we are in the process of organizing additional programming so that more of you can participate.  Given current COVID restrictions, we can only open activities to smaller groups of people.  Please follow us on social media (FB: @ACFoundationHK and IG: @ACFoundationHK) and visit our website (www.acfhk.org) for the latest updates on our events and programs.  
 
In February, on behalf of the Hong Kong Community Recovery Fund, we also began distributing the HK$4 million the fund raised for Covid-19 relief efforts.  Thanks to our generous donors, together we supported
  • provision of free financial counselling sessions to migrant workers;
  • programs on mindfulness, positive thinking and resilience for parents of children with learning disabilities.
  • provision of food parcels to the needy;
  • development of counselling materials for underprivileged youths;
  • crisis intervention services for pregnant migrant domestic workers;
  • provision of mental health services to the underprivileged;
  • and many other programs in the education, training and mental health areas.  
Together we truly have touched the lives of many this year!  And there is much more on the way. In April and May, the ACF will continue our popular rice packing and reading to children programs.  We are also adding two new programs: packing food parcels for the needy and mentoring underprivileged primary school children.  We are hard at work organizing our Summer of Service activities.  As always, the health and safety of the community is our top priority and all of our activities will either be conducted on Zoom or following social distancing measures. 
 
Thank you for your continued support and I hope to meet you during one of our programs soon!
 
Best,
 
Leontine Chuang
CEO, American Club Foundation
 
Upcoming Volunteer Events
 
 
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Easter Reading Party with Bring Me A Book
Saturday, 3 April 3 2:00PM-4:30PM
St. James Settlement Jockey Club Chai Wan Integrated Services Centre, Chai Wan
 
ACF is throwing an Easter Party with Bring Me A Book for underprivileged primary school students! There will be Easter arts and crafts and a reading session featuring Easter themed books.  Books will be read in English with translation into Mandarin or Cantonese. Families are welcome and kids Grade 6 and above can join by themselves.  The Easter Party will be held at a community centre in Chai Wan following strict social distancing measures.  Click here to sign up to sign up for the volunteer reading program.  
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Food Parcel Packing with Feeding HK
Friday, 9 April 2021
2:30PM - 5:00PM 
 
Join us in the fight against food waste and hunger in Hong Kong.  Work in a food bank to pack key staples into food parcels for the underprivileged in our community.  Learn about how Feeding Hong Kong tackles food waste and poverty in Hong Kong through food banking.  Families with children aged 8 and above are welcome. The event will take place at the Feeding Hong Kong Food Bank in Yao Tong, Kowloon. This program is currently FULL.  Please click here to join our waitlist.
 
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Joyful Link Mentorship Program
Saturday, 10,17, 24 April 2021 and
Saturday, 8,15, 22 May 2021 
 
ACF will partner with the St. James Settlement Jockey Club Chai Wan Integrated Services Centre for this new pilot program. Mentor and teach English to children aged 6-12 from underprivileged families.  Over six Saturday afternoons, volunteers will build relationships with their mentees through playing games, doing arts and crafts and chatting in English.  The children lack the opportunity to practice speaking English so this will be the perfect opportunity for them to boost their English skills. Participation in all six sessions is mandatory. Ideally, volunteers should speak Cantonese & English or Mandarin & English.
 
 
 
Families are welcome and kids age 15 and above can participate on their own.  The program will take place either on Zoom or in Chai Wan depending on Covid regulations at the time of the program.
 
Dates/Time:
Saturday, 10 April 2021
4:00PM - 6:00PM
 
 Saturday, 17 April 2021
4:00PM - 6:00PM
 
Saturday, 24 April 2021
3:00PM - 6:00PM
 
Saturday, 8 May 2021
3:00PM - 6:00PM
 
Saturday, May 15, 2021
4:00PM - 6:00PM
 
Saturday, May 22, 2021
4:00PM - 6:00PM
 
Please contact Janet Wang at programs@acfhk.org with any questions. Please click here to register.
 
 
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Rice Packing with J Life Foundation ​
Saturday, 25 April 2021
9:30AM - 12:00PM
 
Three in ten elderly people in Hong Kong live in poverty and many depend on charitable food donations.  After the success of the first rice packing event, the American Club Foundation is partnering with J Life Foundation again to deliver rice to the elderly and impoverished in Sham Shui Po. Join us at the Town Club as we work together to pack rice for delivery. This activity is suitable for the whole family. Please contact Janet at programs@acfhk.org with any questions.
 
This program is currently FULL but we are looking into adding more dates.  Strict social distancing measures will be adhered to and masks will be required during the activity.  This activity is subject to any changes in Hong Kong Government COVID restrictions. 
 
J Life Foundation provides poverty relief to underprivileged communities in Sham Shui Po, focusing on helping support basic needs of families.  
 
Round Up of Recent Events
 
Rice Packing with J Life Foundation
Saturday, 30 January 2021
 
On Saturday, 30 January, 2021 volunteers and American Club staff helped the ACF pack 500kg of rice into 1kg bags to be handed out to underprivileged elderly in Sham Shui Po. Our partner, J Life Foundation, runs an amazing food hand-out program that supports 160 elderly and 500 impoverished families each week. Thank you to everyone who helped us pack rice in January. Your efforts made a difference!
 
Sharing The Love of Reading and Teaching English with Bring Me A Book
Saturday, 27 February 2021
Saturday, 6, 13, 20 March 2021
 
Over four weekends in March and April 33 volunteers read books over Zoom to 13 underprivileged children in a program co-sponsored by Bring Me A Book and the St. James Settlement Jockey Club Chai Wan Integrated Services Centre. Thank you to all our volunteers for giving their time to work with children who do not normally get a chance to listen to books being read to them in English. Jaiden Poon is a HKIS High School student who has volunteered a number of times with this reading program. Jaiden says “I feel very strongly that a responsible citizen of the community should give back to society, and it’s great that through this program I can give back in a way which I really enjoy.” We are so glad that all our volunteers have had such a great experience with this program!
 
 
 
 
 
Pictured: ACF volunteer Jaiden Poon reading to the children.
 
 
 
HONG KONG COMMUNITY RECOVERY FUND UPDATE
 
HONG KONG COMMUNITY RECOVERY FUND
 
Thank you to all the donors who contributed to the Hong Kong Community Recovery Fund (HKCRF)!  In early February, our NGO beneficiaries received cheques from us to fund their vital work in the community.  Together we have raised HK$4,000,000 to support twelve NGOs across various sectors.  Our funds provide crucial support at a time when COVID continues to have a negative impact in our community. Please visit the HKCRF website to learn more about the charities we are supporting.
 
 
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VOLUNTEER Highlights - J'nee Easter
 
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The ACF welcomes J’nee Easter to the Communications Team.  She will be lending her talents to our community by mentoring our interns and leading our Social Media.  Over the past eleven years, J’nee has been active in the Hong Kong community working on creative projects with organizations like the Parent Faculty Organization at Hong Kong International School, serving on the Board of the American Women’s Association and leading various fundraising events that benefitted the less fortunate in Hong Kong.  “It sparks my joy to work with a new charitable start up that aligns with my personal values of education, the environment and helping those in need—especially kids!”
 
GET INVOLVED WITH THE AMERICAN CLUB FOUNDATION
 
Please contact Janet Wang at Programs@acfhk.org if you would like to learn more about getting involved with the American Club Foundation. 
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