FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1977
MULTI-SERVICE WELFARE CENTRE COMMENDED
****
THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR, THOMAS LEE TODAY HIGH- LIGHTED THE MERITS OF MULTI-SERVICE CENTRES AND PRAISED THE ST. JAMES' SETTLEMENT'S SKILL IN MOBILIZING ITS HUMAN RESOURCES.
SPEAKING AT THE SETTLEMENT'S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING THIS AFTERNOON, MR, LEE SAID THAT THROUGH THE SHARING OF FACILITIES, RESOURCES AND SUPPORTING SERVICES, A MULTI-SERVICE WELFARE CENTRE COULD ACCOMPLISH TASKS WITH A LOT MORE EASE WHILE THE DIFFERENT NEEDS OF FAMILY MEMBERS COULD BE MET IN THE SAME PLACE UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE SAME SOCIAL WORKER.
BECAUSE OF SUCH A SOPHISTICATED, WELL-ORGANISED, INTEGRATED NETWORK OF WELFARE SERVICES, CLIENTS OF THE SETTLEMENT ARE ABLE TO ENJOY THE FRUITS OF MUTUAL AID, SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND OF TRULY LIVING TOGETHER IN A COMMUNITY, HE POINTED OUT.
AS AN ILLUSTRATION, MR. LEE SAID THAT OLD WOMEN, WHO CAME TO THE SETTLEMENT'S CHUNG PAK CLUB SIMPLY TO WHILE AWAY THE HOURS WERE BECOMING +HAPPILY OCCUPIED WITH HOME-VISITING THE SICK MEMBERS AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE HOME-HELP SERVICE FOR THE HANDICAPPED MEMBERS.+
YOUTH GROUPS TOO FOUND PLEASURE IN HELPING TO MAKE TOYS FOR THE NURSERY, WHILE CHILDREN IN THE NURSERY GAVE PERFORMANCES AT THE OLD FOLK'S BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND THE MOTHERS' CLUB MEMBERS BUSY THEMSELVES IN ORGANISING OUTINGS FOR THE OLD PEOPLE, HE ADDED.
MR. LEE NOTED THAT SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1950, THE ST. JAMES' SETTLEMENT HAD GROWN FROM A BOYS' AND GIRLS' CLUB HOUSED IN A ROOM BY THE SIDE OF PAK TAI TEMPLE TO A MULTI-PURPOSE AGENCY OCCUPYING THREE SITES IN STONE NULLAH LANE AND KENNEDY ROAD.
IN RESPONSE TO THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, THE SETTLEMENT NOW OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES WHICH INCLUDE A DENTAL CLINIC, A MOTHERS' CLUB, A LIBRARY, STUDY ROOMS, A NURSERY, A SHELTERED WORKSHOP, A CHILDREN'S MEAL SERVICE, FAMILY COUNSELLING SERVICES AS WELL AS A HOME-HELP SERVICE.
DESCRIBING THE SETTLEMENT AS A MODEL OF MULTI-WELFARE
SERVICE FOR RESIDENTS OF WAN CHAI. HE INDICATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HOPED TO SEE THE SAME SERVICE EXTENDED TO RESIDENTS OF OTHER DISTRICTS.
TURNING TO THE PLANS FOR SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF WELFARE SERVICES, MR. LEE SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION OF THE REHABILITATION GREEN PAPER, PLANS FOR THE OTHER VULNERABLE GROUPS, IN PARTICULAR THE ELDERLY AND YOUNG PEOPLE, WERE BEING DRAWN.
+THESE PLANS CANNOT MATERIALIZE WITHOUT THE FULL SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION OF THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR WHICH HAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY TO MAKE THESE PLANS A REALITY, HE ADDED.
15