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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1980
SWD OPENS COMMUNITY CENTRES FOR OVERNIGHT STAY
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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IS OPENING FROM TONIGHT (FRIDAY) FIVE COMMUNITY CENTRES TO PROVIDE OVERNIGHT SHELTER TO PEOPLE WHO NEED IT IN THE COLD WEATHER.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID: +PEOPLE IN NEED ARE WELCOME TO MAKE USE OF THIS FACILITY AND WOOLLEN BLANKETS WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED IN THE CENTRES.+
THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT WAS AMONG THE SERIES OF TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT SINCE LAST WEEK FOR STREET SLEEPERS AND OTHER PEOPLE TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE COLD SPELL.
HE SAID THE FIVE COMMUNITY CENTRES WILL BE OPENED FOR OVERNIGHT STAY DAILY FROM 7 PM TO 7 AM THE NEXT MORNING.
THEY ARE THE CHAI WAN COMMUNITY CENTRE AT 230 CHAI WAN ROAD, AND THE WESTERN DISTRICT COMMUNITY CENTRE AT WESTERN STREET ON HONG KONG ISLAND THE WONG TAI SIN COMMUNITY CENTRE AT 104 TSING TAK STREET, AND THE TAI HANG TUNG COMMUNITY CENTRE AT TONG YAM STREET IN KOWLOON- AND THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA COMMUNITY CENTRE AT TAI HO ROAD, TSUEN WAN, THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID ARRANGEMENTS HAD ALSO BEEN MADE WITH THE STREET SLEEPERS SHELTER SOCIETY TO OPEN ITS TWO TEMPORARY SHELTERS DURING THE DAY TIME AS WELL. THEY ARE THE TEMPORARY SHELTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT 21 HOSPITAL ROAD IN SAI YING PUN, AND THE ONE FOR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT 15A UN CHAU STREET IN SHAM SHUI PO.
SINCE LAST WEEK, HE SAID, THE DEPARTMENT STARTED DISTRIBUTING WOOLLEN BLANKETS AT ALL ITS COMMUNITY CENTRES, FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES AND SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS.
STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT ALSO GO OUT IN TRUCKS AT NIGHT TO REACH OUT TO STREET SLEEPERS AND GIVE THEM BLANKETS, HE SAID.
+THEY HAVE ALSO RESPONDED QUICKLY TO TELEPHONE CALLS MADE BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INFORMING THE WHEREABOUTS OF PEOPLE WHO NEED ASSISTANCE, HE ADDED.
SO FAR, HE SAID, NEARLY 3 000 BLANKETS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED, OF WHICH ABOUT ONE-THIRD WERE DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO STREET SLEEPERS.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN HELPING STREET SLEEPERS WHERE IT COULD, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE OLD OR DISABLED.
HE SAID ALL STREET SLEEPERS KNOWN OR REFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT WERE OFFERED HELP, WHETHER IN TERMS OF HOUSING, INSTITUTIONAL CARE, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OR COUNSELLING.
THE DEPARTMENT CAN ONLY HELP THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT HELP AND UNFORTUNATELY SOME STREET SLEEPERS ARE UNWILLING TO COOPERATE OR UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE, WHILST SOME OTHERS ARE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT ANY OFFER OF HELP AND PREFER TO THEIR OWN WAY OF LIFE, HE SAID.
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