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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1990
MISS LEUNG KIM, A FORM 7 STUDENT,
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IS AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER IN SWD'S NORTH DISTRICT YOUTH OFFICE. IN THE PAST TWO YEARS SHE HAS BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN ORGANISING SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY AND YOUTH.
MISS LEUNG RECALLED THAT SHE WAS VERY DEPRESSED WHEN SHE WAS IN FORM 4 BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY SCHOOL WORK. INTRODUCED BY HER FRIENDS, AH KIM, AS HER FELLOW VOLUNTEERS CALLED HER, BECAME A MEMBER OF THE SWD'S GROUP WORK UNIT IN NORTH DISTRICT.
SHE ADMITTED THAT IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS RESISTANCE FROM HER PARENTS. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR ATTITUDE AND NOW GIVE HER FULL SUPPORT.
"I FOUND VOLUNTEER WORK VERY REWARDING,
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MISS LEUNG SAID.
"IT NOT ONLY BROADENS MY KNOWLEDGE BUT ALSO ENABLES ME то IMPROVE ON MY STUDIES.
"MORE IMPORTANT, I CAN DEVOTE MY SPARE TIME IN CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING OTHERS, SHE SAID CHEERFULLY.
IN FACT, MISS LEUNG IS ALSO THE BENEFICIARY. AFTER BECOMING A VOLUNTEER, SHE HAS BECOME MORE MATURE AND то THE SURPRISE OF HER PARENTS, SHE HAS MADE MARKED IMPROVEMENTS IN HER SCHOOL WORK.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE BESPECTACLED, SMALL-BUILD MR KIN-KWOK, OR KWOK TSAI, HAS A DIFFERENT STORY TO TELL.
LAI
MR LAI BECAME A VOLUNTEER RIGHT AFTER HE FINISHED SECONDARY SCHOOL. HE FIRST STARTED BY HELPING HIS FRIEND ON A COMMUNITY PROJECT IN 1988. SINCE THEN HE SPENT HIS MAJOR EFFORT IN SERVING MENTALLY- RETARDED CHILDREN AND EX-MENTAL PATIENTS,
WORKING AS A JUNIOR DESIGNER IN A PRIVATE FIRM, MR LAI MADE USE OF MOST OF HIS SPARE TIME, AND IN SOME CASES, DUG OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET, TO ORGANISE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND DESIGN ARTWORKS TO PROMOTE THE PROJECTS.
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HE ALSO ORGANISED TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS WITH THE ASSISTANCE FROM SWD STAFF IN THE WAN CHAI YOUTH OFFICE.
MR LAI HAS RETURNED TO SCHOOL TO FURTHER HIS STUDIES.
COMMENTING ON THE AWARD, BOTH MISS LEUNG AND MR LAI HONOUR SHOULD GO TO MEMBERS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GROUP.
SAID THE
"WITHOUT THEIR PARTICIPATION, TEAM SPIRIT AND THE GUIDANCE FROM SWD'S PROFESSIONAL STAFF, OUR PROJECTS COULD NOT BE CARRIED OUT SMOOTHLY. THEY SAID.
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