XN000022-1988-08-21 — Page 4

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 1988

CONCERN FOR ELDERLY NEEDS COMMUNITY SUPPORT

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BUILDING UP A TREND OF CONCERN FOR THE ELDERLY REQUIRES EFFORT AND SUPPORT FROM THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

SHE WAS SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY IN YAU MA TEI TO MARK THE START OF A MAJOR YOUTH PROGRAMME "1988 CONCERN VISIT TO THE ELDERLY BY YOUTH VOLUNTEERS",

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MRS WONG SAID THAT SINCE ESTABLISHING SUCH A TREND WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ACHIEVED BY INDIVIDUALS ON THEIR OWN, SHE WAS GLAD TO SEE YOUTH VOLUNTEERS GATHERING TOGETHER ON THIS OCCASION ΤΟ SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF "CONCERN FOR THE ELDERLY"

SHE NOTED THAT FINANCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY WERE BEING PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

BUT WHAT WAS NEEDED MOST BY ELDERLY PEOPLE, PERSONS, WAS CONCERN AND RESPECT FROM THE COMMUNITY.

ESPECIALLY SINGLE

THE PROGRAMME, JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS, WILL MOBILISE 1,000 YOUTH VOLUNTEERS TO VISIT ABOUT 5,000 ELDERLY SINGLE PERSONS LIVING IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS.

MRS WONG SAID IT WAS PLEASING THAT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE TAKING PART IN VOLUNTEER WORK.

"IT SHOWS THAT MORE AND MORE YOUTHS KNOW HOW ΤΟ MAKE PROPER USE OF THEIR LEISURE AND DEDICATE THEIR LOVE AND TIME TO CARE FOR AND ASSIST OTHERS.

"THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, ORGANISES REGULARLY TRAINING I'ROGRAMMES AND SERVICE PROJECTS FOR THE YOUTH VOLUNTEERS · TO IMPROVE THEIR INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, BROADEN THEIR SCOPE OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, AND HELP THEM DEVELOP HEALTHY INTERESTS AND POTENTIALS, SHE SAID.

THE PURPOSE OF ORGANISING THE CONCERN VISIT WAS TO APPEAL ΤΟ THE YOUNGER GENERATION AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC AT LARGE TO SHOW MORE CONCERN FOR THE ELDERLY AND

PROMOTE THE TRADITIONAL 'RESPECT FOR THE ELDERLY",

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"IT IS EVEN MORE MEANINGFUL IN THAT THE TWO GENERATIONS YOUNG AND THE OLD CAN COME TOGETHER TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND EXCHANGE VIEWS, SHE ADDED.

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CONCLUDING, MRS WONG THANKED THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS FOR JOINTLY ORGANISING THE CONCERN VISIT AND HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN AROUSING AMONG THE COMMUNITY MORE LOVE AND CONCERN FOR THE ELDERLY.

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