ENG-1957 — Page 256

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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

tons of used clothing have been distributed. During 1957 C.A.R.E. (Co-operative for American Remittances to Everywhere) gave out a total of over 240,000 food parcels, whilst the Lutheran World Federation helped a total of 80,000 persons with foodstuffs and 1,200 persons with emergency cash grants.

In 1957 the Government Social Welfare Office through its six Welfare Centres issued a daily average of 2,550 cooked meals and 2,020 portions of dry rations to the needy who were either aged, physically handicapped, widows with dependent children, or suffering from tuberculosis. Indoor relief was provided in North Point Relief Camp for a variety of persons in distress, including the disabled and their dependents who had been transferred after the closing down of Morrison Hill Camp, bringing the total number of inmates at North Point to nearly 500.

Public assistance in Hong Kong embraces all aspects of the other social services. The Lutheran World Service provides medical relief, which not only covers free medical treatment but also emergency cash assistance during sick- ness. In its medical programme, which also reaches thousands of sick people in the poorer districts of Hong Kong, the Catholic Welfare Committee of China, besides supplying clinics with part of their medical supplies, also runs a mobile dispensary which treats a total of over 2,000 cases per month.

Primary education for some 10,000 children is given in free schools run by charitable organizations such as the Tung Wah Hospital and Kaifong Welfare Associations.

Individual casework service is provided by the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society through its five centres which, during 1957, helped approximately 3,000 families a month by cash grants, loans, finding jobs or accommoda- tion, and obtaining hawkers' licences. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul also gave assistance in cash or in kind on a casework basis.