👵👴 Serve 2Gather Volunteers Acted to Break Mobility Constraints with Care and Support 💙♿ ⁠
⁠
On 10 June 2026, our Serve 2Gather student volunteers joined hands with Po Leung Kuk Chan Au Big Yan Home for the Elderly to support wheelchair-using elderly residents on a joyful visit to Ocean Park. ⁠
Despite the summer heat ☀️, our volunteers did more than pushing the wheelchairs — they overcame accessibility barriers, fostered meaningful connections, and brought the park experience to life through care, patience, and companionship. ⁠
⁠
✨ From navigating crowds to vividly describing marine life exhibits, every thoughtful action helped make the visit more inclusive, engaging, and joyful. ⁠
💬 What our volunteers shared: ⁠
🗣️ ‘I realised how important it is to see from their perspective. Simple actions like describing what they cannot easily see can bring real happiness.’⁠
— Ricky Cheung (BNur, Year 1)
🗣️ ‘This experience deepened my understanding of the challenges faced by wheelchair users. Being attentive and making small adjustments can greatly enhance their experience. I also developed greater respect for caregivers who provide daily support.”’⁠
— Josephine Cheung (BASc, Year 2) ⁠
🗣️ ‘This visit taught me patience and helped me grow in responsibility and teamwork. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve elderly citizens who have contributed so much to society.”’⁠
— Meenu (PhD Mathematics, Year 1) ⁠
⁠
💡 This visit wasn’t just a trip — it was a powerful reminder of: ⁠
🤝 Intergenerational connection ⁠
❤️ Empathy and care in action ⁠
🌱 Student growth through service ⁠
⁠
Together, we transformed a simple outing into a meaningful, inclusive experience for all. 💫 ⁠

The Code-to-Care mentorship programme has successfully brought together peer mentors and secondary school students to learn and grow together 💛 ⁠
What began as a coding programme evolved into something much more—a meaningful experience with connections built, confidence nurtured, and young minds empowered. ⁠

🤝 With the support of our dedicated Serve 2Gather peer mentors, each student experienced not only learning, but also genuine care, encouragement, and companionship. Together, they explored the local community, developed coding skills, and discovered their own potential. ⁠

🌱 While the programme has come to an end, the growth, connections, and inspiration it sparked will continue to make an impact. ⁠

✂️ The Serve 2Gather Haircutting Team proudly delivered three haircutting service sessions this semester, benefiting over 100 senior citizens and neurodivergent adults across three care homes. ⁠
⁠
The final session was held in a truly remarkable setting—the historic 103 year old red brick building in Kennedy Town. Once the Western Fire Station (established in 1937), the site now serves as the Po Leung Kuk Chan Au Big Yan Home for the Elderly. This meaningful experience not only enabled HKU students to deliver essential services to our community members but also further strengthened the university’s connection with the HKU neighbourhood. ⁠
⁠
💬 “Seeing the recipients’ satisfaction when I showed them their haircut in the mirror was deeply rewarding and affirmed the value of this service experience.” – Manuela David (BA, Year 2) (@nodnom) ⁠
💬 “This was a truly meaningful community project, especially against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s ageing population. Beyond learning practical haircutting skills and techniques, I gained a deeper understanding of the needs of our elderly community.” – Hilary Fok (BJ, Year 2) (@hilaryxfok) ⁠
💬 “This programme opened my eyes to the realities in Hong Kong that I hadn’t been exposed to before. I especially valued the chance to serve and connect with people beyond my university bubble. It was a rewarding experience, and I would gladly join a similar initiative again.” – Julia Prus (BBA, Year 1) (@prusjulia) ⁠
⁠
🌟 The HKU Serve 2Gather Haircutting Team proves that even a simple act—like a haircut—can bring dignity, love, and inclusion to our ageing community. ⁠

📸 Serve 2Gather students recently made a visit to the Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple in Wan Chai — Hong Kong’s oldest Sikh temple, established in 1901 and recognised as a Grade II historic building. Beyond its architectural beauty, the temple remains as a vibrant spiritual and community hub, reflecting the rich heritage of the Sikh community. ⁠
⁠
What students experienced: ⁠
🔸 Gained insights into Sikh history, beliefs, and values 💡 ⁠
🔸 Explored the prayer hall, library and community kitchen 🚶 ⁠
🔸 Received Karah Parshad, the sacred dessert offered as a blessing 🙏 ⁠
🔸 Enjoyed the langar — a vegetarian meal symbolising equality and selfless service 🍲 ⁠
⁠
This immersive visit deepened students’ appreciation for Hong Kong’s multicultural fabric and imparted a powerful lesson: inclusion begins with simple acts of sharing. ⁠
⁠
Student reflections: ⁠
💬 “I was impressed by the hospitality of the Sikh community and gained valuable insights into their beliefs and rituals.” (@cindyxu_10) ⁠
💬 “Learning about Sikh naming traditions — Singh (lion 🦁) and Kaur (lioness/princess 👑) — showed me how bravery, kindness, and equality are woven into everyday life.” (@atoonicabqwong) ⁠
💬 “A wonderful cultural exploration opportunity!” (@edmundlawkh) ⁠
⁠
By fostering cultural sensitivity and awareness, Serve 2Gather volunteers are better equipped to promote inclusion and diversity within our community. ⁠⁠

✂️ After mastering the basics of haircutting, the Serve 2Gather Haircutting Team stepped forward to make a real difference in our community by bringing haircutting services to the elderly residents in a local care home. 🧓👵 

🫶 Providing haircuts for seniors with mobility constraints was initially challenging, but the trust, smiles, and gratitude from those being served became the volunteers’ greatest source of confidence and reward. 

💖 More than just a skill-building activity, the team addresses vital community needs in our ageing society and students help spread kindness, promotes dignity, and champions inclusion—showing that care and connection matter most. 

🤝Serve 2Gather volunteers went beyond the classroom to promote cultural diversity and forge genuine intercultural bonds with Hong Kong’s ethnic minority communities.  

From 🎄 Christmas celebration, 🍓 farm visit, 🏯 heritage walk, 🌳 family picnic, to 🎉 festive outing — activities of HOPE in Action programme brought energy, care, and support to over 250 ethnic minority members in Hong Kong.

Every event is a cultural bridge: connecting communities, celebrating diversity, and strengthening social harmony. 🌟 

🌈 As part of the Serve 2Gather programme, HOPE in Action offers HKU students more than just service opportunities — it’s a journey of learning, a platform for cross-cultural dialogue, and a chance to build a more inclusive society. 🙌  

A huge thank you to our Serve 2Gather community partner, Youth Global Network (@ygnhk.official), for delivering a series of insightful and impactful training sessions for our Code to Care volunteers! 👏✨ ⁠
⁠
Training highlights included: ⁠
🎨 Design thinking ⁠
💻 Coding & AI applications ⁠
💬 Empathy & active listening ⁠
🤝 Mentorship & facilitation skills ⁠
⁠
Participants were also deeply inspired by the trainer’s passion and commitment to supporting underserved youth. 💛 ⁠
⁠
With newly acquired knowledge and practical skills, our volunteers are now well prepared to step into their roles as peer mentors in the upcoming service journey! 😇 ⁠
⁠
Code to Care is a unique coding and mentorship programme dedicated to providing care, support, and empowerment to local secondary school students with special education needs. ⁠

👏 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 — 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱⁠
This semester, the Serve 2Gather programme successfully carried out its care home visits and community outreach initiatives, fostering meaningful engagement and social responsibility among students. The programme achieved:⁠
📍𝟰 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀⁠
⏱️𝟗𝟎 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱⁠
👵👴𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱⁠
🧹𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱⁠

🙏 We extend our sincere appreciation to all 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 for promoting equality through service, as well as our 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 for enabling impact out of classroom learning experiences:⁠
🤝 KnitnCare⁠
🤝 Heung Hoi Ching Kok Lin Association Buddhist Li Ka Shing Care and Attention Home for the Elderly⁠
🤝 Hong Lok Yuen Aged Sanatorium Centre Limited⁠
🤝 Le Grand Silverjoy⁠
🤝 On Sum Elderly Care Centre (Tsuen Wan)⁠

Together, we cultivate compassion, civic responsibility, and community engagement. 🌱⁠

🌸 Easter Break Volunteering | Cross‑Cultural Experience 🌸⁠
⁠During the Easter holiday, two passionate Serve 2Gather student volunteers lent their support to a Cultural Competency Training Workshop for Healthcare Professionals at North Lantau Hospital.🏥 They provided Cantonese – English interpretation to support smooth communication,🗣️ and assisted in role‑play activities that brought real healthcare scenarios to life. 🎭⁠

Working alongside colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds, students found the session was engaging and gained valuable insights into cross‑cultural communication in a real‑world working environment.⁠

💡Atoonica Wong (BA, Year 4) shared:⁠
“Applying my interpretation skills in a real hospital setting was refreshing. This hands‑on experience showed me how empathy and warm body language can bridge cultures in healthcare.”⁠
⁠
💡Hung Tak Ching (BEng(CompSc, Year 1) reflected:⁠
⁠“By stepping into the shoes of our ethnic minority neighbours, I learned how lowering the barriers they face can help us build a more supportive and inclusive community together.”⁠
⁠
🍵 After the event, staff from OkayMinds, a CEDARS community partner, treated the students to tea, where they enjoyed Indian milk tea and snacks together. 🇮🇳⁠

More than just a volunteering activity, this became a half‑day immersive cross‑cultural learning experience — meaningful, eye‑opening, and rewarding. 💛⁠

Serve 2Gather ~ Students in Action | Learning Through Service⁠

🌧️ 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘂𝘀!⁠⁠
In Hong Kong, cardboard collectors are a familiar sight — working tirelessly through heat and rain, pushing their trolleys across the city for less than HKD 30 a day.⁠
Our Serve 2Gather volunteers braved the rainy weather for a meaningful street visit! 👏 By engaging directly with a marginalised group of cardboard collectors and street cleaners, participants gained real insights into their daily realities, challenges, and working conditions.⁠
Our non-local students also quickly discovered that body language is truly a universal language. 👍 Even without shared words, sincere gestures and smiles bridged communication gaps. Many elderly collectors nodded in understanding and gratitude, forging genuine human connections. ❤️⁠
This visit served as a powerful reminder of the importance of respect, dignity, and inclusiveness for all.⁠
Duan Zhu Zhu (BME, Year 1) from Chinese Mainland shared:
“I gained a deeper understanding of what cardboard collecting is really like. The work is tough. Their resilience and independence taught us to respect every elderly collector we meet.” 💛
Evita Yulisetiani (MBA, Year 1) from Indonesia reflected:
“This experience made me think deeply about equality and ageing issues in our society. I truly appreciate the spirit and perseverance of this underserved community, and I look forward to our next visit — continuing to learn, serve, and support our community.” 🙌

✂️ 𝗖𝘂𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲!💈⁠
Our dedicated 𝘾𝙪𝙩 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 volunteers are now deep into their haircutting training, gearing up to make a real difference in the community. 💪⁠

𝘾𝙪𝙩 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 is a community engagement initiative that empowers HKU students to learn practical haircutting skills and use them to serve the underprivileged community. 💚⁠

Swipe to see how our volunteers are preparing themselves and getting equipped to serve! 💈😄⁠

They’ll soon be heading out to bring care, dignity, and fresh cuts to those in need. Stay tuned for their upcoming service actions!⁠
🤝 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣, 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚. 💛⁠

🍲 Our 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 volunteers joined a heartwarming neighbourhood lunch with residents of Ping Shek Estate, celebrating the Lunar New Year over a delicious Poon Choi feast! 🧧⁠

🥢 Dining together like families and chatting like old friends, everyone enjoyed meaningful connections and festive moments 🎉. For our non-local students 🌍 from 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮, 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮, 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘂, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗞, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮, it was a wonderful chance to experience Hong Kong traditions and community life up close. Special thanks to our local students for serving as cultural bridges throughout the event!⁠
⁠
Ariana Xiao from Peru 🇵🇪 (peer support: @ykei_58 🇭🇰)⁠
“This was an authentic outreach experience. We not only shared a traditional Poon Choi meal with the community but also learned from one another. The residents and I even tried a Cantonese–Spanish language exchange — and those ‘language gaps’ became moments of joy and unity!” 🫶⁠
⁠
Hyunmin Park from South Korea 🇰🇷 (peer support: Ross Ho 🇭🇰)⁠
“As an exchange student, I rarely have chances to interact with locals. This activity helped me understand Hong Kong better, broaden my horizons, and expand my network. Thanks to CEDARS for organising this must-try experience for anyone eager to learn more about Hong Kong culture.” 👍⁠
⁠
Nikita Potashkin 🇷🇺 (peer support: Shannon Choi 🇭🇰)⁠
“The event was full of laughter, stories, and festive joy. It was my first time joining such a large-scale community gathering, and I’m grateful for the cultural experience and for meeting so many wonderful people.” 😊⁠
⁠
Tejas Chowdhary 🇮🇳 (peer support: Shum Tsz Chun 🇭🇰)⁠
“The Poon Choi gathering was such a wholesome experience! As a non-local student, I truly appreciated the warm and welcoming community. I loved interacting with everyone at my table. Special thanks to my local teammate for helping with translation — it made it much easier to connect with others and enjoy the event to the fullest.” 👏⁠
⁠
About Serve 2Gather: https://wp4.cedars.hku.hk/serve2gather/news-and-events/ (Link in Bio)⁠
⁠
❤️ Huge thanks to HKFYG Jockey Club Ping Shek Youth S.P.O.T. for the wonderful arrangements, and Chau Wan Ching for role-playing the God of Wealth to send blessings to the residents!

🤝 And a special shoutout to our 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 — your spirit of connection, community engagement, and cultural exchange made this celebration truly memorable!

30 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 volunteers🧑👦 and 60 senior citizens👨‍👵 (from singleton or doubleton households) came together to welcome the 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧 with joy, laughter, and meaningful connections.⁠

From lively ice-breaking games 🪅, singing festive New Year songs 🎶, making New Year decorations 🔖 to exchanging heartfelt blessings💞 — the celebration brought two generations together in a vibrant spirit of community and joy😊.⁠

𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈❤️ A big thank you to everyone who joined and helped make this celebration so special.⁠

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗶 (𝗕𝗘𝗻𝗴, 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭) 
“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳.” 🌼⁠

𝗜𝗽 𝗞𝗮 𝗬𝗮𝗻 (𝗕𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗦𝗰(𝗚𝗟)&𝗟𝗟𝗕, 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟯) 
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺.”⁠
⁠
𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗶 (𝗕𝗕𝗔(𝗔𝗰𝗰&𝗙𝗶𝗻), 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟮) 
“𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵. 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴!” 😊⁠

𝗭𝗲𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮 𝗞𝗶𝘁 (𝗕𝗘𝗻𝗴, 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭)⁠
“𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮.” 🙏⁠

Our 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 participants also send their warmest wishes for a 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧 to everyone! 🧧⁠
⁠

Have you ever wondered what it 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 feels like to grow old? 🤔⁠
Our 20 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 volunteers decided to find out first-hand by taking part in an ageing simulation workshop! 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗿 🦺, they explored the campus as if they were 𝟴𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗹𝗱👴👵.⁠

Soon, reality hit:⁠
❌ “I can’t read the menu clearly.”⁠
❌ “Climbing the stairs is exhausting.”⁠
❌ “I don’t feel safe crossing the road alone.”⁠

Through this immersive experience, participants stepped into the shoes of older adults and encountered the everyday challenges of ageing—𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩, 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.⁠

By the end of the workshop, they shared that they had:⁠
✨ Developed deeper empathy for the daily struggles of older adults (by Candace Wai)⁠
✨ Gained awareness of physical and sensory barriers in the environment (by Pearl Huang )⁠
✨ Learnt the importance of patient, thoughtful communication (by Su Junlin)⁠
✨ Recognised the power of compassion in community service (by Nikita Potashkin)⁠

A huge kudos to all participants for stepping out of their comfort zones and embracing a more empathetic, inclusive mindset for their future community engagement! 🤝⁠

Serve 2Gather volunteers brought warmth and care to senior residents in a local care home🤝🏻💛
Our Serve 2Gather volunteers began the visit by engaging elderly residents 👴🏻👵🏻 in fun and interactive games, filling the space with joy and energy. Afterwards, they visited seniors with mobility constraints in their rooms, offering companionship🤝🏻, heartfelt conversations💬, and gifts🎁 to brighten their day.
When the care home visit concluded, our volunteers continued their outreach by sharing gift packs with street cleaners in the neighbourhood—spreading care and appreciation to even more members of the community. 💖
🌟Thank You, Serve 2Gather Volunteers! (Phevos Ng, Clara Chen, Taylor Zhang)
✨Ng Cheuk Nam (MBBS, Year 3)
“Visiting the elderly home and distributing gift packs to street cleaners and the underprivileged was a truly thought provoking experience. It reminded me that there are many people in our society who need care, support, and attention.”
✨Numrah Kosar (BSc, Year 3)
“While there were many joyful moments, I also noticed the quiet struggles some elderly face. It reminded me of the importance of compassion, patience, and giving back to our community.”
✨Chen Mengyu (PhD, Year 2)
“I enjoyed seeing Hong Kong from a different perspective, and the experience really strengthened my sense of social responsibility.”
🧡 Let’s continue serving with heart, together. 🧡

🍓✨ What an unforgettable day at Long Ping Strawberry Farm! On January 18, 2026, we had a blast strawberry picking with ethnic minority families. Laughter filled the air as kids explored the fields and parents shared stories under the sun. 🌞❤️
Special thanks to amazing volunteers from the University of Hong Kong —your support made this day possible 🙌

Our amazing volunteers chose to spend their holidays serving and giving back to the community 🌟 ⁠
✨ A student team visited a care home, engaging 70+ elderly residents with fun interactive games and shared laughter. They also warmed their hearts and bodies with handmade knitted scarves and jackets! Afterwards, they strolled through the district to distribute gift packs to street cleaners, expressing appreciation for their hard work.⁠
✨ Another team celebrated Christmas with 40+ refugee children at a shelter home, creating joyful moments filled with smiles, warmth, and unforgettable memories.⁠

Their love and care became the greatest gifts to those living in the hidden corners of our society. 💞⁠
💡 Still wondering how to make your new semester meaningful?⁠
Act now—join our Serve2Gather community to serve and grow together!⁠

𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱!🌍 Serve2Gather (S2G) brings HKU students together to 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 and 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁. This semester, 𝟳𝟬+ 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 from different faculties and years have dedicated 𝟮𝟱𝟬+ 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 to serving different groups in the community. 💪 ⁠
Now, let’s hear from our Serve2Gather volunteers on what community service means to them 👂⁠
Community service is 🤗: ⁠
💬 “To create belonging, broaden understanding and nurture mutual care.” – Eva Brank
💬 “Reaching out to give hands to those needed.” – Leo Chung
💬 “Being there to care.” – Qiujiayi Zhu
💬 “Understanding your neighbours first.” – Anel Osmanova
💬 “Empathy in action.” – Larissa Lao ⁠
💬 “We are stronger together.” – Nikita Potashkinva
💬 “Helping yourself along the way and sharing with others.” – Sonic Liu
💬 “Using my privilege to amplify voices that are often silenced.” – Alice Nikornsuk
💬 “Helping those who need you. – Mansi Pamitipati
✨ And YOU! Are you ready to make your move?
We welcome all HKU students to join S2G and serve as one community! 👉

🌟 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 🌟⁠
Our non-local students🌍 from Chinese Mainland, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Russia and Taiwan, China recently joined Serve 2Gather to visit ethnic minority families in Hong Kong.⁠
These meaningful encounters opened their eyes to the rich diversity that makes Hong Kong unique. By listening to stories, challenges and life philosophies of the ethnic minority members, students gained a deeper understanding of local culture and strengthened their commitment to building an inclusive society. 💛⁠
Community service isn’t just about giving; it also fosters care, connection and cultural exchange among HKU students from different cultures, geographical locations and backgrounds! ✨⁠

𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗸𝗼𝗸⁠
The 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝟮𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 volunteer team visited over 𝟮𝟬 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 living in subdivided flats on 9 November 2025. They spread warmth, care and support through the distribution of 🎁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗴𝘀 provided by our community partner, Sunshine Action Hong Kong.
🗣️ “𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.”⁠— 𝗡𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗵𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗺 (𝗕𝗘𝗻𝗴, 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭)⁠
A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers — your compassion and dedication truly remind us of the power of empathy and collective action. 🤝 Together, we can create a more caring community! 💖⁠

Over 30 Serve 2Gather student volunteers helped packed 500 fortune bags on 25 October 2025 for home visits!
🌟 Huge shoutout to our passionate and energetic 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 2𝑮𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 student volunteers! 🎉⁠
Together, we packed 500 fortune bags 🛍️for the upcoming home visits to low-income elderly and ethnic minority families in November 2025. 🏡⁠
Through the distribution of resources and heartfelt dedication, HKU students are actively fighting poverty and food insecurity in Hong Kong! ❤️⁠
Every action counts — no matter how small, it can make a big difference! 🙌✨ Let’s keep the momentum going! 💪⁠