Mission
Helping Hand's Mission
We aim to meet the housing, care and welfare needs of Hong Kong’s elderly.

We aim to meet the housing, care and welfare needs of Hong Kong’s elderly.
Chairperson's Message
As our mission statement says:
Helping Hand - “We CARE for the Elderly”
Helping Hand started when a retired fishmonger called Bob Saunders came across 120 elderly, sitting with their meagre possessions on a pavement in Kowloon, just been evicted from their 3’x 6’ bed cage home. Many with medical condition. Blind, mentally disturbed, malnourished, penniless, scared.
Bob could have walked by ignoring them, as many did, but Bob stopped as he CARED. He started making calls, and many more people helped as they cared. Those elderly were housed, looked after- CARED FOR - Helping Hand was founded -
From those humble beginnings in 1978 we now provide 1,000 beds in our self care and care & attention homes as well as looking after tens of thousands of elderly in our community yearly.
We have come a long way, we are blessed to work with devoted staff, volunteers and committee members - depending on donors to continue our work to give a happy, safe home for needy elderly in our community - Please CARE with us, we need your help!!
Thank you!
Johanna Arculli, BBS
Chairperson, Executive Committee
History and Milestone

Helping Hand was founded in 1978
Helping Hand was established in response to the plight of
over 100 elders, who were about to be evicted from the “Caged Homes”. A
committee was formed and they were rehoused to the Temporary Housing Areas in
Pillar Island. Soon after, more shelters for the elderly were opened at Tai Wo
Ping, Shun Lee Tsuen, Lai King, Argyle Street, Yue Wan, Kai Cheung, Kai Fook
etc respectively.

1984 First cookie Campaign
Annual major fundraising event, “Cookie Campaign”, took place for the first time.

1985 First care home
Our first Care Home was established at Kwai Shing. The other four Care Homes were then set up at Lok Fu, Lai Yiu, Chak On and Tai Wo Hau. Removing the elderly from Temporary Housing Areas and Sheltered Housing Units to the Housing for the Elderly units at Chuk Yuen, Po Lam and Siu Sai Wan.

1985 Mother Teresa's visit
Blessed
Teresa of Calcutta visited our first care home at Kwai Shing in 1985, and
described it as a “treasure house”.

1989 Princess Diana's Visit
Princess of Wales,
Diana’s visit at Chak On Jockey Club Care Home in 1989.

1993 First Elderly Resort
“Cheung Muk Tau Holiday Centre for the Elderly”,
the one-and-only resort specially designed for elders and their
carers, was opened in Sai Kung.

1995 New unit in Lok Fu
“Infirmary Unit” was set up in Lok Fu
Care Home.

2000 Mr Jacky Cheung's support
Mr Jacky Cheung has been supporting our Cookie
Campaign for a long time.

2001 Care home in Zhaoqing
“The Hong Kong Jockey Club Helping Hand
Zhaoqing Home for the Elderly” was opened in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province,
China for admission for the Hong Kong elderly. First batch of residents was
admitted by the end of January 2001.

2005 Boccia for Elderly
The
first Hong Kong wide “Boccia Competition
for the Elderly” was held to promote this sport to elders.

2006 New service in Zhaoqing Home
“Dementia
Wing”,
which is specially set up for old folks who are suffering form Dementia, was
built in the Zhaoqing Home.

2011 More care homes opened
“Father Sean Burke Care Home for the Elderly”
was opened, and the residents of our three care homes (Chak On, Kwai Shing West
and Tai Wo Hau) moved into the new home in the middle of the year. With 212 places in total, it provides
continuum of care services to our elders.

2012 Day Care Centre opening
Our “Day Care Centre” in the Holiday Centre
was opened. It provides comprehensive
day care services for 40 elders living in Shatin and Ma On Shan districts.

2014 Support for elders on waiting list
The “Pilot Residential Care Services Scheme in
Guangdong” was implemented in June by the Government. Our “Zhaoqing Home for the Elderly” was one
of the residential care homes operated by non-governmental organisations of
Hong Kong in Guangdong, provides an option for those elders who are on the
Central Waiting List for subsidised care and attention places to choose.

2023 Construction of new care home
With the government initiated “Special
Scheme on Private Land for Welfare Purposes”, finally our initiated plans
and concept of a new, advanced 200 beds home, has been confirmed. With
completion anticipated in 2028, the construction project will soon be under
way. This new, contemporary care home, will include the very latest concept in
elderly care.
Our Operation & Governance
Learn more about our organisation structure, people and finances.
