Page 39 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

HANDICRAFT CENTER which will meet Hong Kong needs in the 1970’s
as the Center met them in its time. Hong Kong
The Executive Committee of Hong Kong Christain Service expresses its appreciation to all
Christian Service made a firm decision on those who have participated in the life of the
January 17,1974 and reaffirmed this on February Handicraft Center, and especially the members
21, 1974 that the HKCS Handicraft Center of the Handwork Advisory Committee, the
would be closed as of March 31, 1974. This Welfare Handicraft Shops, SERRV of Church
action is part of a process begun in 1967. World Service (USA) and many church groups
and individuals who promoted and support
In 1967, Hong Kong Christain Service the Center.
resulted from the merger of the Hong Kong
Christain Welfare and Relief Council and the CHRISTIAN SERVICE TOURS
Hong Kong Church World Service. Following
a review of its role in the community, Hong Kong Hong Kong Christian Service continues to
Christain Service terminated or transferred to operate its Christain Service Tours on every
other auspices, two direct service projects - the Tuesday and Friday. During the year 69 regular
Material Resources Program and the Noodle tours and eight special tours were organized with
Factory. But the Handicraft Center was con- a total number of 657 people served. Also
tinued. with joint sponsorship between Hong Kong
Christian Service and the Hong Kong Tourist
With the proposed introduction of the Association we organized and arranged a special
government’s public Assistance Scheme, Hong tour for the "Student Ambassador Program” .
Kong Christian Service conducted another study
to evaluate the handicraft program. This was in It is interesting to note that among the
1970. One of the findings of this study was that people who have attended our tours a large
the Handicraft Centre project was no longer a precentage of the participants were professional
priority need for the community that it was social workers, college professors, government
when first begun. servants and other professional people. They
were from both the local community and aboard.
In the recent reorganization of the Hong
Kong Christain Council in 1973, Hong Kong To expand our services and to provide
Christain Service became the Division of Chris- opprtunities for secondary and post secondary
tain Service. The directions and priorities given students and young people of our own com-
to the Division by the Christian Council were "to munity to understand the needs of their com-
carry out joint service programs” and "to develop munity and the functions of social welfare
experimental and innovative projects for new agencies, a "Know Your Community Tour’’ is
forms of service’’. proposed which will be operated from Monday
to Friday every week in July and August 1974.
Thus the change in community needs, the
change in priorities of Hong Kong Christain CHRISTIAN SERVICE NEWS
Service, together with the inflation of the dollar
moved the handicraft project to a lower priority. The Christian Service News, a bi-monthly
The recent announcement of the Hong Kong newsletter issued by Hong Kong Christian Ser-
government’s Housing Department that rents for vice, has a regular circulation of 1,500 copies to
housing welfare projects would be dramatically reach social service agencies, churches, schools,
increased forced the final decision to close the and individuals in both local and overseas. The
project. Though implementation of this increase Communications Department of the Hong Kong
is now delayed, it does not alter the Committee’s Christain Council is planning to issue a regular
decision. news publication to include news and activities
of the Council and its divisions as well as trends
The Center has had a good and worthy and thoughts in theology, mission and service.
history. It has demonstrated and given a con- When such a publication is realized in the very
structive answer by Christain concern to the near future activities of Hong Kong Christian
needs of the time. Now Hong Kong Christain Service and its social concerns will be included
Service looks forward to initiating new projects in the Council’s news. Hong Kong Christian
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