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| Volunteers help lighten the load of Bethune's clients |
One of the biggest and longest-serving shelter home for distressed migrant workers has issued an urgent appeal for financial help, saying it only has enough funds to cover expenses for the next two months.
In a letter sent
to supporters and various media outlets, the Bethune House Migrant Workers
Refuge through its executive director, Edwina Antonio, said it is launching the
“SOS” or “Save Our Shelter” campaign in hopes of raising enough cash to tide it
over at least until the end of the year.
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| PINDUTIN DITO |
“We humbly appeal to your
kindness and compassion to help us raise HK$1 million in order
to sustain our operations
until the end of the year,” said Antonio.
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| Antonio at a recent fundraising bid for Bethune House |
Antonio said Bethune House had counted on receiving “anticipated grants” this year, but these fell through at the last minute.
“Sadly, this reflects the reality that funding opportunities for the welfare needs of distressed migrant domestic workers are indeed wanting in Hong Kong,” Antonio said.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
Bethune House
which was established 38 years ago, has been providing not just shelter but
also sustenance and moral support to hundreds of migrant women who find
themselves homeless, jobless, vulnerable, distressed, or abused while in Hong
Kong.
Volunteer case
workers accompany the shelter’s clients to police, the court, consulates and
other support organizations depending on their needs, so they could get redress
for their problems or help them assert their rights.
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| Clients learn cross-stitch while at the shelter |
Every week, more
than five of distressed migrant women seek refuge at the shelter, which is able
to accommodate up to 30 women daily and more than 680 annually.
These are women
who are facing charges or are seeking just compensation from their employers
and are not allowed to take up work, so they rely solely on Bethune House and other
charitable groups while awaiting the resolution of their cases.
A few migrants are
given shelter while undergoing expensive treatment for an ailment they acquired
while working in the city.
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| Kind-hearted donors footed the bill for this Disneyland visit for clients and volunteers |
Here are the ways you can make a donation: to Bethune House:
• To support online: https://donorbox.org/bh-raise-the-roof
• By Direct Deposit The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge Limited Hang Seng Bank 284-8-241309 HSBC 808-312649-292
• By cheque Payable to The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, Ltd. All cash donations of HK$100 and above are tax deductible. (We will gladly assist interested donors to set up an autopay system if they wish to do so to become our regular pledgers.)
*By transfer through Alipay by scanning the QR code below:
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| Pindutin dito para sa iba pang mga detalye |
