Friday, 16 October 2026By 4M Bob Chan
On 30 September 2026, I participated in a meaningful Our School event titled ‘The Kindness Walk’ organised by ImpactHK, one of our Operation Santa Claus (OSC) beneficiaries. The day began with a sharing session by the Community Education Team, which deepened my understanding of the social issues surrounding homelessness. We were also reminded of the immense hardships of living in a high-cost city such as Hong Kong, where a sudden job loss, intense financial pressure, or a total lack of family support can leave anyone vulnerable. I was deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate and learned a vital lesson: that people experiencing homelessness are indeed ordinary individuals, just like us, who have simply encountered tough and unfortunate circumstances beyond their control.
After the briefing, we headed out into the neighbourhood to distribute basic food supplies and care packages. It was a profoundly moving experience to meet unhoused people face-to-face. Instead of appearing cold or distant, they were friendly, courteous, and kind. As we distributed the packages, short but warm conversations started up naturally. A simple “thank you”, a mild blessing, or a quiet exchange of smiles immediately put us at ease. One old man folded his hands in silent thanks, and another quietly mentioned how meaningful our action had been to him that day. The way such a simple act could bring about real happiness and show our deep concern had a strong impact on me. Although they were living in difficult conditions and facing constant hardship, they welcomed us with genuine kindness. The sight of their daily difficulties made me feel great sympathy and left me deeply moved by their strength.
This experience led me to think deeply about it: the real and temporary interactions we had made it perfectly clear that we should never look at homeless people through the eyes of prejudice or judgement. In our shared smiles and courteous conversations, I witnessed a great deal of grace and humanity. They are good and respectable human beings who deserve our care, our support, and our protection, not merely society’s indifference.
As students at a Catholic school, we are taught the values of compassion, service, and the recognition of the dignity that exists in every person. By putting these values into action through our outreach, I realised how important it is to carry out our active love and kindness. I am sincerely grateful for taking part in the activity and gaining a better understanding of their actual lives. It has replaced my previous misconceptions with true empathy, making me more aware of my good fortune in life and showing me how important it is to stand by those who are isolated.
In the future, I shall keep on urging people to show their respect and compassion towards our unhoused neighbours, starting with as basic a thing as giving them a warm greeting. The most important lesson I have learned is that even though they are suffering because of the crisis of homelessness, they are in every way ordinary people like us and therefore deserve our respect, kindness, and ongoing support.