Connecting people in a worldof need

Loving Her Kids Into Their Future

After her husband died, Mrs Szeto felt like the only way forward in her grief was to focus on her two young sons, aged 12 and 7, and pour herself into their learning to give them a strong future. The family of three now lives in a small public housing flat, with basic furniture, but Mrs Szeto takes every possible opportunity to enrich the lives of her sons with sports activities and support of their academic projects. When she visited Crossroads for some furniture, referred by her social worker, Mrs Szeto was excited to see a small set of chairs and folding table that weren’t just compact, but looked cute and fun enough to entice her sons to spend time on their homework! It was our privilege to help Mrs Szeto in her quest to support her boys, with all the love of a mother’s heart.

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Silver Lining Foundation

The Silver Lining Foundation lives up to its name. Their work is with orphans and abandoned children so they see great heartbreak and suffering. Yet there’s also joy, the proverbial silver lining surrounding the cloud, which can be found. Their name celebrates that joy with the children. Based in Hong Kong, they support vulnerable children in nearby Asian nations.

“We help 10 schools with more than 2,000 children each year,” they said. “Some orphans have been discriminated against in their home towns, or are from broken families. We treat them like our own kids.”

When Silver Lining moved offices in April 2017, they were starting from scratch. Much of their old furniture was broken or not suitable, so they approached Crossroads with a wishlist, and we were only too happy to fill it! They took away a truck’s worth of goods including 25 chairs, tables, sofas, cabinets, computers, a conference table and more.

That’s one thing we love about this work. Gifts of this kind can mean dedicated NGOs, working on a minimal budget, can save money for other purposes. As we often say at Crossroads: We can’t make a capital injection of money, but we can make a capital injection of product. And, yes, we love to help others help others!

Cambodia: Bullet shells to Peace Doves

Decades ago, bombshells ripped through Cambodia, scarring the land and its people. Young Heang was a little toddler when his family...

Ukraine: losing everything

“Everything broke in my head, soul and body. You are alive but you don’t feel alive.” A Ukrainian military leader spoke...

Hong Kong: Once in a Century Storm

The furious downpour was the longest recorded in Hong Kong's history, leading to severe flooding and massive damage. Affected families were...

The Philippines: Under the Shadow of a Volcano

Living beside an active volcano is not for the faint of heart. It's true that there are many advantages, if little...

Switching on the lights for Hong Kong families

light-be “Light Home is possibly the turning point of my life,” says Mrs Lee, a client of Crossroads’ partner Light Be. The social enterprise organisation arranges affordable housing, or ‘Light Homes’, by connecting Hong Kong landlords with underprivileged families. But it can take more than four walls and a roof to feel like home. Many families can’t afford the upfront costs to furnish their apartments with all the furniture and household goods they need. Crossroads has been privileged to partner with Light Be by supplying some of these items for their clients.

“Every month we go to Crossroads and look for furniture that will fit the needs of the families we serve,” says Ricky of Light Be. “If it’s an empty apartment, you won’t feel at home. This helps make the overall experience of housing complete. It might be the first time in two years that someone has had a table of their own.”

Crossroads loves working with Light Be, and the feeling seems to be mutual! “I think Crossroads provides the biggest selection of second-hand furniture in Hong Kong,” says Ricky. “We have a common mission, in terms of optimising resources in this city. It’s like other NGOs we work with. We fill each other’s gaps.”

Donate goods to help people in need

Crossroads relies on donations of goods to be able to help families in Hong Kong, and internationally. If you’ve got good quality items to give, we want to hear from you! Visit our Donate Goods page.

Cambodia: Bullet shells to Peace Doves

Decades ago, bombshells ripped through Cambodia, scarring the land and its people. Young Heang was a little toddler when his family...

Ukraine: losing everything

“Everything broke in my head, soul and body. You are alive but you don’t feel alive.” A Ukrainian military leader spoke...

Hong Kong: Once in a Century Storm

The furious downpour was the longest recorded in Hong Kong's history, leading to severe flooding and massive damage. Affected families were...

The Philippines: Under the Shadow of a Volcano

Living beside an active volcano is not for the faint of heart. It's true that there are many advantages, if little...

From house to home

At 60, Mr Mak is nearing life’s end. He battles lupus but, as well, recently learned he is dying of cancer. The doctors have told him they could no longer do anything but help him manage the pain.

Before he became sick, Mr Mak worked as a welder on construction sites but now, too ill to continue, he depends on social welfare. He was granted a government flat but struggled to furnish it. He owned just a bunk bed and a fridge. Without any cupboards, he could only store his belongings in bags on the bunk. With no couch, he could only use the lower bunk as a place to sit.

His social worker helped him visit Crossroads, where he chose all his other furniture needs: a small couch, side table, two large cabinets for storage, drawers, chairs, a washing machine and other items. Later, one of our team visited and he said, that, now, his happiness comes from “having this lovely apartment and sitting by the window on my couch.” The gratitude that radiate from Mr Mak is remarkable.

Cambodia: Bullet shells to Peace Doves

Decades ago, bombshells ripped through Cambodia, scarring the land and its people. Young Heang was a little toddler when his family...

Ukraine: losing everything

“Everything broke in my head, soul and body. You are alive but you don’t feel alive.” A Ukrainian military leader spoke...

Hong Kong: Once in a Century Storm

The furious downpour was the longest recorded in Hong Kong's history, leading to severe flooding and massive damage. Affected families were...

The Philippines: Under the Shadow of a Volcano

Living beside an active volcano is not for the faint of heart. It's true that there are many advantages, if little...

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