![Local charities that are spreading joy this Christmas gafencu magazine impacthk](http://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Local-charities-that-are-spreading-joy-this-Christmas-gafencu-magazine-impacthk.png)
ImpactHK
The pandemic has left many people out of a job and pushed some to sleep on the streets. ImpactHK, however, is one of, if not the only, highly active charities that are making an impact in the lives of the disenfranchised and homeless in Hong Kong. Founder, Jeff Rotmeyer, has long advocated for children with down syndrome with his first charity, Love 21 Foundation, and the social movement turned registered charity organization, ImpactHK. Rotmeyer has long pushed for the kindness and visibility of the homeless people he calls his friends, by providing them a safe house, free laundry, job opportunities, haircuts and more importantly, kindness, with the support of his active volunteers and staff. The organization has been bold in taking on the most difficult issues and overcoming hurdles in alleviating the homeless issue in the city by constantly setting up new programmes and initiatives to not only help underprivileged communities but offer volunteers a hands-on opportunity to get involved and make a difference.
This Christmas, the charity has organized an art exhibition, Perception 2020 Art Show, that showcases pieces from six different artists at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre between December 16 and 21
Contact: www.impacthk.org
Box of Hope
Foodlink foundation
Foodlink Foundation, founded by Vanessa Hwang and directed by her daughter, Robin Hwang, is a local charity that organizes food runs to deliver meals to individuals, children and families living in shelters, street-sleepers, asylum seekers, the unemployed and the elderly. It is one of the local charities that took a hard hit due to the current pandemic. Social distancing regulations led to several food and beverage establishments to close their doors which caused the charity to lose 70% of food donations. Regardless, of the struggles the organization has faced, they continue to push through with their objective to feed the less fortunate in a recent partnership with DBS in setting up a Faster Payment System (FPS) so people can efficiently and conveniently donate on the organization’s website.
Contact: www.foodlinkfoundation.org