Raising kids to care about more than just themselves can be a
challenge in Hong Kong. How do you get kids involved in charity
here beyond putting money into a tin?
Elle Kwan
finds out.
C
hristmas is hailed as a
season of goodwill, but
with wish lists to Santa
brimming and the annual
stocking bulging, it seems that
Christmas is more often about looking
out for number one. If you are keen to
get your kids giving as much as they
are getting, this is a great time of year
to introduce the concept. While they
are making those lists, simply talking
about others less fortunate is a way
to get the ball rolling; attending a
charity Christmas concert or carol-
singing can push the idea further;
and then, when January’s New Year’s
resolutions come into play, the kids
might actually be keen to get involved
in charity more regularly. But then
what?
If the closest you’ve been to
charity as a family until now has
been putting loose coins in a charity
box or writing a cheque to the school
for a sponsored
something
, getting
actively involved can be somewhat
daunting. Yet there is stacks of
research saying how regular time
invested and engaged in charity work
can promote a healthier, happier
way of life – for those giving as well
as those in need. Experts list moral
satisfaction, positive experiences
that promote emotional highs, and
greater happiness as key motivators.
Those involved on a regular longer-
term basis can expect that “warm
glow” to extend, too. San Francisco
Golden Gate University professor
Michal Ann Strahilevitz researches
the psychology of charitable giving,
and has said that giving can raise our
own self-esteem and can help us see
our connection to the world at large.
That sounds exactly like what most
of us would like for our little darlings,
tomorrow’s global citizens.
Getting started
A first port of call will be narrowing
down a charity or charities to become
involved in. According to the Hong
Kong Council of Social Service,
Hongkongers are generous folk. In
2012, we appeared 19th in a global
giving index run by Charities Aid
Foundation, and with about 7,000
charitable organisations up and
running in the city, choice would not
appear to be a problem. Yet finding
get
as good as
Give
you
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