Enriching Services for Youth-at-Risk
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service organised a community visit on 24 April 2007 for some twenty representatives of the Caring Companies. They visited the Youth Employment Start-up Program (YES Program) and a series of diversified youth enrichment programmes of Youth Outreach, namely "The Hang-out", "School of Hip Hop" and "City Challenge" adventure training.
Through the visit, the participants were able to understand how the social service organisation intervenes and provides service to support the youth-at-risk. The participants were inspired to initiate collaboration ideas with social service organisations.
During the visitation, Mr Benjamin Chan, Deputy Executive Director of Youth Outreach explained how they intervene into the cases of the youth, and arranged the trainers and the trainees of "City Challenge" and "School of Hip Hop" to demonstrate abseiling and hip-hop dance respectively. The trainers of these projects had crisis growing stage, and their lives were transformed after Youth Outreach intervened with correct guidance.
Besides, the participants visited the 24-hour drop-in center "The Hang-Out". They understood how the youth operated the project and established the culture of "No Cigarette, No Alcohol, No Foul Language".
Through the visit, the participants were able to understand the needs from the youth-at-risk, and our positive responses may help transform the lives of more young people.
Introduction of Youth Outreach
Youth Outreach was established in November 1991 as a crisis intervention center for youth. It provides different types of services, e.g. outreaching services, crisis centre, counseling hotline and employment training programs, so as to empower the ability of the youth to resolve problems and to develop their potential. The organisation has more collaborations with the business sector in recent years.
Trainers of "City Challenge" demonstrated abseiling
Trainees of "School of Hip Hop" demonstrated hip-hop dance
The trainees chatted with the participants
Participants visited the 24-hour drop-in center "The Hang-Out"