Hong Kong Christian Service not only actively participates in the development of social welfare service in China, it also works hand in hand with other church-related social service organizations, who have expressed their genuine interest in the social welfare services in China through Hong Kong Ai Hua Association.

Putting aside the differences between Christian denominations, the Association aims to witness the unity of the Body of Christ by summoning the various areas of strength from its member organizations, introducing new social service concept and assisting in management training as well as training on frontline social service skills.

Early this year, a delegation of the Association led by the Chairman, Mr. Ng Shui Lai (Chief Executive of Hong Kong Christian Service), visited the Shanghai Head Offices of both China Christian Council and the Three-self Patriotic Movement Committee of the Church in China. The dialogue with their newly established Social Service Department was significant and meaningful. By sharing and communicating with the department, who acts as the national coordinator among all provincial offices, we hope to see our future cooperative plans and programs with them will bring a wide range of interactions and rapid development in the social welfare system in China.

The delegation also took this opportunity to visit the Shanghai local offices of the two organizations and to explore the possibilities of future exchange programs and service trainings for their new services. Members of the Association also presented a few sets of publications as gifts to the Shanghai office to help start their resource materials collection.

Since the Association's revenue comes from donors, for the first time ever a special campaign, namely "A Walk for Hong Kong Ai Hua Association 2003", was launched on 22 March in Hong Kong. There were three main objectives for the campaign. First of all, it was to raise fund for the development of a multi-social service for the Mainland; secondly to promote the Association's concern and its work in China; and finally to encourage active participations from its member organizations' staff as well as from their service clienteles. Nearly 1,000 people joined the Walk, among whom many were elders, handicaps and families; their enthusiasm and supports had greatly moved those at the Association.

Ever since 1998, the Association had been involved in organizing exchange programs and supporting special provincial projects. Several visits and training programs had taken place in Xiamen, Fuzhou and Nanping. To contibute to the benefit of the elders in the Mainland, the Association donated thirty thousand Hong Kong dollars in the set up of the Nanping Gospel Church's Elderly Hostel and forty thousand Hong Kong dollars in setting up an Elderly Hostel in the Guangdong province.

Current Members of the Association include: Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Christian Family Service Centre, Haven of Hope Christian Service, Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service Lutheran Church - Hong Kong Synod, St. James Settlement, Wai Ji Christian Service, Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service and Hong Kong Christian Service.