Ever since Hong Kong has been infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), people from all sectors have come together and initiated the "Anti-SARS Movement for Hong Kong". In mid-April, the social welfare service industry eagerly responded with another movement namely, "Operation UNITE". Headed by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, throughout the 18 districts volunteers were rallied to sanitize homes and provide health education for the elderly and families who need the assistance. HKCS participates in this movement and assumes the workload as the communication centre for the Shamshuipo district. Thanks to numerous social service units within the Shamshuipo district, we were able to establish a servicing list of people in just a few days.

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service sent a truckload of various types of useful materials to our Shamshuipo Integrated Home Help Service Team at the office in Upper Pak Tin Estate. The team member efficiently rearranged the materials into packages to be brought into each home. Each package included one set of cleaning agents and tools, three sets of volunteers' protective garments, and a "Anti-SARS" gift pack for the household.

Team leaders from the volunteers gathered the night before the visit to receive training and instructions on the action plan. Lists of servicing targets for each team were distributed to the leaders. On the morning of April 19th, more than one hundred and twenty volunteers gathered at Upper Pak Tin Estate to receive their instructions from team leaders. They were then divided into teams of two to three and set out to perform their tasks equipped with all necessities.

The volunteers came from the Ward Memorial Methodist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, Serve Other League, Hong Kong Red Cross, Road Safety Patrol and the Hong Kong St Joseph Ambulance. Within two days, these organizations had mobilized some three hundred-thirty and more people and trips to assist 130 elderly or chronically ill individuals in both areas for major housecleaning and healthcare education. Their services had extended into ten public and private housing units within the district. To complete their tasks, some volunteers had even documented carefully any further needs from these families that would require follow up from social welfare workers.

In order to protect all volunteers and their beneficiaries, we monitored each of their health conditions on the fifth and the tenth day after that event.

The "United Action" on that day exhibited that constructiveness which results when different parts of the society work together as one. Surely we cannot refuse the opportunity to be a part of it.