The Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labor Affairs has launched the Sowers of Hope campaign to support outdoor workers exposed to harsh weather conditions, offering rest stations in partnership with local parishes as part of the Church’s Jubilee Year observance.
The initiative was formally introduced during a formation session at St. Andrew’s Parish in Tseung Kwan O earlier this month, according to Sunday Examiner, the official news service of the Diocese of Hong Kong.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, OFM, led the session with a reflection on Christian solidarity with the poor and marginalized.
Quoting Pope Francis’ message for the 2021 World Day of the Poor, Bishop Ha told attendees, “God hides himself in the weakest. It’s only when we learn to love the poor that we rediscover our humanity.”
The Jubilee Rest Stations provide food, beverages, and pain relief supplies—described as “practical responses to the challenges of working in extreme weather conditions intensified by climate change.”
The first pilot station opened on March 7 at St. Joseph’s Church in Fanling, offering weekly distributions of bread, water, pain relief cream, and labor rights information over a six-week period.
The project’s name embodies its mission during the Jubilee Year: to bring “hope, mercy, and solidarity to the underprivileged.”
Expanding Support for Workers
St. Andrew’s Parish plans to convert its activity room into a rest area from July to September, open on weekdays from noon to 4:00 pm. The space will offer drinking water, a microwave for heating meals, and a comfortable area for lunch breaks.
Maggie Or, leader of the parish’s Social Concern Group, said the parish has long welcomed outdoor workers—including cleaners, couriers, and construction laborers—by providing water and restroom access.
“In recent years, they replaced bottled water with a hot-and-cold filtered dispenser to ensure reliable access to drinking water,” she noted.
To enhance volunteer engagement, the Commission will conduct three training sessions between April and June, including site visits to outdoor workplaces.
Elizabeth But Ngan-ping, center supervisor at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Workers–Kowloon, expressed hope that the stations could serve as “a bridge for outdoor workers to encounter God.” Oscar Lai Man-lok, formation officer at the Commission, said efforts are ongoing to engage more parishes in establishing additional rest stations.
Facing the Heat
A video testimony presented at the March 9 session illustrated the challenges faced by outdoor laborers. A construction worker described his summer worksite as a “steamer,” noting how the heat radiating from the ground wears down his boots faster.
He also recalled seeing a colleague collapse from heatstroke and later suffer stroke-like symptoms due to oxygen deprivation.
Despite the implementation of a three-tier heat stress warning system, the worker pointed out that employers are not legally required to provide rest or hydration.
“Do we have to wait until more workers faint and suffer permanent harm before we act?” asked Samuel Wong Kit-yip, policy research officer of the Commission for Labor Affairs.
Wong said the Commission is pushing for a review of government heat illness prevention guidelines and has collaborated with NGOs to develop a heat alert system aimed at improving rest and hydration conditions for workers.
Addressing Poverty and Inequality
Linking the initiative to broader social issues, Professor Wong Yu-cheung of St. Francis University’s Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Sciences cited data showing that, as of 2023, 1.5 million people in Hong Kong live in poverty.
This includes over 750,000 elderly people, single parents, individuals with disabilities, their carers, and 200,000 residents of subdivided flats.
He called on the government to resume public reporting of poverty figures to ensure accountability and assess policy effectiveness.
Bishop Ha called for engagement beyond material aid, urging the faithful to foster genuine relationships with those in need.
He concluded with a prayer of thanks for parish initiatives, including the summer rest station in Tseung Kwan O, and expressed hope that “all involved might reveal God’s love through their acts of mercy, working together in the spirit of synodality.”
