The summer is well under way, but the sweltering and humid weather typical in Macau is not deterring volunteers from Melco Resorts & Entertainment from devoting their time to making a difference to the community. To coincide with the summer school holidays, and having listened to employees’ wishes to volunteer with their children for a good cause, Melco has partnered with the Pou Tai Integrated Service Center for the Elderly on the launch of an innovative project titled Show Your Kind Heart by Holding Hands.
Regular sessions with experts from the NGO teach children how to communicate with the elderly, and integrates several elements of the Company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy; including volunteerism, youth and education to create meaningful experiences for both volunteers and beneficiaries. The project’s ultimate goal is for children to learn, via volunteering, important life values through offering companionship to senior citizens, putting their newly-learnt knowledge into practice.
Speaking about the project, which has already several more events in the pipeline for the coming months, Melco’s chairman and CEO Mr. Lawrence Ho expressed: “We are passionate in our mission to give back to the community, including developing youth and helping those in need. This latest initiative with Pou Tai combines such objectives by providing opportunities for children to learn virtues of respect for the elderly, to foster empathy, develop social skills and sense of responsibility, and a chance to really make a positive difference to the lives of others.”
It is Melco’s dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer team that make these goals a reality. Ada Gao, a regular volunteer from the table games department, said the company organizes plentiful and varied events throughout the year, calling these “excellent opportunities to learn about values such as offering help to those in need.” She went on to share that she actively promotes volunteerism among her peers, encouraging them to join such purposeful events.
Other children from the community also benefit from Melco’s CSR efforts. Working in collaboration with the Macao True Goodwill Friend Association, a group of 60 single-mothers and their children were invited for a morning of fun and entertainment at the City of Dreams’ Kids’ City. Guided by Melco volunteers, the children explored the 17,000 square foot space, enjoying varied activities designed to create surprises and ignite creativity, including a mother-and-child-bonding DIY arts session to craft their very own handheld fans, perfect for the summer heat. Arcade games, bouncy play areas and giant climber adventures were among other activities – each proving hugely popular.
Melco devotes its CSR efforts in proactive and innovative ways, seeking to develop one-of-a-kind programs to support local charitable organizations and those in need. Focused on giving back to the community it serves, in 2017, Melco volunteers dedicated over 136,000 hours of their own time to benefit 40 local NGO’s, with more than 9,700 employee headcounts recorded at volunteering events.
This article was sponsored by Melco Resorts & Entertainment.
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