Before every cold winter, the Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) delivers cold resistant materials to financial deprived singleton elderly, chronic patients and grass-roots families. This is the 22nd consecutive year for HKRC to hold the Winter Aid Program and accumulative of 28,558 people are benefited.

This year, HKRC launched the Program in four districts, Kwai Tsing District, North District, Southern District and Wong Tai Sin District. HKRC would analyze the materials needs of singleton elderly, chronic patients and grass-roots families in facing the cold winter to enhance their capacity to resist cold weather and prevent illness caused by low temperature. By referral from various elderly centres in those districts during September 2017 to February 2018, a total of 910 needy people were benefited.

On 18 November 2017, HKRC collaborated with Hong Kong Housing Society and Evangelical Free Church of China Hong Fook Church Chan Poon Pui Ching Memorial Elderly Centre to pay visits to the elderly. 240 volunteers were mobilized to visit 300 elderly living in Shatin Jat Min Cheun, Sha Kok Estate and Pok Hong Estate and Cho Yiu Chuen in Kwai Chung. Knowledge of winter preparedness, fire prevention and evacuation were disseminated. Besides, cold resistant materials (including woolen socks, glove and food) and survival kit (including torch, towel and whistle) were distributed to the needy, so that the elderly can have enough cold resistant materials in winter and know how to prevent fire and the ways of evacuation, and lives were protected.

The Program was supported by the "Golden Jubilee Charity Foundation".