Supporting up to 50 Hong Kong families with a safe home
HONG KONG, 27th July 2020－"#dorsettcares” lies at the very heart of what we do at Dorsett Hospitality International. With hotels located in 25 cities around the world, we believe we share a responsibility to local communities and strive to understand their various needs, especially through education, caring and supporting our society as a whole to actively create a better and more vibrant future for all.
Seeing the impact COVID-19 has had on struggling families in Hong Kong, Dorsett Hospitality International has decided to sponsor and support, alongside their main sponsor The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the “5S Harmony Station (SAFE-SPACE-SHORT-STAY-STATION)” programme led by local organisation Harmony House. Eight of Dorsett Hospitality International’s hotels in Hong Kong will provide temporary accommodation for families in need to alleviate the pressure on dormitories and shelters who are already operating at full capacity as a result of so many people now having to work from home and practice social distancing.
Established in 1985, Harmony House was the first shelter for abused women and children in Hong Kong. The organisation now provides a whole range of services, including community education programmes, counselling and they even advocate for policies and legislations on behalf of the users of their service.
The "5S Harmony Station" programme
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, many people from all walks of life have had to stay at home to practice social distancing which, coupled with the anxiety and uncertainty effects of this unprecedented global epidemic, has put a lot of stress on family relationships. More and more of the local community and many of the under-privileged have had to face unemployment, children not going to school, compulsory home quarantine.
The new ‘5S Harmony Station’ programme hopes to counter this by arranging alternative temporary accommodation for more stable and low-risk cases from their centres for short-term stays from July to September 2020. This will allow their cases with more privacy while alleviating overcrowding in their dormitories. Dorsett Hospitality International’s provision of short-term accommodation offers a flexible and reliable solution for those in need of a safe and stable "refuge space" on short notice. Should any problems arise during their stay, Harmony House will arrange professional counselling to take place on-site and carry out a follow-up after their departure.
#DorsettCares x Harmony House sharing seminar
Dorset Hospitality International has always actively promoted the importance of physical and mental wellbeing, and is committed to creating a balanced and healthy lifestyle for hotel guests and associates. Taking their collaboration with Harmony House as an opportunity to educate and empower their associates in learning more about how to deal with the various pressures and emotions caused by the epidemic, Dorsett Hospitality International and Harmony House hosted an online seminar on July 16th . Harmony House Executive Director Ms. Doris Lee and Service Supervisor and registered social worker Ms. Elaine Woo were invited to share with associates from all 9 of the group’s Hong Kong hotels as well as at their head office on the situation of Hong Kong domestic violence, and to understand how Harmony House can help the community to encourage and build harmony within families and society at large.
Providing accommodation for up to 50 Hong Kong families in need
Through this partnership Dorsett Hospitality International’s Hong Kong hotels and Harmony House will serve up to a total of 50 families in need, in hopes to alleviate the growing family conflicts that have arisen in Hong Kong while also encouraging the Hong Kong community to continue to support each other and stay positive as we all continue to get through this unprecedented epidemic together.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Yi Li Dawson | yili.dawson@dorsett.com | +852 2921 9823
Senior Marketing Manager| Dorsett Hospitality International
Christie So | christie.so@dorsett.com | +852 2921 9840
Assistant Marketing Communications Manager | Dorsett Hospitality International
About Dorsett Hospitality International
Dorsett Hospitality International is one of Asia’s fastest-growing hotel groups. As a Hong Kong hospitality brand, we are proud to have an international footprint in 25 major cities worldwide with a total of 56 properties with our strategic partners TWH and AGORA Hospitality, including Dorsett Hospitality International’s 3 core brands: Dorsett Hotels & Resorts, d.Collection, and Silka, each with their own distinct identity and offerings to cater to diverse travel needs. Since the group’s establishment in Hong Kong in January 2007, we have grown by leaps and bounds with hotels across China, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Continental Europe; more properties are planned in the development pipeline. For more information on Dorsett Hospitality International, visit: www.dorsett.com.
About Harmony House
The Harmony House was established in 1985 as the first shelter for abused women and their children in Hong Kong. Today, we have developed into a one-stop anti-domestic violence service agency, with a wide range of preventive, therapeutic and developmental programmes to help families affected by domestic violence. We also organise community education programmes, promote harmonious and healthy family relationships, provide training to multi-disciplinary professionals and advocate for policies and legislations on behalf of victims of violence, their families and communities. Now we have three service units including Shelter for Women and Children, Jockey Club Harmony Link-Domestic Prevention Centre and Harmony Lane, with three hotlines: 24 Hours Woman Hotline (2522 0434), Man Hotline (2295 1386) and Bunny hEars Children Hotline (2751 8822).
