We spoke to the purpose-driven social impact leaders of our partner companies during the COVID-19 pandemic to find out the challenges they faced, how they resolved to overcome them, and their thoughts on accelerating Shared Impact.
In this series, meet Sian Taylor, Director of Box Of Hope.
Box of Hope’s mission is to give children in extreme poverty a chance to experience the joy of receiving a gift. Through the simple act of packing a box, we hope to make a positive effect in the lives of these children, their families and the society.
As a social impact organization committed to the annual collection and distribution of gifts to the children and youth in underprivileged communities, how has the pandemic affected Box Of Hope? 
The pandemic has made it impossible for us to run our annual campaign. Due to COVID-19 regulations, school authorities cannot allow students to bring items from home into the school premises, and it is highly likely that schools may shut again. Moreover, we are unable to recruit our usual number of volunteers due to social distancing restrictions.
As an organization largely dependent on face-to-face interactions, we have faced challenges on both internal (fewer volunteers) and external (fewer donations drives) front.
And how are you trying to overcome them? What are the major lessons you have learnt that would go into building resilience in your organization, and/or further your impact going forward?
The pandemic made us realize that it is imperative for us to diversify our events. We have looked into a virtual box which we did not have enough time to implement this year, but will go ahead and have it running alongside our usual campaign.
What kind of support do you think is needed in Hong Kong for social impact organizations like yours, in good times and bad?
In general, I find the Hong Kong community socially active in charities and social impact organizations. At the same time, we would appreciate more help in securing funding for smaller charities.
Lastly, where do you see Box Of Hope five years from now?
Box of Hope will be providing a platform to teach children about giving and philanthropy in all Hong Kong schools, and we will be able to reach and help more children living in poverty.
