Across Newsletter January 2021

JANUARY 2021 ISSUE

Across U-hub TOGETHER WE CARRY ON

Contents New Board Chair Announcement - 01 Message from Executive Director - 02 Introduction - 03 Across Research Team - 04 Social Media Platform - 05 Across the Lens: Stories of You and Me 2020 - 06

New Board Chair Announcement We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Terence Yuen as the new Chair of our Board of Directors at Across U-hub. Dr. Eric Fong, the former Chair, will remain on the Board.

Terence is one of the co-founders of Across and has served as a Board member for many years. His previous roles in the Board included Treasurer and ViceChair. The Board unanimously supports and appreciates Terence’s continued leadership in his expanded role.

Passing on to the next generation is a core value of Across ministry. After serving as the Chair of the Board for more than a decade, I am very pleased to pass the torch to Terence.

Terence and I have worked together on an extensive number of projects at Across. I have always been impressed with Terence’s creativity, which I believe is a valuable asset in leading Across to a new era. I am confident that Across will continue to excel in today’s rapidly changing world.

Please join me in welcoming Terence to his new role. We are counting on your continued support to help our young people reach their full potential.

Eric Fong

Although it was almost 20 years ago, I still remember those brainstorming sessions with Eric, Nicole and a few other co-founding members.

We started Across with a very simple vision: To be a true companion of our youth.

Across is a community where we cry together, laugh together, struggle together, and in the end we all grow together.

As many have said, the world will never be the same after what happened in 2020.

Being a companion of our youth is becoming an increasingly challenging task as technologies and social media are reshaping the world in an unprecedented pace.

I sincerely invite everyone to partner with Across in building our next generation.

Terence Yuen

Message from Executive Director Nicole Wong

This is a unique time in our lives. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause uncertainty, stress and trauma in individuals and in our communities.

In times like this, the word that grapples me is "resilience". We must see and seize the opportunity to encourage young people to be resilient during challenging times and to make the right decision in response to these evolving challenges.

Because of the pandemic, our lives have been disrupted and rewritten to a new norm with the coexistence of the physical and virtual way of life. But whether it is through a physical or a virtual platform, Across U-hub’s service model of trust-based relationship between us and young people is needed now more than ever.

COVID-19 has forced us to stay at home and stay safe. But we will continue to stay active and accompany young people to see adversity through different lenses, bringing them positive messages to illuminate the future. Young people are our future, no matter what state we are in now, we have to be with them.

Introduction With the hit of COVID-19 during last year winter, Across U-hub took this opportunity to step back and reorient its ministry’s direction and services. Under the hard work of all levels of staff at Across, we initiated a number of projects in response to the devastating situation of COVID19. Not only tackling the immediate needs of Across and its community, but also using this opportunity to further invest in developing future goals and planning in order to respond to the “new normal".

Social Media Platforms With the temporary closure of inperson programs, Across has moved to social media as one of the main communication platforms. By utilizing these online platforms, we will deliver in-time messages to our youth who are staying at home most of the time.

This way, not only are they learning and reflecting upon their current experience staying at home, but they are also able to express and exchange ideas and thoughts with peers and mature volunteers.

Across Research Team In early 2020, Across has kick started a research project with a team, consisting of a board member, Across staffs and volunteers, to understand how volunteerism has impacted Across U-hub and its participants.

Throughout the year, we conducted a survey with 55+ volunteers, and completed five focus groups consisting of 20+ young and mature volunteers. Just over the new year, we were able to collect all the data and begin our in-depth analysis. In the upcoming months, the team will analyze the data and make important observations to answer the question we set out for this project.

Across the Lens: Stories of You and Me 2020 In July 2020, Across initiated an epublication project with a group of 20+ youth. This e-book encourages young people to reflect on and appreciate the hardships and resiliency of the older generation who have been going through in the time of volatility and uncertainties. Please stay tune as it will be available online in February!

Launching in February 22nd Stay tune!