The function of a business, beyond profit and other financial objectives, should be to fulfil and serve social needs, and this is what we have tried to commit to.
Having been established in 2000, Hodfords has had the pleasure of working with a multitude of organisations that serve many different functions. Irrespective of industry and business size, we take great pride and fulfilment in being able to deliver high-quality services to all our clients. This is especially true for helping our local communities and initiatives.
Here we have curated a list of charities and social initiatives that we have helped proudly over the years.
Keswick Foundation, 2004.
The Keswick Foundation was established in 1979, by John Keswick, and was set up to provide support to social welfare in mainland China. It is now run by volunteers who wish to continue John’s vision.
- Hodfords offered its web maintenance services, to keep Keswick Foundation’s website up and running.
Operation Santa Claus, 2006.
Operation Santa Claus, in general terms, happens every December and all money raised is then donated to OSC beneficiaries such as the hearing-impaired children of Chun Tok School.
- In 2006 we launched a CD. For every CD sold HK $25 was donated to Operation Santa Claus. Along with the money made by Pacific Coffee, around HK $160,000 had been made and donated to OSC.
Society Of Ksitigarbha Studies, 2008 till the present.
Society Of Ksitigarbha Studies sells scriptures, sutras, and recordings of Ksitigarbha. This grants the community a wide range of religious and philosophical views/perspectives teaching right from wrong.
- In order to aid this venture, not only do we host the website on a pro bono basis, but we also developed the website too. We have been doing this since 2008 up until now as we think religion is an important part of social wellbeing.
Dong Shan Institute, 2008 till the present.
The Dong Shan Institute gives a list of contacts and names for all interested in Buddhism or wanting to join the practice. Not only this but they host many events such as placing a new statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in Beijing, holding seminars to discuss questions raised by local Buddhist colleagues, and leading non-profit organisations.
- We have hosted the Dong Shan Institute on a pro bono basis offering an online presence up until now. Like the Society of Ksitigarbha Studies, we host the website as it diversifies religious beliefs and outlets giving easier access to those interested as the practice is often misinterpreted. We believe having an online service for the institute will help remove these ideas as religion is important to the community.
Box Of Hope Foundation, 2012.
Box Of Hope sends thousands of boxes a year to underprivileged children filled with toys and supplies. The volunteers for this project are children themselves who will package and send their toys to others who couldn’t have bought these items themselves. We believe it teaches sharing to the children in a way that isn’t really achievable otherwise whilst also benefiting the kids who need help most.
- We offered web design services on a pro bono basis in 2013 when the charity was starting up. Over the years we had provided over 100 hours of web support, maintenance, and consultancy on a pro bono basis as our way of giving back to the community.
Hong Kong Art Gallery Association, 2015.
Hong Kong Art Gallery Association offers a way for citizens to express and intake creative ideas in the form of art. They do several things for the community such as exhibitions (allowing aspiring artists to show their work and hopefully thrive), an artist funding scheme, and they help members acquire business development opportunities and profitability. They have over 50 art galleries as members making them incredibly effective at achieving their mission to advance the Hong Kong art gallery community.
- To help achieve this mission, we offered web design to help the charity get set up.
Hong Kong Children’s Skin Foundation, 2018.
Again, the Hong Kong Children’s Skin Foundation aims to benefit most children with major skin diseases and conditions. When the function and form of the skin are severely compromised, patients suffer and endure a very poor quality of life. The management of such severe skin dysfunctions in children is a particularly challenging aspect of modern medicine, and it, therefore, calls upon the skills and expertise of a multidisciplinary team, comprising not only healthcare professionals but also research scientists. The foundation aims to help these patients and make life better for them.
- In 2018, we hosted an album launch party for “The Night’s Last Words”. All money made from the door takings and CD sales was donated to the Hong Kong Children’s Skin Foundation. Around HK $40,000 (~GBP 4,255) was made and donated to the foundation. In addition to the donations, we developed their website and host it for free. This is our way of giving back to this meaningful charity.
Thanh Tam Coffee and Bakery, 2022.
Very recently, we have been helping a local coffee and bakery shop named ‘Thanh Tam’ which serves the community with sweet treats and freshly brewed coffee. The income generated from this bakery is used to fund the school for differently abled children. Covid-19 ravaged the tourism industry in Vietnam and the bakery remained closed since 2019.
- One of the sisters reached out to us and we volunteered our digital media + social media marketing, rebranding, and online/offline marketing services on a pro bono basis. We helped them to recover access to their Facebook page and now we manage their social media channels – since we started our marketing push, sales at the Bakery have increased by over 60%.
