In early 1989, the Chinese Youth League, the Sydney Chinese School and our Society, entered into an agreement to provide interest-free loans to EACH to allow the completion of purchase of the Croydon properties. The Society would also take over responsibility for developing the project.
While the finances for the purchase of the Croydon properties were resolved by having government funding and the loans, the two buildings were poorly maintained and required renovation immediately before services could be provided. The directors of the Society did not realize the scale of the project and the immensity of the difficulties lying ahead until the Society took over the project.
The Society had limited resources at the time. It would be necessary to gather funds to renovate the buildings to improve its condition to a level suitable for use as an elderly hostel while at the same time repaying the loans. All these would require unceasing efforts to fundraise continuously for a considerable period of time. To complete the elderly home project would require the all-out commitment of our Society, and thus the development plan of the Society adopted earlier had to be modified to accommodate the situation.
Members of the Board and all our volunteers were directed to contribute their efforts to fundraising events for the elderly home.
In March 1989, the Society organized a charity dinner to raise funds for the elderly home, but the result was unsatisfactory. Earlier in June 1988, a charity walk titled ‘Eighty Thousand March’ was organized by the Chinese Youth League but only $6,500 was raised. Reviewing and reflecting on the situation, it was discovered that there were considerable community misconceptions about the work, viewpoints and direction of both our Society and EACH. This was caused by certain people in the community who deliberately spread rumours, connecting our Society and EACH to certain aspects of motherland politics. There was a strong need to refute the rumours and reestablish the image of the Society and regain the trust of the community.
In May 1989, when the community was paying close attention to the student movement overseas, Henry arranged for the Society to issue a press release pleading for the country to show restrain and listen to the requests of its citizens, seeking peaceful dialogue to resolve the conflict. With this open appeal, the media and many community members were surprised.
As the situation escalated, in June 1989, Henry and several Directors of the Boards of our Society and EACH, placed an advertisement in the newspapers, together but on an individual basis, to condemn the actions of the country concerned. This action was followed by many people in the community. While these statements were made in the name of the individuals, people naturally connected them to the Society and EACH.
These open, rational statements which were in line with the Australian values became a turning point. People began to review their impressions of the Society and EACH. Misunderstandings gradually faded away and community attitudes began to change.
The subsequent fundraising activities organized by the Society brought significant changes in outcomes. The Cultural Concert held in April 1990 raised $26,000; the charity dinner in August 1990 raised $22,000; the Cantonese opera performance titled ‘Lion Roaring’ in March 1991 raised $10,000; the children’s drama performance titled ‘Ma-lan-hua’ held in October 1991 raised $16,000 and the ‘Dragon Charity Walk’ held in September 1992 raised $52,000.
🤔 The Elderly Home Project finally reached a turning point. How would its future evolve? There is more to share in the next article.