Community
At Optimas, we not only strive to do our best in everything we do but also to make a positive impact with everything we do. Optimas Foundation was set up in 2019 with the objective to give back to our world and to build more sustainable and prosperous communities.
Optimas Foundation is a registered charity under Section 88 of IRO. Every year, Optimas is committed to donate at least 1% of the performance fee via Optimas Foundation to pursue community charitable programmes and projects. We also offer various opportunities for our employees to give back either through employee community services and/or donation matching programs.
Charitable
Projects
Yoga Class for the Visually-Impaired
Rotary Club of Hong Kong Elements organised four yoga classes for the visually-impaired in July 2022. Optimas Foundation sponsored the classes and formed a volunteer team to guide the learners. The yoga teacher, Ivy, utilised clear verbal instructions to help students try out yoga postures. Those postures could train their balance and prevent injury. We also gave out movie tickets with audio description to lucky ones. Both joiners and volunteers enjoy the classes a lot. We are looking forward to meeting everyone again in coming lessons.
Seaweed Initiative
Teachers and students from The Harbour School initiated a project to grow seaweed in the sea outside the south part of Hong Kong Island. Optimas funded the project and joined their journey to put handmade buoys in the sea for seaweed to grow.
The students used waterpipes, wooden blocks and ropes to build the structure then insert seaweed into the ropes, the ropes extend to the bottom of the sea, held in place by anchors. The students believe the seaweed will grow along the ropes to reach the seabed, grow roots and start multiply to help cleanup the water. Seaweed can absorb carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, making it a valuable tool to fight climate change.
Youth Employment Scheme
From early 2022, Optimas has been sponsoring a full-time employment for a fresh graduate to work with a selected Social Enterprise, aiming to provide the young individual a first step of his or her career path. Apart from financial commitment, we have also been giving guidance and constant feedback, hoping to foster skills, credentials and employability of the individual. We believe this 12-month period of on-the-job training will benefit both the fresh graduate and the company.
Providing anti-pandemic resources to support the society
Amid the raging spread of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, there has been a lack of anti-pandemic resources in the city. Dedicated to fighting the virus alongside its community, Optimas Foundation has donated 20,000 rapid antigen test kits to various children education and rehabilitation agencies charities, including Heep Hong Society, Hong Kong Blind Union, Feeding Hong Kong, Mother's Choice and Caritas Hong Kong. These resources have been primarily distributed to targeted groups during this challenging period to ease the financial burden for those in need.
We are grateful to have this opportunity to contribute to this worthy cause and fight the pandemic with Hong Kong.
Fight the Pandemic
At the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, there was a shortage of face masks and other medical supplies in Hong Kong. Optimas Foundation purchased and sourced face masks and disinfected wet tissues and donated to over 10 charities including Feeding Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Society for the Aged, the Hong Kong Society for the Blind, Helping Hand, Heep Hong Society, J Life Foundation Limited, 佛教法光中心, etc.
Optimas Foundation along with Optimas Capital’s employees has contributed to Wuhan University Education and Development Foundation. The donation was directed to three hospitals affiliated with Wuhan University, namely Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Zhongshan Hospital of Wuhan University and Wuhan University Hospital to help and support the medical staff at the epicentre of the outbreak.
We made donations to other charitable organizations included Caritas Hong Kong in response to their urgent call for “Support Italy” and Mother’s Choice to support its operations which was adversely affected due to the pandemic.
The Hong Kong Society for the Blind
The Hong Kong Society for the Blind is a long-established charitable organization in Hong Kong to provide services to help maximize the capabilities of the visually impaired, facilitate their equal participation in society and improve their quality of life with a view of achieving a harmonious and inclusive society.
Throughout 2019 - 2021, Optimas Foundation made various donations to the charity to sponsor activities such as “The Cheers” (a band of visually and physically impaired to produce and issue a DVD of theirs), purchase of audio players for their information accessibility centre, and to support different projects of audio description service.
Make-A-Wish Hong Kong
Make-A-Wish Hong Kong is a member of Make-A-Wish Foundation International with mission to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses aged between 3 and 17, to enrich human experience with hope, strength and joy.
Our donation to Make-A-Wish Foundation has been made since 2019. Our employees with their families also participated as volunteers for “Share the Joy of a Wish” Christmas charity sales.
"Share the Joy of a Wish” Christmas charity sales 2021
Strive For Education Equality
Prior to the pandemic, along with Hung Hom Baptist Church Limited, Optimas Foundation organized bi-weekly tutoring classes to coach English and Mathematics for primary school students from low-income families. Various employees from Optimas also participated as coaches during holiday seasons.
Optimas Foundation also donated to Christian Zheng Sheng Association Ltd. to support its operation of a Hong Kong boarding school catering to teenagers with drug and behavioural problems on Lantau Island.
In 2022, Optimas Capital and HKU Faculty of Business and Economics established a scholarship to support Vietnamese Taught Postgraduate Students in the HKU Business School.
Heep Hong Society
Heep Hong Society (HHS) is one of the longest-standing children education and rehabilitation organizations in Hong Kong. HHS is committed to providing professional assessment, counselling and training for children and young people of special needs to enable them to have a full range of development, and to support their families in order to create an equal and harmonious society. HHS is actively introducing new services and developing "evidence-based" education and training models to promote the development of integrated education and rehabilitation services through research, training, publications and multi-educational tools.
Optimas Foundation has contributed to the charity for the sponsorship of the training facilities at Yung Ming Centre, which primarily serves children aged between 0-6 years old and mainly suffering from autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, developmental delay or speech delay.
In 2021, we sponsored and participated in Heep Hong Society “GOAL FOR SEN” Sports Games, which was a fund rising event to support the assessment and training needs of SEN children and young people from low income families.
Feeding Hong Kong
Feeding Hong Kong is a B2B logistics hub which collects surplus stock from food companies, sort and store it, and redistribute it to multiple charities across the city.
Optimas Foundation made donation to Feeding Hong Kong for purchasing food for the underprivileged and hosted a Christmas Food Drive in 2021 to donate additional food for the people in need.
Part of the food donation in Food Drive 2021
My Rotary Computer
This programme is a collaboration between Rotary Clubs and Caritas Computer Workshop to provide recycled computers to underprivileged students in Hong Kong.
Sponsorship was made to the programme by Optimas Foundation together with donation of computer and accessories, we hope more students from low income families can meet their learning needs.
We constantly donated pre-loved electronic devices to My Rotary Computer program to help reduce electronic waste and work towards education equality.
Beyond Vision Tactile Book
Since 2021, Optimas has joined hands with Beyond Vision to publish a tactile children book for every kid. A book is launched in September 2022 for every interested families and educators. We hope to bridge the visually-impaired and sighted families by promoting this multisensory children book for all! It does not only stimulate the curiosity in learning, but also sow the seeds of social empathy and inclusiveness among children.
Hong Kong Blind Union
During the outbreak of the 5th wave COVID in early 2022, there has been an urgent need of RAT kits in Hong Kong. Dedicated to fighting the virus alongside its community, Optimas Foundation has donated 1800 pieces oral type tester and 640 nasal tester to Hong Kong Blind Union. These resources are primarily distributed to targeted groups during this challenging period as Optimas aims to ease the burden for those in need.
In 2023, we donated another HK$150,000 to Blind Union for the renovation of their Oi Man member centre.
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
We sponsored Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra for HKD100,000 for their charity musical concert. This is a meaningful event. The money raised will be used to support low-income families in Hong Kong for their enjoying selected musical events hosted by Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra on a regular basis. This gives an opportunity for the underprivileged group of young generation to appreciate music and to promote their interests for future development in this field.