After the hardships of the past few years, there are many Hong Kongers who feel they both need and deserve the government’s recent cash hand-outs via the Consumption Voucher scheme. After all, families and friends have been separated, work and education have been forced online, and businesses have struggled and, in many cases, collapsed.

But hardship is relative, and there are inevitably many of us who feel guilty that they are automatically receiving a bonus on their Octopus card when they know of others whose need is so much greater than their own. So if you’re looking for something more meaningful to spend your hardly-earned cash on, here are 5 ideas for you to consider.

DONATE CASH

Yes, it’s in the rules that you are not allowed to donate your consumption vouchers to charity. But there is nothing stopping you from donating cash in lieu of what you are saving to charities of your choice. Scroll through this list of local nonprofits who are dedicated to helping the most desperate in our community, and perhaps get the kids involved and make it a family decision which one(s) you would most like to donate to.

BUY FOOD VOUCHERS

You can support the local restaurant business and feed the hungry by purchasing food vouchers with your octopus card and donating them to those in need. Impact HK, who normally provide meals for the homeless community, have been unable to provide their usual support due to the social distancing measures, and have been specifically requesting vouchers from food outlets such as Fairwood, Cafe De Coral, Maxims, McDonalds, Tamjai Mixian and Tong Lee Bay Dim. 7Eleven also offer cash coupon for purchase.

SUPPORT A SPECIFIC ORGANISATION

So many organisations have been struggling due to the social restrictions hampering their ability to operate. Why not contact a local centre in your community, such as a youth camp, elderly care centre, creative arts centre or church, and ask if there is anything specific that you can purchase for them? Such small businesses are often bypassed by donors looking for more immediate charitable impact, but they are no less valuable to a community struggling to get back on its feet.

ORGANISE A COLLECTION

If you have friends who are feeling similarly awkward about their free money, you can pool your resources to make an even bigger impact. Contact a nonprofit and find out what is needed most, then set up a Google doc listing the items and invite your friends to choose something from the list and use their consumption voucher money to purchase it. You can then collect all the items and drop them off at the nonprofit.

SPEND IT

The most unhelpful thing you can do with your government hand-out is to just allow it to melt into your daily expenses. This is your guilt-free opportunity to splash out and support local businesses by spending your consumption voucher purchasing a new sustainable brand or product or indulging yourself with a treat from the local service industry. Play your part in kick-starting the economy and enjoy yourself while doing it!

We would love to hear about how you spend your voucher and perhaps inspire others to do something similar so send us your stories and an accompanying picture through our Banyan Workspace Instagram page here.