Sands China Supports Macau Holy House of Mercy’s Welfare Shop with Donation and Food Hamper Distribution

Ninth straight year of company's support

(Macao, Feb. 5, 2021) – Around 40 Sands Cares Ambassadors are helping distribute over 360 Chinese New Year food hampers to disadvantaged families Feb. 5, 6 and 8, volunteering at Macau Holy House of Mercy’s Welfare Shop. In addition, Sands China Ltd. donated MOP 300,000 to the organisation to support its year-round food hamper initiative. It is Sands China’s ninth straight year of supporting the Welfare Shop and its food hamper distribution.

The Welfare Shop began monthly distribution of food and essentials in 2013 to help families with financial difficulties. The service has since helped several thousand households from disadvantaged neighbourhoods get relief from rising living costs. The hampers contain staple items like rice, noodles, biscuits, canned food, cooking oil, toothpaste, shower gel and others.

Sands China has been a major sponsor of the programme since its inception, and has donated MOP 2.6 million to date, including this year’s donation of MOP 300,000.

For this year’s distribution, beneficiary families are collecting food baskets at Macau Holy House of Mercy’s Welfare Shop in groups, on different days and time slots, in response to the Macao’s government’s epidemic-prevention guidance to avoid gathering in large groups.

“Sands China is very pleased to express the company’s goodwill toward the community through our yearly support of Macau Holy House of Mercy’s Welfare Shop, to assist in providing support to low-income families in Macao,” said Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd. “We are grateful to our Sands Cares Ambassadors for their hands-on volunteerism and to Holy House of Mercy for their collaboration and cooperation, and we hope the wider community will continue to support this charitable organisation and its impactful Welfare Shop initiative.”

Dr. Wong presented a cheque for MOP 300,000 Feb. 5 to António José de Freitas, president of Macau Holy House of Mercy’s General Assembly and José Joaquim das Neves, executive member of Holy House of Mercy’s Board of Trustees. Chongnin Sam, vice president of corporate communications and community affairs for Sands China Ltd.; and Ng Sio Lai, president of the General Union of the Neighbourhood Associations of Macau were also in attendance.

The Sands Cares Ambassador programme was established in August 2009 to give Sands China team members an outlet for serving the local community by organising community activities and initiatives that work toward creating a better Macao. With membership of more than 3,300 volunteers from across all Sands China properties – Sands^® Macao, The Venetian^® Macao, The Plaza^® Macao, The Parisian Macao and The Londoner^® Macao – the Sands Cares Ambassadors have contributed more than 130,000 hours of voluntary community service since the programme’s founding.

Sands China Ltd. considers initiatives like its support of Macau Holy House of Mercy’s Welfare Shop as central to its commitment toward social causes and community involvement. The company’s community work is part of Sands Cares, the global corporate citizenship programme of parent company Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Photo caption: Sands China Ltd. President Dr. Wilfred Wong presents a cheque for MOP 300,000 to Macau Holy House of Mercy at its Welfare Shop Feb 5. Since 2013, the company has donated MOP 2.6 million to help provide disadvantaged families with relief against the rising cost of living.

Left to right: José Joaquim das Neves, executive member of Holy House of Mercy’s Board of Trustees; António José de Freitas, president of Macau Holy House of Mercy’s General Assembly; Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd.; Ng Sio Lai, president of the General Union of the Neighbourhood Associations of Macau; Chongnin Sam, vice president of corporate communications and community affairs for Sands China Ltd.

Photo caption: Sands Cares Ambassadors join guests of honour at Sands China’s cheque presentation ceremony at Macau Holy House of Mercy’s Welfare Shop Feb. 5. This year marks Sands China’s ninth straight year of supporting the shop’s food hamper distribution efforts.

Photo caption: Sands Cares Ambassadors help distribute food hampers at Macau Holy House of Mercy’s Welfare Shop Feb. 5. For this year’s distribution, beneficiary families were divided into groups to collect food baskets at Macau Holy House of Mercy’s Welfare Shop on different days and time slots, in response to the Macao’s government’s epidemic-prevention guidance to avoid gathering in large groups.