Disney doesn’t discriminate

This little boy made sure he had his ticket securely in hand before departing for a day at Disneyland

Thanks to Disneyland Hong Kong, who gave us 100 tickets, World Refugee Day on June 20^th became a memorable day for some refugee and asylum seeker families. They had fun!  A grateful mother wrote me a Thank You note which reminded me that having a good time is a rare luxury for some families.

The grateful mother of four wrote:

Our Disneyland experience was wonderful! Only one day almost made my family forget our struggles in Hong Kong. Disneyland was a place of pure joy and fun. There was no discrimination and no-one looked down on anybody. All the staff were so friendly and helpful.  We really wish we had another opportunity like this one. It was just "WOW".  Thank you so much for your kindness, and for inviting us. God Bless.

 You only need to read between the lines to see how difficult life is for this family. I can’t imagine living with the daily humiliation of people looking down on me. It’s so sad that a mother has to bear that sort of discrimination herself, let alone trying to shield her children from it, and build up their sense of self-worth.

Jacqueline Lam, Associate Manager of Community Relations, Public Affairs for Disneyland Hong Kong told me that they want to bring Disney magic and happiness to everyone in the community, but they know not all can afford to visit the park. Because Disneyland is an international company, they’re careful to include refugees and asylum seekers, even though they are not permanent residents of Hong Kong. Jacqueline said they hope other companies will follow this example of including those less fortunate in our society.

At Christian Action do our best to relieve the stress and angst faced by the people we serve. But we do need you to come alongside us so we can continue to provide assistance. Our service is not about luxuries, it is about survival: finding a place to live; getting children into school and providing hot meals and basic personal hygiene items.  All these things, together with counseling, assist and encourage these desperate people.  Without your donations, we can’t provide our basic services. We need you to walk alongside us, as we walk alongside them. Are you willing?