Hong Kong Law Firm Volunteers Farm with Elderly for Good

On a sunny Saturday morning in Hong Kong, lawyers traded their briefcases for gardening gloves to plant something more than just vegetables.

Twenty-five employees from Deacons law firm spent January 24 weeding, tilling soil, and transplanting seedlings alongside 18 elderly volunteers on a rooftop in Kwai Fong. Together, they worked at an urban farm run by Farm the City, sharing laughter and swapping tips on organic farming and healthy eating.

The partnership brings fresh purpose to unused spaces across Hong Kong. Farm the City transforms forgotten rooftops and empty lots into thriving gardens that grow vegetables and herbs for low-income elderly residents, helping stretch tight food budgets with nutritious homegrown produce.

But the project harvests more than just vegetables. Getting seniors out of their homes to work the soil, socialize with volunteers, and share meals together fights isolation while improving physical and mental health through gentle outdoor activity.

The collaboration happened through Operation Santa Claus, an annual fundraising campaign that selected Farm the City as one of 13 charities to receive support this year. The rooftop farm at Metroplaza serves as both garden and gathering place, where different generations meet over shared work.

This marks the 15th year Deacons has supported Operation Santa Claus. Lilian Chiang Sui-fook, a senior partner at the firm, explained that as Deacons celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, giving back feels natural after benefiting from Hong Kong's community for nearly two centuries.

The Ripple Effect: Urban farming projects like this one address multiple challenges at once. They tackle food insecurity for vulnerable elderly residents while creating green spaces in one of the world's most densely populated cities. The social connections formed between young professionals and seniors break down age barriers and combat loneliness, which research shows affects health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes daily. Meanwhile, volunteers gain perspective and purpose, learning traditional farming wisdom from elders who remember when Hong Kong grew more of its own food.

The firm has woven community support into its identity through pro bono legal work and backing charitable campaigns throughout its history. Now its lawyers are literally planting seeds for Hong Kong's future, one rooftop garden at a time.

When lawyers and elders garden together, everyone grows.