For 31-year-old Yuk Lam and Yuk Lam's mother, Love 21 is not just a place to participate in activities. "I would use the word 'home' to describe Love 21," said Yuk Lam's mother, "Every coach and staff member at Love 21 treats Yuk Lam like a sibling." Since joining Love 21 in 2020, Yuk Lam has been an active participant in various programmes offered by the centre. Yuk Lam's favorite activities include dancing, football, and arts and crafts. Although the pandemic limited his participation in in-person events, the online dance and fitness activities offered by Love 21 provided Yuk Lam with opportunities to stay active. By mid-2022, as the pandemic eased and when the Love 21 centre gradually reopened, it became a place Yuk Lam would visit two or three times a week.
One of the most profound impressions Love 21 has left on Yuk Lam's mother are the sincere and compassionate instructors, assistants, volunteers, and staff members at the organization. As a result, after participating in Love 21 activities, Yuk Lam's mother noticed a significant increase in Yuk Lam's confidence, "The instructors and staff at Love21 are very patient and provide a lot of encouragement during the activities. Even if members may not replicate the perfect steps or standard dance movements, the instructors and staff acknowledge their efforts through praise and positive reinforcement. This kind of affirmation from others provides great motivation and support for Yuk Lam and other friends with special needs, keeping them interested in participating in different activities."
At the end of January 2023, the Love 21 centre unfortunately suffered from severe damage from a neighbouring fire rendering the centre unusable for hosting activities. However, with the assistance of Love 21's sponsors and partner organizations, the centre was still able to organize events for members and their families by renting venues. During this period, one of the experiences that left a deep impression on Yuk Lam was his dance performance at the Central AIA Carnival. Despite the need for frequent visits to different venues for practice and rehearsals with the dance troupe, with the efforts of the instructors and members, the performance was quite successful, and Yuk Lam felt satisfied and proud of his performance.
Both Yuk Lam and his mother are eagerly looking forward to the opening of Love 21's new centre in the fourth quarter of 2023. The new centre will be more spacious and can accommodate a wider variety of activities suitable for members with different interests. Yuk Lam's mother concluded, "We are grateful for the support of Love 21's donors and sponsors, which allows the organisation to provide opportunities for children with special needs to showcase their talents. We hope the new center can offer diverse activities that add color to the lives of more children with Down syndrome, autism, and their families."