It is customary for Chinese to clean house before Chinese New Year. Chinese new year holidays are a time of family gatherings and joy in the community. However, for many lonely senior citizens in Hong Kong, there is little joy and prosperity. One afternoon this week, I joined a volunteer team that went to senior citizens' homes who live alone and helped them clean and decorate their small public housing flats and enjoyed a brief but lively conversation with a few of them. From the looks on their faces, they enjoyed the visit and it brightened their day.