As the Chinese New Year is approaching, the Food Wise sharing platform has launched the "New Year Food and Dry Food Collection Action" in many districts in Hong Kong. From early January to February 11 this year, Chinese New Year gifts will be collected and given to grass-roots families in need to share the joy of the New Year with them .
The Food Wise sharing platform stated that as of December last year, nearly 8,700 food donation transactions had been conducted through the platform, involving more than 10 million meals, with a donation value equivalent to HK$115 million, benefiting more than 30,000 people.
FOOD-CO's warehouse in Kwai Chung provides food delivery and temporary storage services to food aid service organisations.
(Photo provided by Social Innovation Fund)
FOOD-CO, the first all-round food aid collaboration platform in Hong Kong established by the St. James' Settlement commissioned by the Social Innovation Fund, launched the "Chinese New Year Food and Dry Food Collection Action" from the beginning of January to February 11 this year. A number of organizations have cooperated to set up 42 collection points in various districts in Hong Kong to collect Chinese New Year food and donate it to grass-roots families in need to promote the spirit of "Food Wise Sharing".
Wu Wenxian, Senior Manager of Poverty Alleviation at St. James' Settlement, said that the "New Year Food and Dry Food Collection Action" accepts donations from all walks of life, including gift boxes, rice, noodles and canned food with a consumption period of not less than 8 weeks. Support, among the 42 food collection points in Hong Kong, including the association's offices in Wan Chai and Shek Kip Mei, food donation boxes in shopping malls, and other collection points in housing estates and companies, so that more citizens can participate in donations.
Wu Wenxian continued to point out that donation modes can be roughly divided into two categories. Catering businesses such as restaurants, Chinese restaurants, and restaurants will donate food for the New Year in advance. Recently, the FOOD-CO platform has received a donation of 300 carrot cakes from a company. The food has been delivered to the food donation boxes one after another before; as for ordinary enterprises, merchants and citizens, they generally handed over the collected New Year food to the food donation box after the opening of the market on the fourth day of the first day. As a gift, we will first check the collected food packaging for damage to ensure food safety and hygiene, and at the same time require that the process of food delivery meet the requirements of food safety. When it is properly sorted, a notification will be sent on the FOOD-CO mobile app , to deliver food to every grass-roots family in need as soon as possible.”
St. James' Settlement Wu Wenxian pointed out that after receiving the food donation, the platform will immediately send a notification on the mobile app to let the food aid organization apply for it and deliver the supplies to everyone in need as soon as possible.
(Photo provided by Social Innovation Fund)
Promote donor and service organization matching service
During the event, Link will set up food donation boxes in 22 of its shopping malls to facilitate merchants and citizens to donate Chinese New Year gift boxes.
Miao Guoxiang, General Manager of Property Management of Link, said that since 2015, he has launched a food recycling program with St. James' Settlement and expanded to cooperate with FOOD-CO last year. On average, more than 20,000 kilograms of food can be recycled every year. He believes that the collaborative platform quite successful.
He continued that the FOOD-CO platform can connect all walks of life and provide one-stop services, covering food collection, storage and distribution. For example, currently FOOD-CO regularly sends people to inspect the food donation boxes in various districts. Once it finds that some donation boxes are "full" "In such cases, a truck will be arranged to take back the food immediately.
The FOOD-CO platform was established in 2017. In 2019, the Social Innovation Fund subsidized the FOOD-CO platform to launch the second phase of the plan to further use information technology to enhance services and functions, such as adding a one-stop automated logistics system to provide food delivery and temporary storage services , to support the operation and expansion of food aid organisations.
Wu Wenxian explained that in addition to connecting different logistics companies and volunteer drivers to assist in the delivery of supplies, the platform also launched a matching service for donors and service organizations, so that service organizations can go directly to collect food donations and play an intermediary role in the food aid industry.
Beneficiary organization: there is a "special person" to follow up the order
The platform has also enhanced the functionality of its mobile app, including adding an artificial intelligence chatbot (Chatbot) to facilitate users.
Wu Wenxian said that after careful explanation and demonstration, more than 300 registered food aid organizations have used the program, and more than 770 companies and organizations have donated food.
One of the food aid service organizations that benefited from the collection operation is the Tide Food Workshop of Guan Tiao Baptist Church. The project director of the association, Ka Keung Lam, pointed out that the interface of the FOOD-CO platform is designed to be simple and easy to use. Apply for the required amount of food, and have a "specialist" to follow up on the order.
Lam Ka-keung continued to point out that during the epidemic, there were many enthusiastic people in Hong Kong who generously donated fresh food, so the platform played an important role. First, it was "listed" on the mobile app, notified to various organizations, and then arranged for logistics trucks to collect the food. The "vegetable bag" was delivered to the hall with high efficiency.
Lin said that Chaoshi Workshop had "booked" more than 100 end of rice cakes on the platform earlier, hoping to help Kwun Tong neighborhoods to celebrate the festival.
According to data from FOOD-CO, as of December last year, nearly 8,700 food donation transactions were conducted through the platform, involving more than 10 million meals, with a donation value equivalent to HK$115 million, benefiting more than 30,000 people.
Wu Wenxian believes that the support of the Social Innovation Fund to the FOOD-CO platform is of great significance. In addition to providing funding to enable the platform to further improve mobile phone programs and food temporary storage services, it also connects stakeholders from different sectors through the strong network of the Social Innovation Fund. Encourage people from all walks of life to reduce waste, share leftovers and existing resources, and benefit more people in need.
USB Data Cable Recycling Program 57 Recycling Points in Hong Kong｜Telecoms/shopping malls/residentials are accepted!
Green is difficult to collect industrial and commercial waste plastic in the district. The industrial and commercial building collects 45 tons of plastic every year and a half. Most of them are packaging film and used clothing recycling. │ 18 District 10 Clothing Recycling Points List There is also a door-to-door recycling!
UNIQLO/The Salvation Army 16-year-old "Ghost Girl" opened a second-hand English bookstore not to make money. She has donated books to refugees and quarantined people for cleaning | Second-hand bookstores accept books in Hong Kong Island on weekends.
01 Community