Charity restaurant offers altruistic diners chance to feed the needy
Print Edition
HOMELESS people in Huangpu District are being offered free meals twice a day thanks to a charitable initiative launched by a local restaurant.
Run by the Shanghai Huangpu Philanthropy Federation — a nonprofit organization — the Futianyuan eatery opened on May 10 and now attracts about 300 paying customers a day.
Regular patrons are charged 28 yuan (US$4.50) for a vegetarian buffet meal, but signs dotted about the place also offer them a chance to buy a voucher for a second meal, which can later be claimed by someone who might otherwise go hungry.
The coupons can be used by homeless people and seniors over the age of 70, said Jiang Taohong, director of the restaurant.
“Between 20 and 30 people are now taking advantage of the free food offer every day,” Jiang said.
One of them is 22-year-old Lin Xiao, who over the past week has become a regular at Futianyuan.
“I don’t have a job and I’ve got no family, so I often go hungry,” the native of Xuzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, told Shanghai Daily yesterday.
“I’ve had a few jobs, like giving out leaflets and laboring at building sites, but they were only temporary,” he said.
When he’s not looking for work or having one of his free feeds, Lin said he sleeps under a bridge near the restaurant.
Jiang said that although the meals are provided free, the recipients are expected to wash their own dishes.
“This helps us to keep labor costs down a little, but more importantly, allows the homeless people to feel that they have earned their meals,” she said.
Lin said that as well as cleaning his own dishes, he often helps others — the disabled or elderly — who might have difficulty fulfilling the “obligation.”
“I don’t want something for nothing. By doing the washing up, I can think of my meals as payment,” he said.
Since the restaurant opened, 116 paying customers have bought more than 700 free-meal vouchers, Jiang said.
“Several of them have even started working here as volunteers,” she said.
Local woman Mia Shen said she has visited Futianyuan more than 20 times and has bought dozens of vouchers.
“The atmosphere here is really positive, and I like being able to help people in such a good way,” she said.
Jiang said that while her restaurant is happy to help those most in need — like the 95-year-old woman who often visits — she doesn’t want “fit people” to rely on it.
“We are happy to support seniors for as long as they need us, but we don’t apply the same rules to healthy homeless people, because it’s important they try to find work,” she said.
“People can come to us when they’re down on their luck, but our aim is to be a stepping stone to a brighter future, not a place to stay forever,” she said.
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