Local NGO sets up first food bank in the city
Print Edition
SHANGHAI has got its first food bank that will recycle food which is nearing its expiry date to needy people in the city.
It is run by an nonprofit organization, Oasis Eco-Protection Exchange Center, which opened its first site in the Pudong New Area on May 28.
The center said they had collected 10 tons of food, including milk powder, juices and canned goods, from residents and companies.
“Food waste causes environmental pollution,” said Li Bing, director of Oasis. “We are trying to reduce that waste and help needy people at the same time.”
The food packets are distributed for free to financially strapped families, low-income elderly, the disabled, migrant students and children in social welfare institutions.
Food banks are common in Western countries, and their importance intensifies during economic downturns.
The world’s first food bank was established in the US in 1967; the first in Europe was set up in France in 1984. Since then, thousands have been set up all over the world. The UK alone has more than 1,000.
The Oasis food bank has a 10-square-meter, non-refrigerated storage site in Pudong. Li said that supply still falls short of demand.
“We hope enterprises can provide us with additional storage areas and also help us with delivery, which is a big cost,” she said, citing the need for warehouses in Puxi. The center has received 200,000 yuan (US$32,258) in financial support from city authorities.
Li said Oasis would like to establish more centers to make it easier to donate to people who need them. “The more food we collect, the bigger financial pressure we face,” she said, adding the warehouse in Pudong is air-conditioned.
Because of storage limitations and food safety concerns, Li said the bank accepts only food that is packaged and doesn’t require refrigeration. Vegetables, if any, are given away the same day.
Li said the bank had forged ties with two neighborhoods in Pudong and one in Putuo District, where there are homes for the elderly and social welfare institutions. Needy people only need to apply with their local communities or neighborhoods to receive donated food.
On Children’s Day, chocolates, juices and cakes were delivered to about 2,000 children at six schools and several welfare homes.
The Jinpu residential complex in Pudong’s Tangqiao area, where the bank is located, has been cooperating with the center. Yuan Zhimin, Party secretary of the Jinpu neighborhood committee, said volunteers and committee officials distribute the food to needy residents. About 600 households in the complex are on the list of food recipients. Every donation is carefully checked to ensure that the packages are not broken.
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