How can we truly help students understand the importance of "cherishing resources"?

Instead of sitting in the classroom listening to lectures, let's take them to a recycling site firsthand. Since 2009, the "Food Commons Foundation" and its predecessor projects have recycled over 11,373 metric tons of food, benefiting over 10.07 million people. This deep-rooted community foundation provides the perfect venue for students to learn about life education and sustainable development.

School Power and Food Save Together!

We sincerely thank the many schools, parents, and students for their generous donations! This love from the school proves that students and parents absolutely have the power to protect this "community food safety net."

The commitment to saving food and helping people needs the support of businesses to continue!

Since 2009, the "Food Commons Foundation" and its predecessor projects have recycled over 11,373 metric tons of food, benefiting over 10.07 million people. However, with government funding nearing its end, this community-protecting "market recycling project" is facing an unprecedented challenge of closure.

We cordially invite our corporate partners to participate in the "Step by Step • Food Save Walkathon". Currently, every $1 donated can be converted into approximately $6.5 of fresh, nutritious food; your support will directly safeguard this "community food safety net" that cares for underprivileged seniors and families.

Today is Lichun, the first of the twenty-four solar terms, marking the start of spring. As the saying goes, "One day after Lichun, the water warms by three degrees," signifying the initial rise of Yang energy and the revival of all things, though the weather remains unpredictable. Diet should align with the "growth" nature of spring, choosing pungent, sweet, and lightly flavorful foods to help the body's Yang energy rise.

Recommended dishes made with seasonal vegetables:

Taro and Goji Berry Stewed with Shiitake Mushrooms

Goji Berry and White Radish Nourishing Soup

Cold White Radish Salad

To: All fellow Food Savers

Since 2009, Food Commons and its predecessor projects have been promoting sustainable food recovery under the principle of “collect locally, distribute locally.” Over the years, we have rescued more than 11,373 metric tons of edible food, benefiting over 10.07 million people. To learn more about our work, please visit our online newsletter.

However, with government policies shifting towards large-scale food waste treatment and the imminent conclusion of our government-funded market recovery project, this work—carrying social, environmental, and economic value—is facing unprecedented challenges. In fact, every HK$1 donation can be transformed into approximately HK$6.5 worth of fresh, nutritious food, supporting hundreds of grassroots families and elderly each week. Without continued support, this safety net protecting our community will be forced to shrink, and fresh food may once again be discarded.

Therefore, we sincerely invite you to join the upcoming “Step by Step • Food Save Walkathon”, walking together with fellow Food Savers to safeguard food and protect our community.

This Lunar New Year, in addition to donating excess gift boxes to those in need, we sincerely invite you to participate in this year's new initiative – "Sharing Red Envelopes".

Even a small donation like a red envelope, though small, can add up to a significant amount and become a vital force helping us continue our service. Let's celebrate this time of reunion while also bringing warmth to the community.

Our friends' hearts were warmed by 500 lovely presents!

Today, we got a fantastic surprise! We sincerely appreciate the Cookie Quartet's kind offering of 500 cookie boxes.

The Great Cold marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Today we welcome the Great Cold, the last solar term of winter, signifying the coldest time of the year. At this time, the cold is extreme, and the earth is frozen. Health preservation requires "storing heat to ward off the cold and nourishing kidney qi." The diet should be warm and nourishing, with the addition of spicy ingredients to promote blood circulation, preparing for the arrival of spring.

In December, the damp, cold wind of Hong Kong penetrates through clothing. While we are all adding layers to keep warm, street cleaners, security guards, and homeless people are silently braving the cold to work or live their lives.

The colder the weather, the more urgent the body's need for heat. Although we mostly offer simple bread, in the cold wind, this energy-rich food can satisfy an empty stomach and transform into the body's power to resist the cold.

Thank you to the volunteers who braved the low temperatures and worked tirelessly throughout the month. It is you who personally delivered these "energy supplies" to those in need, ensuring that the neighborhood doesn't have to go hungry to withstand the cold winter.

Winter is not over yet, and we need more "warmth-bringers"! Please register to become a volunteer now. Your contribution can help us save food more efficiently and shorten the time our neighbors have to wait for food in the cold wind.

This proposal suggests that the "regional food resource sharing" model be institutionalized in the 2026-27 fiscal budget. Through regular funding, space planning, tax incentives, inter-agency collaboration, and community nutrition support, the excess food generated daily in markets and retail outlets can be transformed into community capital.

Our practical experience shows that every 1 yuan of public funds invested can generate a social return on investment (SROI) of 6.5 yuan, making it the most cost-effective tool for targeted poverty alleviation and waste reduction policies.

Meanwhile, drawing on the successful experience of the 24-hour "food bank" in Futian District, Shenzhen, it is demonstrated that if the government provides incentives such as public welfare labeling, tax deductions for donations, and honorary awards, it can effectively enhance corporate participation and form a stable food resource recycling network.

Last month, we held a seminar at Two Harbour Square in Kwun Tong – “Food Saving and Environmental Protection Practice: From Excess Food to Social Action”, to discuss with tenants and business representatives that food saving is not only an environmental action, but also a social responsibility and a way to connect with people.

Hong Kong discards over 3,000 metric tons of food daily, while approximately one million people suffer from food insecurity.