Many of you are probably starting to receive mooncake gift boxes as the Mid-Autumn Festival draws near. If you find yourself with more mooncakes or festive treats than you need—and realize you might not finish them before their "best-before" dates—why not donate the surplus to families in need while they are still fresh? It's a great way to keep the holiday joy alive.

Let's work together to save food and assist others, treasure food and blessings, and celebrate a joyous Mid-Autumn Festival.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, mooncakes remain the highlight of the celebratory table. However, year after year, the problems of "buying too much" and "not being able to finish it" linger, making mooncakes a significant cause of waste. This year, the Food Commons Foundation, in collaboration with Food Grace, will continue to encourage waste reduction at the source and food conservation as a "Green Partner" during the festival!

May you buy what you need, eat what you desire, and experience the joy and warmth of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

"Are even such perfectly good fruits and vegetables being thrown away?"

A group of volunteers went to a wet market food recovery site in August to have a firsthand look at the "Food Commons Foundationd" effort. As they looked at the boxes filled with extra produce, they thought about how food is frequently thrown away carelessly. Beyond the act of sharing food, they realized that protecting the environment is only one aspect of cherishing resources; seeing elderly neighbors come to the center in the evening to pick up the extra vegetables made it clear that this wet market recovery program is also a continuous community endeavor to reduce poverty.

The event aims to raise public awareness regarding food waste and recovery, allowing participants to experience the recovery process firsthand. It demonstrates how "perfectly presentable" produce can help put food on the tables of grassroots families, thereby deepening understanding of the culture of cherishing food and the importance of community-based poverty relief.

Join now to get a personal look at the "rescuing food to help others" mentality!

The third solar term of autumn, "White Dew" (Bailu), has quietly arrived today. As they say, "From White Dew to the Autumn Equinox, the nites grow steadily cooler"; summer heat persists during the day, but a chill descends in the mornings and evenings. During this time, wellness activities should concentrate on "nourishing the lungs." In order to prepare the body for late autumn, the diet should emphasize foods that nourish *yin* and moisten dryness because autumn dryness can deplete bodily fluids and cause respiratory or throat discomfort.

We suggest one fruit and three seasonal vegetables for this solar term, all of which are inexpensive and fresh:

Cherry Radish, Hairy Gourd,  Calabash Gourd, Starfruit

In Hong Kong, July was the hottest month of the year, with constant heat. Even though the extreme heat made it difficult to engage in outdoor activities, our volunteers persisted in their work, gradually expanding food rescue operations over many districts.

We successfully rescued over 1.4 tons of food this month, including approximately 9,000 loaves of bread, over 2,700 pieces of fruit, canned products, and snacks, thanks to the mobilization of 435 volunteers. This abundant supply provided essential food support to over 7,500 residents throughout Hong Kong. Thanks to the dedication of every volunteer who persevered in their duties during the sweltering heat, this heartfelt effort was able to reach its intended recipients.

We kindly ask that you sign up as a volunteer to assist us in making sure that food that has been salvaged gets to the people who need it!

To register as a volunteer, please scan the QR code or click the link:

https://www.foodcommons.hk/tc/volunteers

The End of Heat solar term arrives – the character "End" signifies cessation – marking the formal farewell to the sweltering peak of summer.

However, during this period, the weather is characterised by "warm dryness." The temperature gap between morning and evening begins to widen, while lingering summer dampness remains, often leading to a sense of fatigue known as "autumn lassitude." Diet should focus on sweet and neutral-flavoured foods, with an emphasis on nourishing yin and moistening dryness, helping the body transition smoothly from summer to autumn.

For this solar term, we recommend the following four seasonal vegetables and one fruit – fresh, affordable, and delicious: Okra, Water Spinach ,Luffa,Dragon Fruit