Last week, a volunteer team from Hong Kong Metropolitan University participated in volunteer actions in Tai Wai and Tai Po districts respectively. The students were full of enthusiasm and energy and helped to collect leftover bread and distribute it to those in need in the community. Through personal experience, students were able to learn to cherish food and take practical actions to care for the community. They spent a meaningful and fulfilling evening. 

“Hello! Have you eaten yet? Do you need a meal box?” A volunteer bumped into the homeless man sleeping under the flyover again and tried to care for his needs in a friendly way.   

“Sure! Thank you. It’s so kind of you!” The homeless man who was originally lying on the ground immediately sat up and felt particularly energized after receiving the meal box. We hoped that this meal box could give him a little strength and feel the warmth of the earth. 

As autumn was gradually setting in, in this comfortable weather, volunteers brought their own shopping bags to collect unsold bread and distribute it to members in the neighbourhood, workers and people in need one by one. Though everyone did not collect much food, they did not mind. “It doesn’t matter whether there is leftover food or not. The most important thing is that no food will be wasted!”.

About 3,000 tonnes of food waste is discarded in Hong Kong every day. While most of them are still edible, they are sent to landfills. However, in the community, there are over a million elderly or grassroots people who do not have enough food to eat. Excessive leftover food leads to wastage and increases the load in landfills. A series of problems caused by food waste have a wide impact on the economy, people’s livelihood, environmental pollution and social development. In view of this, Food Commons Foundation’s Food Sharing Action was officially launched in 2009. It is the first food sharing action in Hong Kong that combines environmental protection and community mutual assistance. With a focus on the community, it connects groups from different districts to establish a resource network that can tackle the problem of food waste. 

The weekend was coming and a typhoon was approaching. It was much cooler with the strong wind. A hot meal could bring warmth to the neighbours. When the editor and volunteers delivered a meal box to a scavenger nanny, she was very happy, smiling and kept thanking us for our kindness. Being able to reduce food waste and help others in need is the best reward.

It was the fifth solar term in autumn, Cold Dew yesterday. Bright sunshine hours will decrease and the temperature will drop more compared with White Dew. The temperature difference between day and night will be even larger. As the saying goes, "don't expose your feet when it's cold", you need to pay attention to keeping your feet warm. It is recommended to wear socks and soak your feet in hot water more often. In terms of diet, it is advisable to nourish yin and moisturize the lungs. Vegetables with related effects include romaine lettuce and bok choy. Seasonal crops change with time. Consuming plants in season gives the benefit of less pesticides when the vegetables are planted and harvested at the best time. The taste is better, too. Also, as it is in season, the production is more while the price is less.