Food Bank Donations Dry Up As Demand Soars

A Hong Kong food bank said on Thursday that the amount of goods it collects from businesses has halved amid the Covid-19 pandemic, while demand has doubled.

The People Service Centre said before the coronavirus outbreak, it collected up to 60 tonnes of unsold food from wet markets, bakeries and food suppliers each month.

But the charity said this has dropped to 30 tonnes as it has stopped taking in food from wet markets and bakeries due to hygiene concerns, while the amount of prepackaged and frozen food donated by other suppliers has fallen amid the economic downturn.

Emma Choi, a project officer with the group, said they used to collect unneeded food from airlines but that has also stopped, being as most flights have been grounded.

However, she said, many people who have lost their jobs or are underemployed have requested help from the group.

“Some of them have still got work, but the companies have cut their pay. Some of them cannot go to work every day. Some parents need to take care of their children because classes are suspended,” Choi said.

The charity distributes food regularly in Sham Shui Po, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon City, Yau Tsim Mong, and Tuen Mun.