Cheng Yu Tung College Students Participate in a Year Long Food Bank Service Project

Students in Cheng Yu Tung College participate in volunteer service in a local food bank called Centro do Servico de Fornecimento Temporario de Alimentos da Caritas which is affiliated with Caritas de Macau. It is started by Caritas de Macau and aims at getting in touch with those having economic difficulties by providing food support. Further assessment and follow-up service are also provided to minimize the occurrence of other potential problems. 24 students join in this service program and all of them are committed to do the service for one year. The volunteer service includes packing and distributing food to the poor and also home visit. Most of the service users are the elderly and disabled.

Each time, a group of students go to the service station of Caritas and volunteer for 4 hours. About 200 service recipients will come over to collect food. Students pack and distribute food to them. Very often, there is a long queue waiting and students have to work fast so that the elderly do not need to wait for too long.  The work is exhausting. Students are usually tired and hungry after the 4 hours service. But they are happy. Students say that it is harder than they thought but they are proud of themselves after 4 hours labor, and they are happy to see the elderly taking food home packed by them.

Another part of the service is to deliver food to the elderly and disabled and chat with them to show social support. Students work in groups to deliver food to people living in public housing and the group will follow up the same family for half a year. Students say that they have learned a lot in this experience. They have never walked to a home in the public housing and talked to the family there. They say that the elderly are very nice and talkative and they also find out what their daily life is. In the volunteer group sharing, they also discuss about the social welfare system in Macau and the problem of poverty.

Students also get the opportunity of visiting other charity organizations guided by staff of Caritas and they get to know what other charities are doing and how to interact with disadvantaged groups with respect.

Students show empathy and responsibility in the volunteer service. Even when there was purring rain, students still persisted to finish their work. Although they all got wet, their faces were still smiling. The activity is still going on and the love of the students will carry on.

students packing food

Cheng Yu Tung College students were packing food for the meal delivery services to the elderly and disabled