Food Angel

{{Short description|Food rescue organization in Hong Kong}} {{ad|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox organization | name = Food Angel | native_name = {{zh|惜食堂}} | logo = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | image = | image_alt =  | caption = | map =  | map_size =  | map_alt = | map_caption = | named_after = | predecessor = | merged_into =  | successor = | formation = {{start date and age|2011|p=y}} | founder = Bo Charity Foundation | founding_location = | dissolved =  | merger =  | type =  | status =  | purpose = Humanitarian | headquarters = Hong Kong | coordinates =  | origins = | region_served = Kowloon and Hong Kong Island | services = | language =  | owner =  | leader_title =  | leader_name = | board_of_directors = | key_people = | main_organ =  | parent_organization =  | subsidiaries = | secessions = | affiliations = | funding =  | awards = | website = {{URL|https://www.foodangel.org.hk}} | former_name =  }} '''Food Angel''' ({{zh|惜食堂}}) is a Hong Kong–based food rescue organization. Food Angel was launched in {{start date and age|2011|p=y}} by the Bo Charity Foundation. The organization is supported by local and international food donors, sponsors, and charity partners.

Located in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, Food Angel has independent offices, kitchens, and a community center. The program rescues approximately 35 tonnes of edible surplus food from the industry, and renders this material into some 10,000 meal boxes and 2,000 food packs which it distributes to the underprivileged.{{Clarify|reason=In what span of time?|date=March 2022}}<ref name=":2">{{Cite news| url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1839041/hong-kong-programme-rescues-normally-disposed|title=Waste not, want not: The 'food angels' collecting goodies we're about to throw out to cook for Hong Kong's underprivileged |date=16 July 2015}}</ref><ref>[https://www.foodangel.org.hk/food_rescue.php#food_rescue_program|title=Food Rescue Program] {{In lang|zh}}</ref>

== Objectives == Food Angel claims to have the goals of reducing food waste at source, alleviating hunger, relieving poverty, and educating the next generation. The idea of Food Angel originated from the pressure on landfills in Hong Kong. When the organization started to grow, it began addressing other food-related social problems, such as poverty. <ref name=":1"> {{Cite web|url=http://www.foodangel.org.hk/en/|title=Food Angel|website=www.foodangel.org.hk|access-date=2016-03-24}}</ref>

Food Angel works with 150 partners. The goal of the organization is to minimize food waste and to encourage volunteers to give a hand to people in need.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

== Services == Food Angel rescues surplus food to relieve the landfill pressure in Hong Kong. The organisation collects surplus food from suppliers, supermarket, wet markets, and donation partners. It receives food donations, including fresh food, canned/non-perishable food, oils and seasoning, cooked foods, and frozen/chilled foods, to prepare meal boxes to then distribute to people in need.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=http://hd.stheadline.com/news/columns/15/20150401/323982/|title=幸福摩天輪——愛心飯盒|date=2015-04-01}} </ref>

Besides distributing meal boxes at the center, Food Angel also visits the elderly and delivers meal boxes to those who are disabled. It also provides elderly care workshops like literacy classes, Chinese opera, and Erhu performances. It receives support from more than 60 companies and organizations. <ref name=":1" />

=== Corporate Angel === Corporate Angel supports Food Angel's campaign "Waste Not, Hunger Not". It organizes internal fundraising events to raise money for Food Angel's program.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.foodangel.org.hk/food_rescue.php?l=en | title=惜食堂 Food Angel - Food Rescue }}</ref>

=== Green Angel === Green Angel teaches children to cherish food and preserve the natural resources on Earth. The program offers school-based educational activities over an academic year, including introductory talks, puppet shows, animations, green lessons, food upcycling workshops, field trips, inter-school competitions, and a rewards system.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

=== Outreach Angel === Outreach Angel delivers free hot meals in boxes and non-perishable food packs, and provides care to singletons and deprived elderly living in the Eastern District. Outreach Angel provides home delivery service and regular home visits to the single, physically frail, or disabled elderly five days a week.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

=== Community Angel === Community Angel provides free dine-in food assistance service in the Sham Shui Po District for the vulnerable and frail elderly who are aged 65 or above.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

== Timeline and news == Food Angel was founded in 2011 and has started several campaigns since.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

News about Food Angel's activities has been in the media since 2012. For example, there was wide media coverage about the plan to give lunch boxes to the people in need by using food waste, which was introduced in 2015.<ref name=":3" /> The three events of Construction Hong Kong appeared in newspapers, such as Apple Daily, Oriental Daily, and Skypost.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20150427/19126944|title=罐頭砌大佛助基層|date=2015-04-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20150427/00176_047.html|title=罐頭砌地標籲關注基層|date=2015-04-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.skypost.hk/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E/20150427/001/%E7%BD%90%E9%A0%AD%E7%A0%8C%E3%80%8C%E9%9B%B2%E4%B8%8A%E3%80%8D%E6%99%AF%20%E6%A9%9F%E7%AE%A1%E5%B1%80%E5%A5%AA%E5%85%A9%E7%8D%8E/175560|title=罐頭砌「雲上」景機管局奪兩獎|date=2015-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404000114/http://www.skypost.hk/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E/20150427/001/%E7%BD%90%E9%A0%AD%E7%A0%8C%E3%80%8C%E9%9B%B2%E4%B8%8A%E3%80%8D%E6%99%AF%20%E6%A9%9F%E7%AE%A1%E5%B1%80%E5%A5%AA%E5%85%A9%E7%8D%8E/175560|archive-date=2016-04-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" | |Time |Events |- |2011 |March |The establishment of Food Angel |- | rowspan=3|2012 |July |<nowiki>Chai Wan Central Kitchen</nowiki> |- |August |Food Angel Kitchen Grand Opening |- |November |<nowiki>1st Canstruction Hong Kong</nowiki> |- | rowspan=7|2013 |February |<nowiki>Green Angel - School-Based Education Programme</nowiki> |- |April |<nowiki>Corporate Angel - Corporate Society Responsibility Program</nowiki> |- |June |<nowiki>- Outreach Angel - Community Outreach Food Assistance Service</nowiki> - Bread Angel - Bread Rescue Volunteering Program |- |July |<nowiki>- Park n Shop 40th Anniversary Food Drive for Food Angel</nowiki> |- |September |<nowiki>- Outreach day with Park n Shop - Shau Kei Wan</nowiki> - Golf 2013 Press Conference |- |October |<nowiki>- Food Angel's Canstruction Rice Bowl by BNY Mellon</nowiki> |- Mission Hills Golf Event |- |December |<nowiki>- Sham Shui Po Central Kitchen</nowiki> - MCP X Food Angel - Dine and Give event |- | rowspan=3|2014 |February |<nowiki>2nd Canstruction Hong Kong</nowiki> |- |March |<nowiki>Food Angel Kowloon Kitchen Grand Opening</nowiki> |- |August |<nowiki>Food Angel x Maxim - Birthday Party</nowiki> |- |2015 |April |<nowiki>3rd Construction Hong Kong</nowiki> |- | rowspan="3" |2016 |Jan |HKCEC charity lunch |- |July |ParknShop City Food Drive |- |Oct |Lai Chi Kwok Food Station |- | rowspan="3" |2017 |May |ParknShop City Food Drive |- |Oct |4th Canstruction Hong Kong |- |Dec |Sham Shui Po Footstep Journey |- |2018 |May |ParknShop City Food Drive |- |2019 |Feb |HKCEC charity lunch |- | |April |Kwun Tong Harvest Mill |} <ref> {{Cite web|url=http://www.foodangel.org.hk/en/media.php|title=Food Angel---Media}}</ref>

== References == <references />

Category: Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Category: Food waste Category: Hunger Category:Charities based in Hong Kong