Taiwan's first community-based food bank / 食物銀行.樂活園地 里長愛心化實際　　　　　　　　　　

In today's Vital Taiwan, we'd like to take you to Taipei's Zhongqin neighborhood. The community is home to many underprivileged people, and most of the residents are either the elderly or the disabled. Here, the local borough chief, Fang He-sheng established Taiwan's first community-based food bank to provide food and resources for local residents in need. Fang also organizes other activities, such as classes and lunch gatherings to bring local seniors closer together. Let's take a look. This might look like just another market, but in fact it's Taiwan's first community-based food bank, especially for the residents at Taipei's Zhongqin neighborhood. The borough chief, Fang He-sheng opened it to offer food and resources to those in need in the local area. The food bank distributes food on a points-based system. Every member of the food bank receives 500 points a month that can be exchanged for goods from the food bank. ==FANG HE-SHENG, Zhongqin Borough Chief== We reorganize the food and whoever needs it can come and get it. We don't just give out rice because that person might not need rice. It works like a small supermarket, those in need can take what they actually need. Volunteers are busy dividing food into smaller packages, to share with more people. The expiration date is also purposely larger than usual, for the elderly to see easily. ==CHENG JUN-WEI, food bank employee== Some of the families or specific cases aren't qualified as low income household because of regulations, but they can still get what they need from the food bank. ==Zhongqin borough resident== The chief is very nice, he always takes care of low income families. In 1964, Zhonqin neighborhood was one of the most modern areas of Taipei City, but now it's one of the oldest public housing areas. Rent is much cheaper here, and nearly a quarter of the residents in this area are underprivileged. ==FANG HE-SHENG, Zhongqin Borough Chief== The saddest part is coping with seniors passing away one after another. Especially for those that live alone, they lose their ability to cope and nobody takes care of them. If no-one makes arrangements for their funeral, we'll do it too. Aside from food bank, Fang also organizes many activities such as classes for the elderly. There's a kitchen that provides hot meals at lunch time, so that the elderly can have a place to eat and relax. As for those who live alone or cannot leave their houses, volunteers would deliver the food to them. ==Zhongqin borough resident== Other boroughs don't have this kind of activities, free lunch or senior welfare. We have it all here in Zhongqin borough. ==FANG HE-SHENG, Zhongqin Borough Chief == The ones who can walk on their own will come and take some food home for lunch and dinner. For those who cannot go down the stairs, we deliver to them. However, if they can walk, we want them to come, as they can also attend community activities. Walking through the allies, Fang treats everyone in the community as his family. Now he's trying to create a "dream coffee factory" which will be available at the end of August. He hopes to provide a place for school dropouts to learn about making coffee and earn some extra money at the same time. TRANSLATED BY：STELLA TU 搬著每日堆積如山的貨物，他不是超商店長，而是擔任里長長達十八年的方荷生。這裡是全台第一個以社區作為出發點，所設立的食物銀行，只要登記成為會員，就可以領到一本愛心存褶，每個月存摺裡有五百點點數，然後來這裡換取需要的物資。 ==台北中正區忠勤里長 方荷生== 透過食物的重整 讓需要的人自己來拿需要的東西 不會因為我們只有送你白米 里長好像只能送你白米 可是那個人可能不需要白米 透過需要的人 他可以拿到需要的東西 就像小超級市場的模式 志工們忙著把吃不完的大包裝拆成小包裝，好給更多人使用；外界捐的成人尿布用不到的，也可以拿來換取需要的奶粉；"有效期限"也刻意寫得大一點，讓長輩看得更清楚。 ==南機場幸福食物銀行員工 程俊威== 有時候我們有些個案或家戶 他們可能是沒有低收入戶的資格 礙於一些法令的問題 讓他們可能無法申請到 那食物銀行就是可以提供給他們 這樣子 邊緣戶的一個協助 ==台北市中正區忠勤里 里民== 里長很好啊 里長很照顧我們這些 我們這些低收入戶 里長很好 1964年，政府在忠勤里興建最現代化的國宅，但經過半世紀，這裡變成全台最老舊的國宅，租金變便宜了，很多弱勢族群選擇住進這裡，忠勤里將近一萬個居民當中，包括中低收入戶、領有殘障手冊、以及獨居老人就佔了三成，方荷生每年都陪不少獨居長輩,走完人生最後一程。 ==台北中正區忠勤里長 方荷生== 最難過的是 應該是吧 一而再再而三地送長輩走 尤其獨居長者 失能到一定程度 然後沒有人照顧 可是他的後事還是沒有人辦 我們也會接著辦 除了食物銀行,方荷生還創立了樂活園地，提供各種課程供長輩學習，午餐時間還提供熱騰騰的飯菜，長輩們可以在這裡一起吃飯、交朋友，沒辦法出門的獨居長輩，也有志工打便當送到家裡，讓長輩們保持與外界的連結。 ==台北中正區忠勤里 里民== 其他人沒有辦這個活動 供午餐啦 老人福利都沒有 我們忠勤里都有 ==台北中正區忠勤里長 方荷生== 中午跟晚上 供走得動的長輩 我們會自己來拿回去吃 像失能下不了樓的 我們就會送到家 可是他走得動 我們希望他自己來拿便當回去吃 就可以順便來參與社區的活動 方荷生穿梭里內，逢人就打招呼，現在，他又把兩戶打通成店面, 準備打造"咖啡夢工廠"，八月底即將完工，運用社會企業的概念，協助里內的中輟生學習咖啡技藝、賺取生活費。說到願景,方荷生眼神發亮,他希望和里民聯手,把這個老舊社區賦予新生命。 記者 朱鳳治 陳彥霖 台北報導