VOLUNTEERS HELP ELDERLY TO ENJOY EATING TOGETHER|溪州老人公益食堂 長輩用餐不再孤單

The ageing population has become a serious issue in Changhua County's Xizhou (溪州) Township. Many old people would stay home during the day, often skipping meals to save money or the trouble of cooking. Some local residents have volunteered to provide meals for the elderly at a cost of only around NT$35 per person at a town hall, and it is also a great way for the elderly to socialize during lunchtime. It was almost lunch time, many elderly people gathered at the square in front of a temple. Because to them, this may be the most delicious meal in a day. ==VOLUNTEER== Watch out, let me pass, let me pass, it's very hot. Many delicious courses placed on the table, volunteers were busy on packing lunch boxes, these food boxes were to deliver to elderly people who were not able to show up. ==VOLUNTEER== Eating time, everybody eats! It's time to eat! Hurry! Everyone's plate was filled up with good food, here is the so-called Charity Mess Hall in Changhua Xizhou Township, also it's the place for elderly people to social with each other. ==MRS. TUNG== Oh, it's good to be here. (Why so?) My mood is light here, I can enjoy eating when I arrive. I don't need to cook myself and everyone chats with each other. Mrs. Tung is over 80 years old, she used to live alone and did not care what she eat. Now she eats much better food here and she can chat everything with neighbors. Mrs. Chang brought her specialty and share with everyone. Right here, not only good meals are available, also the care shown to elderly people. ==CHEN CHEN-CHIA, Chairperson, Tachuang Community Devel. Assoc.== Cooking for one person is really difficult. It takes days to finish if they cook too much, and it's difficult to cook if cooking for too few people. Five courses with one bowl of soup, elderly people with age above 60, they only need to pay NT$40 for a meal. This great price was made possible by local farmers. ==CHEN YUAN-CHEN, Chief, Tachuan Village== All are local products. Some farmers voluntarily delivered their agricultural produce here free of charge, for elderly people to eat. Every day, around one hundred elderly people come here for meals. Although no one knows how long this Charity Mess Hall will last, but the village chief says as long as he can, the charity will continue. TRANSLATED BY: ANTHONY LIN 彰化溪州人口老化嚴重，許多長輩白天獨自在家，為了省錢或是怕麻煩，經常有一頓沒一頓，在地方人士的支持下，溪州成立了老人公益食堂，每天只要30-40元，中午可以到食堂吃飯，用餐也不孤單。 時間快到中午，廟埕前面已經擠滿頭髮花白的長輩，因為這可是他們一天當中、最期待的一餐。 ==工作人員== 來喔 借過借過 借過一下 很燒喔 餐桌上早已擺滿各種菜色， 志工忙著打包飯盒， 這些是要配送給沒辦法到現場吃飯的長輩，接下來重頭戲才要開始。 ==工作人員== 大家吃飯 大家吃飯囉 時間到囉 要快吃飯囉 長輩排成長龍，每個人餐盤裝得滿滿，圍在圓桌吃飯，在廟埕前就好像開流水席一樣，這裡是彰化溪州的公益食堂，也是長輩交流的好去處。 ==董阿媽== 喔 在這好好喔(怎麼說好) 在這心情很好呀 一來就可以吃 不用自己搞半天 大家又可以聊天 董阿嬤已80多歲，因為獨居，原本每天都是隨便果腹，現在來到這，不只吃得好，也可以和鄰居天南地北聊，而這位張阿嬤還帶了自己了拿手菜，要大家一起分享，在這個食堂，不只吃的到美味，還吃得到對長輩的關愛。 ==大庄社區發展協會理事長 陳振家== 一個人真的好難煮 煮太多要吃好幾天 要煮少 又很難煮 五菜一湯讓長者吃得很開心，60歲以上的長者，只要40元就可以吃飽，這麽優惠的價格，完全出自地方的力量。 ==大庄村長 陳元振== 來源都是附近的食材 有些農民 會自動說 送來我們食堂這邊 讓我們免費 供老人使用 目前每天到這裡用餐的長輩， 大約有100人上下，從準備到供餐，完全出自在地人的熱心，雖然不知道可以做多久，但村長說，只要有能力， 就會繼續做下去。