'Five-nays' turn to food bank as inflation bites

Nearly 10,000 people a day rely on a food bank run by St James' Settlement for their daily sustenance due to rising prices.

The charity organization, which has served 229,451 meals from January to July, recorded 9,271 recipients a day at its People's Food Bank.

Last year's figures showed 12,978 people relied on the food bank, and 287,519 meals served.

Food bank supervisor Connie Ng Man-yin believes the numbers will rise slightly until early 2009 if inflation persists.

About 47 percent of recipients are from low-income groups while 23.48 percent are from families that have encountered sudden change in their financial circumstances. Only 17.68 percent are unemployed, Ng said.

In addition, 45.97 percent are aged between 30 and 59, and 33 percent comprise children under 15.

Ng said the food bank is also feeling the effects of soaring food prices.

A food bank recipient, surnamed Wong, said her family has to buy rotten food to save money. Wong does not meet the food bank requirement because she is on government dole, but her daughter is receiving a four-week assistance.

The maximum eight-month relief for each recipient comprises 3 kilograms of rice, seven packs of noodles and seven cans of food a week for each recipient.

The recipients must be referred by social workers to the food banks.

Professor Nelson Chow Wing-sun of the Hong Kong University's department of social work and social administration said that instead of food banks, long-term policies should be enforced to help the "five-nays" people –– non-recipients of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (綜援), non-taxpayers, cubicle tenants unable to enjoy the electricity subsidy and rent reduction for public estates and those not qualified for the old age allowance (生果金).

"The food bank is only a provisional measure. The government should impose long-term policies to help these people," Chow said.

Beatrice Siu
The Standard, 9 September 2008