Caritas Macau extends Food Bank service

Caritas secretary general Paul Pun

Caritas Macau has announced that it is extending its Food Bank program to Coloane and Taipa. According to Caritas’ secretary general, Paul Pun, over 4,000 individuals from all over Macau have benefited from the service since it was first introduced three years ago.
The short-term food assistance program is now being revamped, Paul Pun revealed to TDM: “We wish to develop the service for Coloane and Taipa residents, because, in the past, Coloane and Taipa have shared only a small portion of the food packets.”
Caritas is also looking for places in Coloane and Taipa to house food distribution centers. The institution also intends to allow more access to the service, including having more individuals benefit from the food packets. “Children of low-income families and senior citizens also need the Food Bank service,” said Pun.
He added that Caritas is working on improving the quality of the food provided, and offering different types of food- stuffs to families, infants and to the elderly. The Food Bank has been managed by Caritas since September 2011.
Caritas has been facing a staff shortage and is now inviting families to join its homecare service training program. The plan is to strengthen family care and to teach caretakers to help the elderly. “[For example,] A daughter may not know how to care for her mother, so we teach and train her in the role of caretaker,” Paul Pun said.