Food bank assists 2,900 struggling residents

Caritas Macau’s short-term food assistance service has received around 2,900 requests from January to August this year, a similar figure compared to the same period last year, secretary-general Paul Pun told the Times.

Pun said Caritas had received around 4,700 requests for help in 2021, with 3,022 requests occurring from January to August.

“Although there were the same number of requests, in August this year the food bank’s services were suspended for a period due to coronavirus outbreaks,” said the secretary-general.

Pun said that, despite the fact that food bank services were suspended in August, if people requested help in an emergency, Caritas would still help them.

While the food bank mainly distributes food, Pun added, it would also refer people needing help to other services provided by Caritas while distributing the food.

Individuals whose applications had been approved could receive 10 weeks of food assistance if they needed it, and could make one further application within the calendar year.

Speaking on whether people’s lives had improved in Macau, Pun said “Life is harder under the pandemic, and we have received more and more requests.”

He said that, with the recurrence of outbreaks in the past few years, and the social economy getting worse, people’s lives are harder compared to the past.

Food deliveries enable isolated people to have contact with others and to save money. Therefore, Pun said, they could easily develop emotional and mental health problems.

The food service’s was designed to alleviate the difficulties of the needy and those on a low-income, to encourage and support them, and to call on society to be aware of the problem of poverty. 

Additionally, Caritas was entrusted by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) to launch a food assistance plan for people who are involuntary separated from their work, people could apply personally for help, Pun said.

The food assistance plan targets people unemployed since January 1 this year, who received 90-days of unemployment allowance distributed by the IAS, and who are still in involuntary separation from work, and who have not received any assistance from the bureau recently.

People were able to submit the required documents to four food assistance services stations from May 16 to December 31 this year.

At present, 514 people have applied for the food assistance plan.

Staff Reporter