Every grain of rice helps! Join Wellcome and Foodlink in helping the needy and alleviating food waste
For many this time of year is a season of plenty, eagerly anticipated for special festive feasts with family and friends. But for others, the struggle to have enough to eat is a battle they fight year round. To help those in need, Wellcome has partnered with Foodlink to launch the Rice Donation Charity Programme. In the next 12 months, for every kilogram of Yu Pin King rice sold, Wellcome has pledged to donate $0.50 to Foodlink, with a goal of raising $5,000,000 to help those who are food insecure in Hong Kong.
Wellcome Rice Donation Charity Programme: How does it work
Founded in 1945, Wellcome is Hong Kong’s longest established supermarket chain and, as such, is committed to supporting communities in Hong Kong. The company is grounded in the belief that small actions can create massive changes in society, and that a collective effort can lead to an even greater impact. Through the Rice Donation Charity Programme, Wellcome hopes to inspire customers to come together through their contributions to provide for the needy in Hong Kong.
As a common greeting of welcome, the phrase 食咗飯未 (which literally means, “Have you eaten rice yet?”) demonstrates that Hong Kongers care for one other and are concerned for each other’s wellbeing. Indeed, as rice is the most important food that everyone needs, Foodlink often uses this greeting when meeting with other NGO partners and beneficiaries, and it is the inspiration for Wellcome’s Rice Donation Charity Programme.
In addition to donating $0.50 for every kilogram of Yu Pin King rice sold in a 12-month period, Wellcome has also organised ‘Double Up Days.’ On the first day of every month, Wellcome will double the donations from $0.50 to $1 for each kilogram of Yu Ping King rice sold. Furthermore, in honour of three important Chinese festivals—Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Winter Solstice—where families traditionally reunite for meals together, Wellcome will organise ‘Festive Feast Up’ days where the donations will again be doubled to $1 per kilogram of Yu Pin King rice sold. Additionally, Wellcome will also offer ‘You Buy One We Donate One’ campaigns for selected premium food products from the Yu Pin King range where one product will be donated for every one product sold.
Foodlink: Replacing hunger with a smile
Founded in 2001, Foodlink Foundation is a registered Hong Kong charity dedicated to fighting hunger, building self-sufficiency, and fostering nutritional wellness among those in need, while simultaneously reducing food waste in hotels and food and beverage (F&B) outlets in Hong Kong.
Currently, over 1.6 million people live below the poverty line in Hong Kong. To ensure that every needy person has access to a hot, healthy meal, every single day, Foodlink is dedicated to connecting the food supply directly to the demand. To do this, Foodlink collects safe-to-eat surplus food from F&B outlets all over the city and delivers it to those in need. By reducing food waste, Foodlink reduces hunger as well as also reducing the pressure on Hong Kong’s landfills.
How to help
With over 280 stores in Hong Kong—and a staff of around 8,700 serving more than 16 million customers a month—it couldn’t be easier to participate in the Rice Donation Charity Programme. Just head to your nearest Wellcome store and shop from the full range of Yu Pin King’s 12 rice products, all of which are eligible for the donation scheme.
Wellcome has multiple locations in Hong Kong