Canteens fill empty stomachs and hearts
Liu Zongyan, 88, walks to have lunch with fellow senior citizens in a canteen a few minutes from his home, where they are served by volunteers.
“My son and daughter-in-law are both doctors and are always busy,” he said. “They worry that I may forget to switch off the gas when cooking. They are relieved because the canteen serves healthy food and the volunteers are friendly.”
The canteen in Liurong Street in Guangzhou, capital of South China’s Guangdong province, is one of 952 for seniors in the city, covering many streets and communities.
Guangzhou, with 1.61 million registered elderly residents. China has 241 million people age 60 or older, accounting for 17.3 percent of the total population, according to the Office of the National Working Commission on Aging. A survey of 1,020 senior citizens in Guangzhou found that difficulty with lunch is their biggest problem.
Liu said he has enjoyed lunch at the canteen since it was established almost five years ago. It now receives up to 300 orders a day and caters to a wide range of dietary preferences among the community’s senior citizens, who account for nearly 20 percent of the local population.
“The meals are specially made for the elderly. Our main cooking methods are steaming and stewing, and we use little oil and salt,” said Zou Yuehong, who is in charge of the canteen.
Wang Fujun, director of the city’s social organization administration, said the canteens are especially helpful to seniors who are widowed, disabled or live alone.
The Guangzhou government started the convenient catering services for senior citizens in 2006. The meals are partly funded by government subsidies and donations and the caterers accept lower profits, meaning a senior citizen only needs to pay 9 yuan ($1.35) at most for a meal that costs 15 yuan to make.
Various activities are held at the canteens to provide the elderly with opportunities to chat and form friendships. “I feel lonely at home,” said Liu, who has been widowed for years. “But at the canteen, I have friends.”