Meal tokens just the ticket in charity campaign
Updated: 2016-05-27 11:58
By Xinhua in Urumqi(China Daily USA)
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A cashier posts meal tokens on a magnetic wall in a noodle restaurant in Xinjiang’s regional capital Urumqi. The tokens, prepaid by voluntary customers, can be used by the disadvantaged to buy food in the restaurant, a practice particularly prevalent in the region. Wang Fei / Xinhua |
Chinese restaurants are feeding the needy with a scheme that lets customers buy meal tokens for the disadvantaged.
The "Meals on the Wall" charity drive sees restaurateurs establish a bank of prepaid tokens, which can be used to buy food in the participating restaurant.
It is particularly prevalent in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where it has been promoted by Yalkhun Osman, a retiree in regional capital Urumqi.
"More than 100 restaurants in Xinjiang have joined our scheme, and nationwide, the number has topped 200," said Osman, who estimates that about 45,000 coupons have been exchanged for meals across the country.
The project was inspired by the "Coffee on the Wall" concept, which allows coffee house customers to pay for strangers' beverages.
Osman explained that the restaurants dip into their own pockets for some of the coupons, while charity groups and customers have also been paying for them.
"This is an easy type of charity that anyone can join in with," he said.
Bayinhanggai is a restaurant serving Mongolian food in Urumqi. In the past few months, it has served Meals on the Wall worth 6,000 yuan ($921).
Located near three hospitals, the eatery gets a lot of customers who are facing expensive medical bills.
"I asked doctors and nurses to spread the news about Meals on the Wall at my restaurant, and gradually more people came," said Bayinhanggai owner Wang Qiyuan.
"Many people who took up the offer had been eating only baked flat bread for days. The scheme helped them to have a better diet."
Claimants of meal vouchers also include migrant workers and young homeless musicians, he added.
However, there are concerns that social stigma is keeping some from accepting the charity gesture.
"Only one customer has accepted a free meal in the past month," said a member of staff with the Xinmingdong rice cake restaurant in Urumqi.
But for Osman, the project is not just about feeding the needy.
"It's not about how much you spend or claim, but rather about encouraging more generosity in society," he said.
At Urumqi restaurant Xiahezhati, several migrant workers who used the vouchers came back to buy meals for others after they received their pay.
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