It was about 10 years ago when I met Vanessa Hwang. I distinctly remember the meeting because she was describing a childhood story about her father. He was a passionate man and believed that no one should go hungry. Sometimes that meant strangers sat at their dinner table and ate a hot meal with them and other times it meant he would buy hot meals for those in need. To him, everyone had a narrative. No matter what their situation was he was going to make sure they had a hot meal, given with a smile.
Fast forward to the end of 2001, and Vanessa saw a need in the community and wanted to fill it. Foodlink Foundation was founded to serve people who were vulnerable to hunger. This included children, the elderly, low-income families, asylum seekers, and homeless people who were at high-risk of experiencing starvation.
Remembering her father’s example she couldn't turn her head. She said that “each new day brings new and exciting challenges as we aim to expand the number of hot meals we can provide into every district of Hong Kong. Just like my father, we continue to Replace Hunger with a Smile!”
Today, Foodlink collects safe-to-eat surplus food from F&B outlets all over the city and delivers to those in need. The benefits are twofold — while reducing hunger, Foodlink also reduces the pressure on Hong Kong’s landfills.
I appreciate and support the work my friend is doing. She is dedicated and fulfills an important need in the HK community. Take a peek at this short video to see for yourself.
To learn about the variety of ways you can support Foodlink's Mission, please visit:
