The Great Cold marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Today we welcome the Great Cold, the last solar term of winter, signifying the coldest time of the year. At this time, the cold is extreme, and the earth is frozen. Health preservation requires "storing heat to ward off the cold and nourishing kidney qi." The diet should be warm and nourishing, with the addition of spicy ingredients to promote blood circulation, preparing for the arrival of spring.

In December, the damp, cold wind of Hong Kong penetrates through clothing. While we are all adding layers to keep warm, street cleaners, security guards, and homeless people are silently braving the cold to work or live their lives.

The colder the weather, the more urgent the body's need for heat. Although we mostly offer simple bread, in the cold wind, this energy-rich food can satisfy an empty stomach and transform into the body's power to resist the cold.

Thank you to the volunteers who braved the low temperatures and worked tirelessly throughout the month. It is you who personally delivered these "energy supplies" to those in need, ensuring that the neighborhood doesn't have to go hungry to withstand the cold winter.

Winter is not over yet, and we need more "warmth-bringers"! Please register to become a volunteer now. Your contribution can help us save food more efficiently and shorten the time our neighbors have to wait for food in the cold wind.

This proposal suggests that the "regional food resource sharing" model be institutionalized in the 2026-27 fiscal budget. Through regular funding, space planning, tax incentives, inter-agency collaboration, and community nutrition support, the excess food generated daily in markets and retail outlets can be transformed into community capital.

Our practical experience shows that every 1 yuan of public funds invested can generate a social return on investment (SROI) of 6.5 yuan, making it the most cost-effective tool for targeted poverty alleviation and waste reduction policies.

Meanwhile, drawing on the successful experience of the 24-hour "food bank" in Futian District, Shenzhen, it is demonstrated that if the government provides incentives such as public welfare labeling, tax deductions for donations, and honorary awards, it can effectively enhance corporate participation and form a stable food resource recycling network.

Last month, we held a seminar at Two Harbour Square in Kwun Tong – “Food Saving and Environmental Protection Practice: From Excess Food to Social Action”, to discuss with tenants and business representatives that food saving is not only an environmental action, but also a social responsibility and a way to connect with people.

Hong Kong discards over 3,000 metric tons of food daily, while approximately one million people suffer from food insecurity.

Today is the twenty-third solar term of the twenty-four solar terms, "Minor Cold," and also the fifth solar term of winter. As the saying goes, "Minor Cold and Major Cold, cold enough to freeze into a ball of ice," at this time the north wind is biting, and the temperature difference between day and night is large, making it the coldest time of the year. It is advisable to warm and nourish the body, dispel cold, and moisturize the kidneys.

Looking back at last month, students from Ma On Shan Tsung Tsin Secondary School stepped out of the classroom and transformed from energetic students into environmental recyclers, participating in two market recycling experiences and personally experiencing the true meaning of "cherishing food"!

Learning through experience: Recycling is not easy at all; pushing carts, weighing, sorting... all require hands-on work. Through this process, students understood that recycling still-edible vegetables is not only environmentally friendly, but also reduces the impact on the environment.