This month’s theme of giving back is one that’s near and dear to my heart. For over two years now my friends and I have formed our own little do-gooder group. We’re not registered and we don’t have an official name – we’re a 100 percent grassroots group.
It started a few years ago when I saw on my friend’s WeChat Moments that she went out to deliver hot meals to homeless people. I contacted her and got in touch with the then organizer Fiona who, like the rest of the group, has a completely unrelated day job and does charity work in her free time. I tagged along with her one night, and since then I’ve recruited my close friend Michael Tsai and we’ve taken over her homeless “route,” which she was more than happy to hand over – allowing her more time to help the homeless in other places in the city.
Unknown and ignored by many, there are a number of homeless men and women living in the back alleys by the train station. During the day some beg for money, while others sell instant noodles and tissues to travelers to make a little bit of cash. At night, they curl up under layers of rags to protect themselves from the elements.
Their weathered faces and stories of their rough past are heartbreaking. Some were abused. Some, cast out by their families. Many of them are elderly women who are living their golden years on the streets – facing all the dangers that come with this life.
One of the grannies has become our favorite. Despite being homeless, she still has a positive outlook on life and helps others in need. She sells instant noodles and tissues during the day and looks out for other homeless women whom she calls her sisters. We watched her as she adopted a tiny puppy which was thrown away by owners who discovered at the last minute they couldn’t bring a dog onto the train. We watched as she gave her warm hard-boiled eggs to the puppy instead of eating them herself, and we watched as her heart broke when the puppy got lost months later.
So for the last two years Tsai and I have been inviting any friend who wants to join to come along with us when we visit the homeless. Each of these grannies has got their own story, and none of them has a happy ending. Unintentionally Tsai and I have created our own mantra for why we visit them on a regular basis. “We’re not looking to make any national impact or even city wide impact, but if we can help make the life of even one elderly homeless person just a tad bit easier, it’s worth it.”
Once every other week we head out with hot meals and daily necessities in hand to make our round. The smiles on the faces of the grannies and uncles when they see us coming makes it all worthwhile. We don’t only want to bring them food, we want to act as reminders that there are people out there who care about them and that they matter.
One of the questions that I get asked the most is “how do I help”? It’s simple. There are people in need all around the city. You don’t need to join any official organization or group (though we wholeheartedly welcome anyone who want to join us on our visits). My advice is to think small scale. Instead of trying to tackle the entire poverty issue as a whole, start by just helping one person and go from there.
This article appeared in the beijingkids December 2019 Giving Back issue
