N Haidu all-media reporter Chen Yizhi/text Mao Chaoqing/picture
At 11 a.m. on April 24, in the elderly canteen of Dajia Community, located in Xujia Village, Jingxi Town, Minhou County, community volunteers warmly greeted the elderly who came to eat.
In recent years, the problem of "empty nesters" has attracted public attention. In order to improve this situation, in 2022, the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government included the construction of canteens for the elderly as a practical project for the people, and subsidized the construction of 1,000 demonstration canteens for the elderly for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024. During this period, canteens for the elderly also appeared in rural areas to help the elderly living alone in the village to eat heart-warming meals.
"The food in the cafeteria is clean and affordable"
On the morning of the 24th, when the reporter came to the canteen for the elderly in Dajia Community, Minhou County, there were already two or three elderly people queuing up to buy food at the canteen window.
Old people are queuing up to buy food
Mr. Chen, 54, lives with his 90-year-old father, Chen Yibo, and when the meal is approaching, Mr. Chen will bring his lunch box to the Dajia Community Elderly Canteen to eat. Dajia community staff told reporters that Chen Yibo is a "loyal fan" of the elderly canteen, and once thundered every day and "cheered" on time. As he grew older, Chen Yibo's legs and feet were inconvenient to go out, so he asked his son to pack. "The food in the cafeteria is clean and affordable, and there are many dishes, which my dad likes and saves me time in cooking. Mr. Chan said that it was only a five-minute walk from his home to the canteen, and the dining experience was very good.
It is understood that the permanent population of Dajia community is about 1,340 people, and about 560 elderly people have joined the community elderly association. "The number of diners fluctuates around twenty to thirty people a day, and most of the elderly eat their lunch and dinner here. "Depending on the combination of meat and vegetables, meals in the canteen range from 10 yuan to 15 yuan. According to the staff, the dishes in the canteen are close to the local taste of Fuzhou, and the dishes are softer when cooking, striving to make the old people feel at ease and happy.
The old people were full of praise
Lin Yibo, who was eating in the cafeteria, gave a thumbs up: "This canteen is 'good', and you can eat a lot for only ten yuan per meal." Lin Yibo is over 70 years old, his children are away from the village to work, and he needs to spend half an hour at noon to buy vegetables and cook rice, a series of processes that are very cumbersome for the elderly. After the completion of the elderly canteen, Lin Yibo's dining problem was solved. He showed reporters his lunch today: stir-fried cauliflower, stir-fried bean curd with fungus, and spicy stir-fried pork liver, accompanied by a bowl of tomato egg soup and white rice. The hot meal soothed the stomach and heart of every old man.
In addition to food and beverage services, cultural and sports facilities are also open to the elderly
In addition to the meal service, Dajia Community has also built a gateball court and a table tennis room near the open space behind the canteen to facilitate cultural and sports activities for the elderly in the village.
During the reporter's visit, I saw that several community workers and elderly people who were active were talking. "We have a place to play, and these staff have a place to find us and care about us, and they are familiar with us!" said the old man with a smile. The construction of elderly canteens in rural areas not only extends home care services, but also meets the social needs of the elderly, and closely connects the relationship between the community and the elderly.
Editor: Shi Shi