“苕”老板让老人吃上放心饭
Volunteer Starts Community Canteens for the Elderly
楚天都市报极目新闻记者 王佳文 通讯员 詹鸥 戴诗蒙 实习生 邬阳暄
翻译：孙静怡 严佳薇 Lisa M.K（湖北大学）
JIMU News Reporter: Wang Jiawen Correspondents: Zhan Ou, Dai Shimeng
Intern: Wu Yangxuan
Translators: Sun Jingyi, Yan Jiawei, Lisa M.K (Hubei University)
位于武汉市硚口区的荣东社区，七成以上居民是老年人。几年前，这个小区进行了一次大改造，专门为老人们搭建了新食堂。因为贴心的服务、好吃的饭菜、融洽的邻里关系，小区的老人们给这个食堂取名：幸福食堂。
Located in Wuhan’s Qiaokou District, the Rongdong Community has over 70% of its residents comprising of senior citizens. A few years ago, the community underwent a major facelift which saw the construction of a new canteen built specifically for the elderly. The courteous service, delectable meals, coupled with the close-knit community inspired the cafeteria’s nickname: “The Happy Canteen.”
何凡（左）在采购食材回来的路上向居民问好( 通讯员供图) He Fan (left) greets residents on the way back from purchasing ingredients
这家食堂的主理人名叫何凡，2020年开始在六角亭街道作为社工从事养老服务工作，为了更好地服务社区老年人，他开始管理起荣东和游艺两个社区的幸福食堂。作为两个社区食堂的大管家，买菜、做菜、打饭，他出工出力。为了让更多老人吃上放心饭，他不怕亏本，坚持“7元3个菜”、米饭管饱的低价，还上门为困难群体免费送上爱心餐。他风雨无阻、日复一日地用公益之心服务社区群众。不少老人评价他说：“苕得让人喜欢。”
He Fan manages this canteen. Since 2020, He has been working as a social worker in Liujiaoting Street, providing care services to seniors. In hopes of further serving the elderly in the community, he began managing the Happy Canteens in both Rongdong and Youyi communities. As the head of these two community canteens, he has to purchase the produce, prepare the dishes and serve too. He Fan insists on charging only “7 yuan for 3 dishes” with unlimited rice, and even delivers free meals to disadvantaged groups. Unfazed by the financial losses, He’s wish is to ensure more seniors have access to safe and reliable meals. Day after day, He Fan remains undeterred in his tireless efforts to serve the community out of a selfless heart. Many of the elderly have commented on him, saying: “He’s such a sweet fella.”
以敬老之心开设幸福食堂
Reverence for the Elderly Inspired Happy Canteen
8月31日中午，英东社区的幸福食堂，在后厨忙碌了一上午的何凡笑盈盈地站在窗口里，一边打饭，一边向前来用餐的的老人们问好。老人们笑着回应，拉起了家常，幸福的气氛弥漫在这个小小的幸福食堂里。
On the noon of August 31, at the Happy Canteen in Yingdong Community, He Fan, who had been busy in the kitchen all morning, stood at the counter with a beaming smile. As he dished out the food, he greeted the elderly diners, who responded with smiles and struck up casual conversations. An air of joy filled the small canteen.
何凡在窗口打饭 He Fan serving food at the counter
何凡来自浙江东阳，说话带着轻微的江浙口音，但他已是一名定居武汉20多年的“新武汉人”，原本一直从事互联网相关行业。近几年，对社会“大数据”进行分析后，他敏锐地看到许多地方社区养老的困难。出于帮助更多老年人安享晚年的初心，他转而进入养老服务行业。2020年，说干就干的何凡带着几位合伙人，于当年9月1日接手了第一家幸福食堂，即六角亭街道游艺社区的幸福食堂。
He Fan, originally from the eastern coastal province Zhejiang, speaks with a slight accent, despite spending the last 20 plus years in Wuhan after he left the tech world. In recent years, after analyzing overall societal trends,” he observed many communities faced challenges in caring for the elderly. Driven by a desire to help more elderly people enjoy their later years, he transitioned into the senior care industry. In 2020, He Fan, along with several business partners hit the ground running, taking over the first Happy Canteen, located in the Youyi Community of Liujiaoting Street, on September 1.
“我是一个喜欢与老人相处的人，大部分老年人都是可亲可爱的，跟他们相处我很舒心。”何凡说，“现在社会老龄化加快，养老产业的市场正不断扩大，而这个市场里老年人最迫切的需求之一，就是方便地吃上放心饭，社区食堂是最好的切入口。”
“I enjoy interacting with the elderly; most of them are kind and lovely, and I find being around them very comforting,” said He Fan. “The market for elderly care services is expanding, and one of the most urgent needs within the industry is accessible and reliable meals. Community canteens are a good start.”
接手游艺社区食堂之初，何凡的团队人手不足，除了一名炒菜的厨师，何凡和几名合伙人都要兼职帮厨。为了在上午11点之前完成百份盒饭的制作，平均每个人要洗菜、切菜三十多斤，还要做清洗餐具及消毒等工作，何凡表示，虽然工作量不是很多，但对于几个很少下厨的大老爷们，他们要忙活三四个小时才能勉强完成任务，每个人每天都是腰酸背痛。
At the inception of the Youyi Community Canteen, He Fan’s team was short staffed. Besides a chef responsible for preparing the dishes, He Fan and a few of his partners had to take on kitchen duties themselves. To prepare a hundred box meals before 11 a.m., each person had to wash and chop over 15 kilos of vegetables, clean dishes, and handle sanitation. He explained that while the workload was not excessive, for people who rarely cooked, it took them three to four hours to get a decent chunk of the tasks done, leaving them with sore backs and aching muscles daily.
团队早期的努力没有白费，何凡坚持为社区的老人们提供7元3个菜两荤一素的用餐服务，每份饭质优价廉分量大，且除春节以外全年无休，很快获得了社区群众的认可，游艺社区幸福食堂的名声渐渐大了起来。
The team’s earlier efforts paid off. He Fan’s commitment to providing the community’s seniors with a meal service—three dishes, including two meat dishes and one vegetable, for just seven yuan—was well-received. Each meal was high-quality, affordable, and generously portioned. Except for the Spring Festival, the meal service was available year-round, quickly earning the community’s approval and boosting the reputation of Youyi Community’s Happy Canteen.
2022年元宵节前后，六角亭街道荣东社区的社区食堂改造完成，即将开张运营。在六角亭街道和硚口区民政局的大力支持下，该食堂的场地及设施被免费给予何凡用来开设新的幸福食堂。虽然团队规模不断扩大，但何凡初心不变，继续提供7元3个菜，并保证每天六种菜品，三天之内菜品不重复，让更多老人吃上便宜的放心饭。到现在，何凡已是六角亭、古田、荣华、长丰等街道共5家幸福食堂及6家社区老年人服务中心的主理人，所有食堂的价格和品质始终未变。
Around the Lantern Festival in 2022, the community canteen in Rongdong Community, Liujiaoting Street, completed its renovation and was set for operations. With strong support from Liujiaoting Street and the Qiaokou District Civil Affairs Bureau, the venue and facilities were provided free of charge to He Fan for the establishment of a new Happy Canteen. Despite the growing size of the team, He Fan remained dedicated to his original mission, continuing to offer meals at seven yuan for three dishes. The team ensured there was a daily variety of six different dishes with no repetition within three days, which meant more seniors could enjoy affordable and safe meals. Currently, He Fan manages five Happy Canteens and six community senior service centers across Liujiaoting, Gutian, Ronghua, and Changfeng streets, and has maintained consistent prices and quality across all locations.
他是热心公益的“苕”老板
Renowned for his charitable spirit
“每年重阳节，六角亭街道内的两个幸福食堂就会针对孤寡老人、80岁以上高龄老人、空巢老人和残疾人送出爱心餐。”何凡说，“这些饭由社区工作者、食堂工作人员、热心助老服务队及热心群众分层分批地为街道内的老人们送出。
“Every year during the Chongyang Festival, the two Happy Canteens in Liujiaoting Street provide special meals for the elderly, including empty nesters, the disabled, or those over 80 years old.” He Fan continued, “These meals are distributed in phases by community workers, dining hall staff, dedicated eldercare teams, and volunteers.”
何凡在食堂后厨切菜 He Fan chopping vegetables in the kitchen
同时，在六角亭街道，每个月的6日是敬老日。每到这一天，何凡和幸福食堂团队都会主动了解特殊困难老人的生活情况，为老人提供日常家务服务，并在敬老日发放幸福食堂用餐优惠券。他们还会联系志愿服务者在敬老日为老人提供理发、洗脚、磨刀等志愿服务，方便老人们的生活。
Additionally, on the 6th of each month, Liujiaoting Street observes Senior Day. On this day, He Fan and the Happy Canteen team actively reach out and assess the living conditions of elderly individuals facing particular hardships, providing them with daily household services and distributing dining vouchers for the Happy Canteen. They also coordinate with volunteers to offer services such as haircuts, foot baths, and knife sharpening, further facilitating the daily lives of seniors.
何凡主理的社区养老服务中心也与幸福食堂紧密结合，为社区老年人提供助行、助洁、助餐、助疗等服务，依照不同服务场景提供多种类型的助老服务。老年人服务中心还与医疗机构建立合作，拥有了医养结合运营牌照，为社区内老人提供日常医疗服务，还制订了完备的及时送医程序，帮助解決社区老人的突发事件。
The community senior service centers managed by He Fan run hand in hand with the Happy Canteen, offering a range of services including assistance with mobility, cleaning, meals, and medical care, tailored to various needs. The senior service centers have also established partnerships with medical institutions and hold a combined medical and eldercare operation license. This allows them to provide routine medical services to local seniors and implement a comprehensive emergency medical delivery protocol to address unforeseen incidents in the community.
“可以说，何凡提供的这些公益服务覆盖了社区老年人的‘医食住行’需求。”荣东社区书记潘丽娟说，“何凡服务搞得好，对老人也和气，他走在社区里就是老人们最喜欢的那个‘苕伢’。”
“It’s safe to say that the public welfare services provided by He Fan cover all ‘medical, food, housing and transportation’ needs for the elderly in the community.” Pan Lijuan, secretary of Rongdong Community, said, “He Fan provides excellent services and is also kind to the elderly. When he walks through the community, to the seniors, they see him as their beloved ‘kiddo’.
荣东社区的陶爹爹经常低价吃到幸福食堂的饭，年老的他觉得自己无以为报，表示要把自己收藏了半生的书籍都捐给幸福食堂，建设社区食堂的读书角。80多岁的周婆婆因老伴离世搬离游艺社区，对幸福食堂一直念念不忘，不时与何凡联系问候。
In Rongdong Community, Grandpa Tao often eats at the Happy Canteen at a low price. Feeling that he has nothing to repay, he shared his plans to donate all the books he has collected over the course of his life to the Happy Canteen to build a reading corner in the community canteen. Grandma Zhou in her 80s moved out of Youyi Community after her husband passed away. For her the Happy Canteen still holds a dear place in her heart, which is why she contacts He Fan from time to time.
“老人们平时还会给我们团队买西瓜吃，其实只要真心对老人好，他们都能感受到，老人们暖心的反馈也让我们团队有把这个公益事业做下去的决心。”何凡说，“有人说我这么做很‘苕’，但我觉得我自己做的还不够。”
“The elderly always buy watermelons for our team. In fact, the elderly can sense the genuine kindness we show them. Such heartwarming feedback from the elderly also gives our team the determination to continue this good cause.” He Fan said, “Some people say that what I do is very ‘silly’, but I think there is still so much more I can do.”
物美价廉吸引年轻人光顾
Affordable prices attract young people
六角亭街道相关负责人告诉极目新闻记者，何凡为幸福食堂的运营制订了统一标准：每日6种菜品，同种类菜品统一定价。每份7元两荤一素的饭菜，食材成本就要4元-4.5元，人工成本还要另算，“每份饭不亏钱就已经很不错了”。
The director of Liujiaoting Sub-district told Jimu News that He Fan has implemented a uniform model throughout the Happy Canteens: six kinds of dishes available every day, with the same kind of dishes priced uniformly. A box meal of two meat dishes and one vegetable dish goes for 7 yuan, the cost of ingredients alone is 4 to 4.5 yuan, while the labor is a separate cost. “If one box meal doesn’t sell at a loss, that’s already a win.”
这样物美价廉的幸福食堂吸引了很多在荣东社区周边写字楼和商圈上班的年轻人的注意，每天午餐来用餐的年轻人占到了 30%。根据这一情况，何凡开始灵活经营。除了保持7元3个菜的服务不变外，还拓展了小碗菜、送餐、订餐等服务。小碗菜每天不重样，有香辣基围虾、粉蒸肉、黄焖圆子、糖醋排骨、辣子鸡丁等，价格最低的25元，最高的45元，主要吸引对菜品口味有要求的年轻人消费。“我们的小碗菜分量很足，比如一碗粉蒸肉至少够吃两顿。”何凡说。
Drawn by its affordability, Happy Canteen has also caught the attention of many young people working in nearby office buildings and business districts within Rongdong Community. Young workers who have lunch there every day account for 30%. Faced with the influx, He Fan began adapting his business model. In addition to providing three dishes for 7 yuan, he launched individually portioned dishes, expanded to include services such as food delivery, and took on large orders. The single menu items, which vary every day, include spicy prawns, steamed pork with rice flour, braised meatballs, sweet and sour pork ribs, spicy diced chicken, and many more. The price ranges from 25 to 45 yuan, with the target audience being young people with specific flavor preferences. “Our single menu items are very generous in portion. For example, a bowl of steamed pork with rice flour is enough for at least two meals.” He Fan said.
多样的经营方式不仅让就餐者有了更多的用餐选择，多出的利润也可以补贴7元3菜套餐的花销，达到收支平衡、良性循环，让幸福食堂的持续经营多一份保障。
By diversifying their business, not only are diners offered more choices, but the extra profit can also offset the expense of the 7 yuan box meal for the elderly. This virtuous cycle and ultimately balanced cashflow will be an additional guarantee for the continuous operation of the Happy Canteen.
何凡说：“现在幸福食堂的运营还是离不开硚口区民政局的补贴和六角亭街道的帮扶。未来，我们将继续创新经营模式，开拓附近办公区的‘白领市场’，并开发养生、中药膳食服务，借鉴江浙地区智慧食堂的管理模式，为老年人提供更好的食堂服务。”
He Fan stated, “The Happy Canteen is currently still in inseparable from the subsidy of Qiaokou District Civil Affairs Bureau and the assistance of Liujiaoting Sub-district. In the future, we will continue to embrace innovative business models, open up the ‘white-collar market’ in nearby office areas, and develop dietary services that incorporate traditional Chinese medicine. Drawing inspiration from the management model of smart canteens in Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, we hope to provide better catering services for the elderly.”