Decade-long breakfast project warms hearts and winter mornings

Zhang Changqin (left) hands a bowl of porridge to a sanitation worker in Yuncheng, Shanxi province, on April 15. HU ZENGCHUN/FOR CHINA DAILY

At 4 am, the predawn air in Yanhu district of Yuncheng is still thick with darkness. Dotted across the quiet streets of the city in Shanxi province, sanitation workers in reflective vests move purposefully, the rhythmic swish of brooms cutting through the silence.

A few kilometers away, the lights in the kitchen of the Yanhu District Volunteer Association already blaze brightly.

This year marks the association's 10th anniversary in providing free hot breakfasts to these hardworking men and women who sweep the streets clean, a testament to an unwavering commitment and heartfelt generosity.

Since its founding, an estimated 60,000 volunteers have rotated through the kitchen, serving more than 270,000 meals.

"It was a cold morning 10 years ago that deeply moved me," said Zhang Changqin, the 51-year-old initiator of the free breakfast project and president of the association.

"To complete their first-round cleaning before 7 am, these workers were forced to eat cold, hard buns in the freezing winter. It really broke my heart. So, I just considered preparing hot dishes and soup for them, to give them a warm meal."

The project's early days were fraught with financial uncertainty. Operating on a shoestring budget of just a few thousand yuan, the team barely had enough capital to survive their first two months.

"I always believed that there were many kind-hearted people. As long as we continued to do it earnestly, we would definitely find a way," Zhang said.

Slowly but surely, more and more volunteers from the community joined the team.

Cui Xiuhui, a 32-year-old mother, joined the team after learning about the project from a neighbor. "I wanted to do my part," she said. "I genuinely wanted to help. This free breakfast is like the first ray of sunshine in the city's morning."

Over the past decade, the initiative has evolved from an ad-hoc group of individuals making spontaneous donations into a highly organized, sustainable operating model that pairs community volunteers with local corporate sponsorships.

The daily operation is meticulously organized. Volunteers prepare all the raw ingredients the afternoon before.

The next morning, at 4 am, the fire is lit and the rice porridge is cooked. By 5 am, the hot dishes are ready.

At 6 am, breakfast is transported to distribution points by food carts, and by 7:30 am, the used tableware is collected and washed.

This level of care has fundamentally changed the daily lives of the district's sanitation workforce.

"We get hot dishes and soup every day and even thoughtful things like warm water to wash our faces," said 63-year-old sanitation worker Li Weichan. "Eating warmly makes us work even harder."

For fellow worker Guo Hongyuan, the true impact lies in the details. "Knowing that older people like us have high blood pressure, they intentionally replaced the salted pickles with lighter radish dishes. This consideration and dedication make our hearts feel especially warm."

Zhang (center) and other volunteers serve breakfast to sanitation workers in Yuncheng's Yanhu district on Feb 17. JIN YUMIN/FOR CHINA DAILY

The gratitude has triggered a unique cycle of reciprocity. Many sanitation workers now routinely donate fresh vegetables from their own personal gardens back to the kitchen.

One worker, Yan Shengqin, has even become a kitchen volunteer on her days off, actively preparing meals for her own colleagues.

The project would not be possible without the strong support of local businesses.

"We have been providing fixed assistance to the project since 2022, and have continued to support it for four years now," said Guo Hengshuai, general manager of a local enterprise.

"We value that the free breakfast is truly doing practical things for the people. A group of people has been sticking to doing a meaningful thing for 10 years, and this kind of public welfare atmosphere is extremely contagious," he added.

Guo hopes that more social forces will pay attention and help more people in need.

The local government has also moved to institutionalize the model. The social work department of the Yanhu district government recently upgraded the association's operation center, supplying new industrial kitchen equipment, tables, chairs and volunteer uniforms.

"We've actively promoted and publicized the project, helping the project be rated as one of the top 100 excellent volunteer service projects in the country, and further expanding the influence of public welfare," said Chai Shanwei, deputy director of the department.

For Zhang, the lesson from the past decade is simple: focus on the immediate need first, and let consistency build the movement. With the breakfast program stabilized, the association has expanded its reach, currently managing eight distinct community welfare projects targeting vulnerable children and senior citizens across Yuncheng.

Zhang Ao contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn