Businessmen provide sanitation workers with free breakfast

Sanitation workers enjoy their breakfast at a breakfast supply site in Shuangcheng district of Harbin on Sept 5. [Photo/MY399.COM] 

A nonprofit organization started by a businessman in Shuangcheng district of Harbin is providing sanitation workers with free breakfast in Harbin city, Harbin Daily reported.

Seven breakfast supply sites in Shuangcheng district, such as Shizijie Square and the Ninth Primary School, are frequently visited by sanitation workers working in neighboring areas from 6:30 am to 7 am, since these provide them with free breakfasts.

“I never imagined us getting free breakfast,” said a sanitation worker while enjoying his breakfast at a free breakfast supply site.

The free breakfast plan started about two months ago, when Sun Jialiang, a businessman in Shuangcheng district, found that an elderly sanitation worker was cleaning the street with her grandson without having breakfast.

Sanitation workers’ working condition troubled Sun Jialiang. “The woman told me that almost all the sanitation workers start their day-long work without having any breakfast”, said Sun Jialiang, “Before I did not realize that their work is so painstaking”, Sun added.

About two months ago, Sun started the free breakfast plan for sanitation workers, with the help of two other businessmen and the employees in his company.

Sanitation workers can enjoy porridge, steamed bun and pickle at seven different sites.

About 1,000 steamed buns and porridge weighing 50 kilograms are provided for about 800 sanitation workers every day. Employees in Sun Jialiang’s company serve as volunteers to cook meals and wash dishes for the sanitation workers.

The cost for one day’s breakfast is about 1,000 yuan ($153.34). As of Sept 6, Sun and his friends have spent over 70,000 yuan on the plan. Sun expressed that they would continue the plan into the foreseeable future.