Tuesday, July 31, 2007
2HJ delivers food to women and children
Among the various recipients of 2HJ food deliveries, there is a privately run shelter for women and children. This shelter admits female victims of domestic violence or human trafficking as well as women who have become homeless due to various circumstances. Because of the imminent danger of relentless pursuit by their husbands, it is not possible to disclose the shelter’s address, name, or other details.
The shelter mother, a talented cook, prepares a nutritious meal three times a day. Depending on what she receives from 2HJ’s fortnightly delivery, she comes up with a custom tailored menu. If for example she receives the same vegetable in large quantities, she uses techniques such as pickling to guarantee that not a single item is wasted.
“We can afford the daily groceries we need, but thanks to 2HJ we are able to provide a more diverse menu,” a staff member explains. Furthermore, for institutions like this one, that rarely receive any government support and rely heavily on members’ donations to keep operating, “Being able to save tens of thousands of yen on our monthly food budget really helps us a lot. Instead, we can spend that money on baby formula, diapers, and other items.”
Here, food is a means of support not only to the body, but also to the minds of the sheltered. Whether they were restricted by a violent husband or by financial hardship, many of them had not been free to eat what they liked best for a long time. “They look beyond happy,” says the staff, “to have so much food in front of them and to be told, ‘It’s your choice. Eat whatever you like.’”
The shelter’s “graduates,” i.e., those who find an apartment and start an independent life, can choose to take part in 2HJ`s Harvest Pantry, which sends them urgently needed food items through a parcel delivery service. Since almost all of them are living their lives relying on public welfare, food is something a single mother with growing kids is always “grateful to receive—every little bit helps.”
Additionally, Fujimamas, a restaurant located in Omotesando, prepares a free meal once a week for the women living in the shelter. A 2HJ volunteer picks the meals up and delivers them without failure, even during New Year’s or Obon. The women are all happily looking forward to this weekly event and wondering, “What kind of dinner will we get today?”
From the staff’s explanations, I have come to realize that food is not only something that fills one’s stomach: For these women, who have encountered hard experiences, food is also a modest support that encourages them to recover their dignity and independence.
Writer: Etsuko Ohara
Photo: Patricia Decker
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