Forkfuls of charity

Maovember raises cash for disadvantaged families with bar games, donations, pin sales, wine tastings and more. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chi Fan for Charity, founded in 2009 by Michael Crain with a mission of giving back to the Beijing community, has so far donated 4.2 million yuan to local beneficiaries, with 100 percent of table proceeds going directly to designated charities. This year's campaign will support the Dandelion School for migrant children and the Starfish Project, a social enterprise that provides trafficked and exploited women and their children with shelter, counseling, access to healthcare, educational opportunities, child education grants and vocational training.

The German holiday bazaar has raised hundreds of thousands of yuan for various charities in its 21-year history, while Maovember bar events took off like a rocket last year, netting more than 80,000 yuan－enough to pay for more than 100 cataract surgeries in rural China. This year's beneficiaries are Library Project for migrant schools and Goodworks, an organization that provides vocational training for orphans and adults with mental disabilities.

More modest efforts have proved sustainable, too.

This weekend's Beijing Foodies benefit at Sulyi not only gave guests a chance to see a sleek new restaurant ahead of its formal opening on Nov 8, it raised more than 7,600 yuan from the 80 guests who attended.

Beijing Foodies was founded several years ago by XiXi Cheng. It's currently run by dining blogger Kristin Lum, who took it over about three years ago. The monthly dinners support a new charity each time. "We're always up for new dining adventures and keen to support community events," says Lum.