HOMELESS people in Huangpu District are being offered free meals twice a day thanks to a charitable initiative launched by a local restaurant.

Run by the Shanghai Huangpu Philanthropy Federation — a nonprofit organization — the Futianyuan eatery opened on May 10 and now attracts about 300 paying customers a day.

Regular patrons are charged 28 yuan (US$4.50) for a vegetarian buffet meal, but signs dotted about the place also offer them a chance to buy a voucher for a second meal, which can later be claimed by someone who might otherwise go hungry.