02/15/2026
As Chinese New Year approaches (or Lunar New Year if you prefer), the topic of “Prosperity” comes up a lot. As someone who didn’t grow up celebrating this holiday, I am curious about the traditions and how they compare to the modern day. Recently I learned that in some Cantonese-speaking communities it was custom for beggars and poor individuals to make the rounds during the second day of Chinese New Year. They would go to more wealthy households and shout 'Cai Shen dao!' (The God of Wealth has come!), to which the households would then bless them with “lucky money”. This (simplified) historic tradition is still carried out in modern times, but in different ways.
I was recently invited to come document a charity event sponsored by Lions Club International, the PAWE organization, and other local groups. Their goal was to give fresh veggies, food items, and other household essentials to low income families. What I witnessed was both beautiful and a bit heartbreaking. The scale of need in today’s economic duality was apparent. The turnout was overwhelming, which serves as a powerful reminder of how many families are quietly struggling.
Witnessing people's anxiety about feeling “food insecure” is a stark contrast to the commercial messaging of “prosperity” this time of year. So many of the ads in my feed suggest I need this or that to increase my prosperity, but this event reminded me of how fortunate I really am. I suspect that many of us live in this middle ground of feeling like we wished we had more, but we also realize that we could be doing worse.
What I experienced was beautiful as a whole. While the first few moments felt a bit chaotic, everyone was smiling by the time they made it to the end of the line as they left with things they needed and an Ang Pau.
I must admit that I hesitated to share some of these images because while everyone was taking photos and I was highly visible in my efforts to document the event, I also don’t wish to infringe on people who are coming to accept these donations. I am sharing this collection of photos in an effort to highlight the act of service and charity itself. My hope is that my photos of events like this inspire you, the viewer, to give of yourself, your time, and make donations when you can for those who are struggling in difficult economic times. Don’t do this because you think that this will bring you “luck” or “prosperity”, but because it’s the right thing to do. Random acts of kindness are their own reward.
