深圳福田目前使用22台櫃式自助機提供食物發放服務，市民可以通過“i深圳”App進行預約領取。這項服務主要面向有特殊需要或需要關照的群體，而普通人則可以在晚上8點後通過掃碼方式領取食物。這種做法表面上類似西方社會的“食物銀行”模式，即為生活困難者提供基本的食物保障，但其運作方式和社會背景卻存在顯著差異。

西方的食物銀行理念是建立在“社會兜底”思路之上，即確保任何陷入生存困境的人都能獲得最低生活保障。而在中國，尤其是在深圳及廣大城市社會中，普遍存在“不養懶漢”的觀念，社會價值取向偏向“成王敗寇”，對無條件的社會救助普遍缺乏文化認同和習慣。這導致真正的食物銀行或慈善救助行為，往往只在大災年或重大事件中才會出現，而日常中則較少。

儘管如此，深圳福田的食物銀行以及“福田M餐”計畫仍是在民政部門指導下設立的，受助者的資格認定依然沿用民政系統的標準，包括特困戶、困難戶、低保戶等，不同群體享有不同的食物領取權限。這些群體因本身已納入政府保障範圍，一般不會出現完全無法溫飽的情況。然而，對於那些游離在保障系統之外的人而言，情況則更加困難。他們當中許多人沒有手機，甚至沒有身份證，自然也無法享受到食物銀行提供的便利和救助資格。

總體而言，深圳福田的食物銀行在保障低收入及特困人群基本生活需求方面發揮一定作用，但同時也反映中國社會對公益救助的制度性與文化性限制：救助主要針對已有政府保障的人群，而最脆弱、最難被制度涵蓋的人群，仍然面臨獲得資源困難的現實問題。這種現象揭示社會福利制度與民間慈善之間的落差，也反映城市運作中對“最低保障”理念的特定理解和實踐方式。

Futian has set up 22 self-service food cabinets, through which residents can collect food by making reservations via the “iShenzhen” app. This service primarily targets groups with special needs or those requiring assistance, while ordinary residents can scan a QR code to collect food after 8 PM. On the surface, this resembles the Western concept of a “food bank,” which aims to provide basic food security for those in survival difficulty, but the operation and social context differ significantly.

Food banks in the West are based on the idea of a social safety net, ensuring that anyone in survival difficulty can obtain basic necessities. In contrast, in China, particularly in Shenzhen and other major cities, there is a prevailing mindset of “not supporting the lazy,” and societal values often emphasize success or failure (“winner takes all”). Unconditional social assistance is therefore culturally less accepted, and charitable practices like free food distribution typically appear only during major disasters rather than as a routine measure.

Nonetheless, Shenzhen Futian’s food bank and the “Futian M-Meal” program are established under the guidance of the civil affairs department, and eligibility for assistance follows official civil affairs criteria. This includes specific categories such as “special hardship households,” “difficult households,” and “low-income households,” each with distinct access to food resources. Since these groups are already covered under government welfare programs, they generally do not face situations of extreme food insecurity. However, people who fall outside the formal welfare system face greater difficulties. Many of them do not have mobile phones or even identification cards, which prevents them from accessing the food bank’s services and assistance.

Overall, the Futian food bank plays a role in ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged groups can meet their basic food needs. At the same time, it reflects the structural and cultural limitations of social assistance in China: aid primarily targets those already covered by government welfare, while the most vulnerable populations, who are not formally recognized within the system, often struggle to obtain resources. This situation highlights the gap between social welfare systems and grassroots charitable initiatives, and reflects the specific interpretation and practice of the “minimum safety net” concept in urban China.