Sanctuary of hope: Two-table canteen heals mental wounds

Jiaozi and tofu pudding are the best-selling foods in the canteen. [Photo provided by Luo Yuhua] 

An unassuming canteen, tucked behind a gas station, is shielded from the noisy, busy main road by hedges and fences. With just two tables, it's not a place for customers but a sanctuary for its staff members with mental health challenges. 

This is Van Gogh Healing Canteen, which was established by Luo Yuhua, director of Yukang Home, a community psychiatric rehabilitation program supported by the local government. The canteen was opened to provide purpose and community to those struggling with mental health issues, starting with the Wei couple. 

The couple were shattered by the loss of their only son, who died at the age of 19. In 2022, Luo visited their home and found Mrs Wei making tofu pudding, a favorite food of her late son. Recognizing an opportunity to help the couple channel their grief, Luo invited them to sell tofu pudding at Yukang Home. This small initiative soon blossomed into a broader effort. 

"Since the opening of the canteen, our menu has extended to include Jiaozi and other snacks. They are all contributed by individuals we support and their families," Luo explained. The canteen, with customers from the gas station and residential compounds nearby, provides a space for peer and family support and encourages participants to engage in meaningful activities, a crucial step in their recovery. 

The canteen employees set up a stall to sell refreshing snacks on summer days. [Photo provided by Luo Yuhua]

One such participant is Liang Yu, whose story reflects the transformative power of the canteen. When Luo first met Liang, his isolation was staggering. He interacted with only three people throughout the year: his parents, with whom he barely spoke, and a social worker who visited once or twice a year.  

After attending sessions at Yukang Home, Liang was invited to join the canteen alongside his mother, who is skilled at making sweet rice balls. Since then, he has made remarkable progress, participating in activities, engaging with peers, and even playing African drums at Yukang's Spring Festival gathering. 

Luo's journey into mental health advocacy began in 2016 when she studied psychology to help her son overcome internet addiction. Inspired to use her skills to help more people, she founded Yukang Home in 2021. Through counseling, exercises, and tailored activities, Luo and her team have helped 19 individuals reintegrate into society with improved lives.

When Luo first started, her mother expressed concern, "Will they hit you?" Such stigma, Luo acknowledges, is pervasive. People with mental health issues face not only their conditions but also societal prejudice.

Her first case at Yukang Home involved helping a woman in debt due to a shopping addiction. Luo recruited her to manage the home's finances, hoping she would learn to spend rationally and make plans. The strategy worked, and the woman fully recovered. She is now working at a local foot massage chain and contributing part of her salary to support her father.

Luo makes regular visits to her workplace to prevent relapse, as she does for all her former clients. "She introduces me as her former colleague instead of her mental health supporter, and I play along. After all, prejudice and stigma are not easy to overcome," Luo said, hoping to make progress, one step at a time.

Yukang Home in Liangjiang New Area. [Photo provided by Luo Yuhua]