THE FELIX PROJECT has a simple job: it collects good food which is surplus to its owners’ requirements and uses it to cook meals which it then delivers to needy families in East London.
Most of the food comes from supermarkets, but the charity also rescues good food that cannot be officially sold from wholesalers, farms, restaurants and smaller shops. The Felix kitchen can turn out an astonishing 3,000 meals a day.
Now the charity has received financial assistance from Islamic Relief, a longstanding charity which specialises in providing practical support to people who are on the edge – in the UK and across the world. Islamic Relief is supporting 14 projects across the UK which are providing donations of food to vulnerable families who are having a hard time during the pandemic.
Leon Aarts, Head of the Kitchen at The Felix Project, said, “Felix’s Kitchen opened in East London using surplus food, cooking thousands of meals to help vulnerable Londoners. Making sure that the meals are delicious and nutritious is great, yet it is not enough. For people in food insecurity, we need to ensure that the meals are culturally appropriate, so recipients get wellbeing benefits too. The support of Islamic Relief UK to help us to do just that will ensure that 20,000 culturally appropriate meals get to the right beneficiaries.”
Tufail Hussain, Director of Islamic Relief UK said, “Islamic Relief UK is proud to be supporting The Felix Project with 20,000 meals to help feed families across London. Their unique kitchen is a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable in the city. The project is accommodating people in a respectful way by providing meals that can be heated and ensuring that they cater for people of different backgrounds.
“Families are struggling across London as they have been hit hard financially because of the pandemic, and the situation is worsening for many. This winter, we hope that we can bring much-needed relief to some of these people and improve their situation during this very difficult time.”
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