Fiji Sun

Food Packs Help in City Continues

- FONUA TALEI SUVA Feedback: fonua.talei@fijisun.com.fj Edited by Ranoba Baoa

Volunteers of Food for Life - Fiji spent their weekend distributi­ng food and sweet packs to members of the public at the Suva Bus Stand.

The group, made up of devotees of the Hare Krishna movement, distribute­d 400 food packs in their 49th food distributi­on engagement.

Arun Padarath, who has managed the initiative since it was establishe­d in April, said they had never missed a Saturday since they began and had distribute­d more than 17,000 food packs.

The initiative was borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the dire straits that people were faced with financiall­y.

Devotees in Nadi, Labasa and others also conduct similar initiative­s in their localities and the programme is funded by donors who reach out to them through their Facebook page after seeing the good works they had done.

“When COVID-19 hit we decided to put our hands together and do something for the people,” Mr Padarath said.

“Those were really desperate times for people, We have been COVID-free for the last 180 days or so and it is a great achievemen­t for our leaders.” He said the response from the public had been overwhelmi­ng and they had forged close bonds with those they served on a weekly basis.

“We have formed friendship­s with those we serve and sometimes if we are a few minutes late they start ringing us to ask if we are coming.” Mr Padarath’s selfless nature along with members of his immediate family has seen them devote their Saturdays to volunteeri­ng to feed hundreds of people.

The group will be at Terry Walk at 1pm this coming Saturday.

 ??  ?? Arun Padarath (second from left), with his team distributi­ng food packs at the Suva Bus Stand over the weekend.
Arun Padarath (second from left), with his team distributi­ng food packs at the Suva Bus Stand over the weekend.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Fiji