RIYADH: The Charitable Warehouse, an organization that hands out meals during the holy month, plans to distribute around one million meals this Ramadan with 400,000 meals to be distributed in the Grand Mosque alone.
“We make sure that the meals — which include water, juices, fruits, pastries and sweets — are something that decreases the chances of food poisoning and minimizes the risk of causing a mess,” said Yahya Al-Kinani, manager of the Charitable Warehouse in Makkah.
The meals are distributed during Ramadan as a way of caring for the needy, or as penance for a sin, or to make up for missed fasts.
Al-Kinani said that in order to prevent waste of food, a committee has been established in the Makkah region to organize distribution and coordinate between different organizations. “Once, during the month of Ramadan, we distributed over 2 million iftar meals,” said Al-Kinani, adding that the Charitable Warehouse was established in 2001.
“Meals are distributed in over 50 mosques in the area of Makkah, its surrounding areas, the Grand Mosque and in pilgrim buses,” said Al-Kinani.
He added that the project of distributing food is a good opportunity to employ orphans and the children of poor families. “We’ve also employed 100 women inside the ladies’ sections of the Grand Mosque to hand out meals,” he said.
An official at the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, who asked his name not be published, said there are two types of meals that are distributed: hot and cold. “Cold meals are distributed in both the Holy Mosques of Makkah and Madinah while hot meals are distributed to people’s homes,” he said. “Hot meals are distributed at people’s homes where they are easier to keep fresh.”
Meanwhile, besides charity organizations, efforts are being made by individuals to reach out to the poor during the holy month by providing meals in neighborhood mosques and in poor areas.
Um Abdul Hameed provides 450 meals to people at three of Riyadh’s poor mosques during Ramadan. “Each of the three banquets cost SR1,500 for the whole month of Ramadan. The costs are supplied by donors,” said Um Abdul Hameed.
She added that the food is cooked by orphans’ mothers. “Many of the ingredients are donated by people and the excess food is redistributed to the poor and needy families of those areas,” she said.
She added that there has never been a case of food poisoning in the food that she provides, as all of the food is fresh and cooked daily — nothing is pre-prepared.
