Hundreds of Diwali baskets help feed the needy

Leicester team leader Veena Parekh said they are aiming to do 10% more hurdles this year

Diwali Basket Brigade. People at the Diwali Basket Brigade pack food baskets for donations. — Leicester team leader Veena Parekh said they are aiming to do 10% more hurdles this year

Volunteers in Leicester have provided hundreds of food hampers to vulnerable families as part of their annual Diwali campaign.

The Diwali Basket Brigade project was established in 2018 and has since helped feed 57,000 people across the country.

In Leicester, the team works with six charities to distribute hampers.

Veena Parekh, project manager in Leicester, said each basket could feed a family of four for about 15 meals.

The project is managed exclusively by volunteers, with no paid roles in the organization

Diwali Basket Brigade. People pack baskets with food on the table. — The project is managed exclusively by volunteers, with no paid roles in the organization

Baskets contain non-perishable foods such as pasta, cereal and rice; and other foods such as chocolate and toothpaste.

They also feature Diwali cards that are hand-made by children in India before being sent to the UK.

According to Ms. Parekh, this makes the project as “healthy” as possible, as it helps pay for their education in their home country.

The spirit of Diwali, which brings hope and helps one another, is the driving force behind the initiative, Ms. Parekh added.

She said: “The feedback we’ve had in previous years is how well they’ve been received… that someone somewhere is thinking of them and wants to help and support them.

“We want these recipients to feel part of all faiths and communities.”

Each basket contains common items such as rice, pasta, toothpaste and chocolate

Diwali Basket Brigade Baskets packed by the Diwali Basket Brigade are laid out on the floor. — Each basket contains common items such as rice, pasta, toothpaste and chocolate

The last bins were packed by more than 80 volunteers on October 27 at Dargee Community Center on Vicarage Lane.

The group packed 550 baskets.

They were then given to six Diwali Basket Brigade partners for distribution, including food banks, support services and community centres.

Leslie Green, chairman of Oadby Foodbank, one of the partners, said the project was “amazingly” helping those struggling to make ends meet.

Foodbank has partnered with Diwali Basket Brigade for two years and they get different baskets to suit different dietary needs.

“They did everything we asked them to do. Simple things like that make our job so much easier,” added Ms. Green.