Food charity feeds hundreds of Birmingham's vulnerable people during coronavirus pandemic

A Birmingham food distribution charity has been busy handing out essential food supplies to hundreds of vulnerable and homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic.

Volunteers from Feedo Needo, which is based in Smithfield House, Digbeth, have been helping to distribute much-needed food supplies in Birmingham as the pandemic places a huge strain on charities across the Midlands region.

Feedo Needo Bakhtawar Trust, a community non-profit charity that concentrates on distributing essential food supplies to the homeless people around the city centre, has been very active in recent weeks as the coronavirus continues to take a heavy toll on people and resources across the region.

The volunteers chat and listen and offer a human connection to those who use the charity

The organisers of the charity, which is built on “diversity, tolerance, cooperation, and mutual respect”, said the need for food for the city centre’s homeless and vulnerable during the pandemic has risen dramatically and “hundreds” of people have received food aid every week.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “Our project is feeding hundreds of vulnerable people in Birmingham every week.”

Birmingham community based charity offers food to the vulnerable and homeless during the pandemic

The charity is also taking time to extend its services beyond the city centre and delivering parcels of food supplies to hardworking NHS and care worker staff.

Some health staff are working long hours due to the pandemic which often means they are unable to get to a shop and stock up on supplies.

Feedo Needo has begun to donate food to these frontline staff.

The spokesperson said: “We’re proud to be donating food parcels to frontline workers at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the West Midlands Ambulance Service – they are doing an amazing job!”

Those who use the services of the charity are welcomed with a smile

Birmingham is a major hotspot for homelessness and the coronavirus pandemic has placed a huge demand on charities.

The Feedo Needo charity project has “witnessed an increase in the number of people needing food support” and the organisers are working hard to build partnerships with businesses to donate food supplies.

The bosses at the charity have built links with Fair share, Tesco, Aldi, Costco, Greggs and are currently in the process of developing more partnerships to meet the urgent needs of Birmingham’s vulnerable and homeless people.

Some of the staff and volunteers at Freed Needo Bakhtawar Trust — Some of the staff and volunteers at Feedo Needo Bakhtawar Trust

Abdullah Mushtaq, the director of Feedo Needo, said: “For the vulnerable and homeless, the need for food donations during the pandemic has been unquantifiable, with many foodbanks struggling to provide and unable to keep up with the demand for their services.”

The charity has been very active in recent weeks and as part of its weekly food drive, volunteers handed out over 30 Eid gift packages to help the homeless and vulnerable people in the local community.

Trustee of Feedo Needo, Zahid Bhatti, hands out an award to a volunteer

The hardworking volunteers at Feedo Needo distribute food on a weekly basis and the area from where the handouts take place shifts from location to location in the city centre depending on where the homeless have congregated in a large group.

The charity also distributes food supplies from its foodbank at Smithfield House in Digbeth. The volunteers ensure the people receiving aid are given a warm, compassionate and friendly welcome.

The coronavirus pandemic has meant that both volunteers and those receiving food aid adhere to strict government cornavirus guidelines when food handouts take place.

Volunteers make sure coronavirus guidelines are respected and people kept safe

The charity instructs everyone to “follow the social distancing guidelines and maintain a minimum of 2 meters distance” when food handouts take place either inside the foodbank or outside at one of the homeless hotspots in the city centre.

The spokesperson for the charity said: “As always, thank you to our volunteers for their hard work – they’re doing an amazing job at keeping themselves and our visitors safe, enabling us to continue helping those in need.”

The charity said it offers food that is both “nutritious and healthy” for the people who use the service. This balance will “allow the consumers to get their dose of five-a-day”.

The charity food packs includes food which is both "nutritious and healthy" — The charity food packs includes food which is both “nutritious and healthy”

The food distributed by Feedo Needo includes fruits, cooked three-course meals, snacks and drinks.

The charity also offers raw food including rice, vegetables and condiments, for those who have a place to live but need urgent food supplies during this economically uncertain period.

The mission of Feedo Needo is to offer charity with a smile, a kind word, and a human connection – “Our faith inspires us to be an organisation built on compassion, and motivated by love” it said.