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April 8 - 14 , 2020
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Gulf Weekly Sharing is caring

Gulf Weekly Mai Al Khatib-Camille
By Mai Al Khatib-Camille

Big-hearted Miranthi Dole, the founder of A Box of Goodness, has launched a community food drive to support individuals and families in need that have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

The head of business development and marketing at a real estate company started A box of Goodness in October 2016 on Instagram as a simple exercise to create the habit of giving. She encouraged people to add items to a box on a daily basis and at the end of the month, that box of goodness would be shared with someone in need.

Since then, her act of kindness activity flourished with several people providing boxes full of essentials to the less fortunate through her account.

Miranthi, known to her friends as Miro, is now running a food drive with her generous volunteers and is urging others across the kingdom to lend a helping hand.

“Our focus right now is to help those whose livelihoods are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Miro. “With shop and business closures, many have been asked to take unpaid leave, and or, have been made redundant. There are large numbers of daily wage earners who no longer have work and they are severely affected. We have already provided almost 150 food packs to the Migrant Workers Protection Society, and in the coming days, aim to help as many as 200 families as well.

“We are hopeful that this situation will end soon and we wish to help people survive these bad days. The kingdom and the medical teams fighting this pandemic in the forefront should be lauded to no end – their swift action has helped keep the pandemic in control. The kingdom has also provided relief to its citizens and residents making life a lot easier. But we continue in our efforts to help people with basic food items so that they have one less expense to worry about.”

The giving group is appealing to the public to help collect dry food items such as rice, flour, oil, dhal, lentils, salt, milk powder, tea, sugar, canned foods, pasta, beans and so forth. People are encouraged to purchase items and deliver it to the drop off location in Sanabis or food items can be purchased through All Food Co.

All Food Co partnered with A Box of Goodness to offer people fresh vegetables and fruits at cost.

“As part of their charitable endeavours, they have waived off their profit margins and will deliver these foods to us at cost,” explained Miro. “We will work with All Food Co to hand out the food packs to deserving families. People can contact them on Instagram to make payments online and share food to our cause by mentioning the code #ABOGAppeal.

“At the same time, people can place an order online from any supermarket, Talabat or InstaShop to have food items delivered to us. All the food is sorted and packaged to suit the individuals or families they are finally shared with.”

Miro’s initial aim for @boxofgoodness is to raise a generation that is selfless, giving and always sharing goodness. She and her volunteers have supported the Al Sanabel Orphan Care Society for almost three years and have often provided furniture, clothing and toys to the families affiliated with the Centre. She has also organised group birthday parties for children to celebrate their birthdays.

“With the help of people, we organise food, games and gifts for the children and their siblings,” added Miro. “We also take great care in taking care of the environment and we organise beach cleanups regularly. The plastic we collect off the beaches are provided to the Bahrain Association for Parents & Friends of Disabled; who in turn use the funds from the sale of plastic to recycling plants to purchase wheelchairs for the disabled in Bahrain. We actively work towards feeding the hungry with the support of people who always share in kind. Our annual projects include a Ramadan Food Drive and a Winter Appeal. Many companies and schools support us in our projects.”

For details on the food drive, follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/aboxofgoodness/ or on @boxofgoodness on Instagram.







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