Packages of kindness!

Students, parents and teachers of the Nadeen School and British School of Bahrain (BSB) have helped kick-start The Palm Association’s Ramadan Food Drive, supported by GulfWeekly.

They have been heading down to Al Jazira and Alosra supermarkets to purchase extra goodies to be distributed to needy families in the kingdom.

Readers are being urged to follow in their footsteps and open their hearts, dig deep and support the good cause during the holy month.

GulfWeekly has linked up with The Palm Association to back the charity champion’s annual campaign, which encourages shoppers, students and companies to donate parcels of non-perishable items.

The Nadeen School and Al Jazira supermarket in Zinj have teamed up for the first time for the initiative. Principal Pauline Puri, said: “Nadeen School is known for its community spirit. It is important to participate in and plan charity events within the school to instil in the children a sense of responsibility and empathy for people in need.

“We are proud to support The Palm Association, and hope to continue to support the very valued work its members perform within the community.”

Aside from the Ramadan Food Drive, the Nadeen School has also collected funds and gathered up warm clothes, blankets toys and books for the charity.

A roll-up stand has been placed at the school’s premises to promote Al Jazira’s pre-packaged donation boxes that include BD10 worth of items such as rice, cooking oil, sugar, tea, powdered milk, Ramadan sweets and dal.

Parents have been either donating BD10 to the school or visiting the store and placing the packages of kindness in the collection cages outside.

Kifah Karim, sales and administration manager of Al Jazira’s Zinj branch, said: “In the Holy Month of Ramadan we need to think about others, not only ourselves.

“There are so many unfortunate people out there that need a helping hand and it is up to us to remind them that they are all part of our community.”

Alosra’s Budaiya and Amwaj stores have also placed stands close to counters for shoppers to donate useful items.
This year Alosra hopes to better last year’s impressive amount of items donated to the cause which worked out at around BD5,000 in food parcels.

Pavlos Manousos Babiolakis, marketing and product development manager, Alosra Supermarket, said: “We have had very positive experiences with The Palm Association, who have fantastic ties with the community and run a number of amazing outreach projects. We worked with them last year for the ‘Feed a Family’ programme and they have a great team of very proactive ladies.

“The Palm Association has become a pillar of the community and we are very happy to work with them again this year. It’s been going well so far and the product drop-off section has been emptied a few times. The rice has been very popular with customers!

“The products are available in our stores and it’s a very convenient way to help out families that really need these basics during the holy month.”

BSB’s students and teachers have completed a food collection drive and donations are being packaged and delivered by supporters, the Red Leaf Trading Establishment-Teas Importers and Merchants.
 
Julie Anne Gilbert, Infant Head teacher at BSB, said: “The school is delighted to support The Palm Association.
“Students of the infant, junior and senior classes were encouraged to bring donations of cooking oil, powdered milk, dates and tinned fruit to school. They could also deposit them in a receptacle at Alosra.”

The Ramadan Food Drive is part of a long-running Feed-a-Family project, which is the cornerstone of The Palm Association’s endeavours and provides approximately 155 food parcels, to the value of BD20 every month, to Bahraini families in need.

For further details, email secretary@thepalmassociation.com or vicechairman@thepalmassociation.com