PETALING JAYA: The #ZeroFoodWastage campaign, aimed at distributing excess food from hotels via Kechara Soup Kitchen to feed the homeless and urban poor, is back again this Ramadan after a break last year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Kechara Soup Kitchen operations director Justin Cheah said the campaign, which is a collaboration with Selangor princess Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, is already into the first week of its food rescue mission.
“We believe that there is less food wastage this year as some of the hotels are closed or are being used as quarantine hotels.
“This is good news to us, ” he said when contacted yesterday.
The brainchild of Tengku Zatashah links a total of 14 hotels under a network to be part of this year’s #ZeroFoodWastage campaign.
As has been done in previous years, surplus food from the hotels’ Ramadan buffets will be distributed to underprivileged families and some charity shelters that are working in partnership with Kechara Soup Kitchen.
In a Facebook post, Tengku Zatashah said the initiative took a pause in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic shut down hotels while movements were restricted under the movement control order.
“This year, many hotels have resumed their Ramadan buffets, and even included home deliveries for those who prefer to break fast at home.
“Surplus food will be delivered by Kechara Soup Kitchen in accordance with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall ruling on the homeless in transit centres, to our urban poor clients, elderly folk homes, and more, ” Tengku Zatashah said.
Additionally, she noted that during the last #ZeroFoodWastage campaign in 2019, it managed to save 11 tonnes of surplus food to feed over 11,600 beneficiaries during Ramadan.
“To date, since I kickstarted the campaign in 2016, we have saved a total of 1,016 tonnes of food from going to waste, thus benefitting a total of 24,354 people, Alhamdullilah, ” she said.
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