“Nobody should go hungry,” Julian Sammut, chair of the newly set up Solidarity Meals, has said.
An operation set up by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation with the support of Alf. Mizzi & Sons Marketing Ltd. and Vecchia Napoli, Solidarity Meals with the slogan ‘Ikla Bnina Kuljum’ (a good meal each day) aims at providing a lifeline for those families and individuals struggling during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation has long been involved with supplying the needy with cooked food and provisions mostly through its kitchen at Dar Papa Franġisku and Food Bank Lifeline.
“The negative effects of COVID 19 are still to be fully felt and it will be the vulnerable who will suffer them – the poor, the old, the unemployed will be feeling helpless as their lives take a sudden turn for the worse,” TAMF chair Sammut added.
“The foundation’s worst fears are fast becoming reality. There are so many people out there who are lost, people who have never found themselves in such a desperate situation before. Many have families and are at their wits’ end. The fight against this dreaded virus has been described as a war.
"The health authorities are doing a great job fighting the virus, our fight is against hunger and the sadness, indignity and suffering it brings with it. No one must go hungry, no one must beg. Together we can ensure nobody does. We as The Alfred Mizzi Foundation are fortunate to have generous funds, passed on from Alf. Mizzi & Sons Ltd., at our disposal to help make a difference.”
Solidarity Meals project is supplied with most of its provisions from AMSM and delivers hundreds of meals daily to distribution centres around the island where volunteers led by Caritas (Malta) ensure the meals are taken to people in their homes.
Vecchia Napoli has converted one of its dormant kitchens into a meal preparation hub and its idle chefs are now active again to prepare the meals.
“Each week a menu is prepared and we ensure variety and balanced meals. Our mission is not one to just fill stomachs but to provide nutritious food and keep people strong and in good health. During our first week we are providing 350 meals a day. We expect this figure to climb to 1,000 a day over the next few weeks. We can keep this going for two to three months, thereafter we may need support too. We don’t doubt that we’ll get this and welcome any help that comes our way especially fresh fruit and vegetables. There is great enthusiasm all round.”
Solidarity Meals may be contacted on jdebattista@vecchianapoli.com.mt or through The Alfred Mizzi Foundation info@thealfredmizzifoundation.com.