Hawzah News Agency - (Manchester - UK) - The work of volunteers in Longsight is shining a light on the plight of Manchester's hidden hungry.
The community-led food bank, based at the Qadria Jilania Islamic Social and Educational Centre, a mosque in Longsight, has been helping hundreds of people each day, many of whom wouldn't normally access this kind of service.
The support group was set up by local journalist Shahzad Mirza, who asked Longsight residents on Facebook and Whatsapp if they were in need of hot meals.
He has been stunned at the response.
At first, 50 people got in touch, but when word spread about the service the mosque was offering, up to 300 people began turning up for hot meals and dry goods each day.
It reveals the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Longsight and surrounding areas.
This corner of south-east Manchester bustled with busy small businesses, but lockdown brought shops, stalls, restaurants and travel agents to a grinding halt, destroying demand for services like taxis.
“Longsight has been destroyed by the Coronavirus, there are less and less jobs, and many shops have closed," Shahzad said.
“This project is separate from the others in the UK, we’re offering hot food every day as well as dry food.”
Volunteers believe they have provided 10,000 meals since it started in April with the help of a local imam, based in a small function room in the mosque.
“Somebody contacted me saying they needed help, so I started a survey to see if more people needed it to," Shahzad went on.
“At first it was 50 people or so who came forward, then by Ramadan, we had over 300 people coming every day."
From Monday to Sunday evening volunteers give out food packs which include, milk, fruit, tinned goods, and curries prepared in the kitchen of a local supermarket called Appna.
Some residents come to collect the food themselves and the more vulnerable and elderly have food delivered to them by volunteers to areas such as Burnage, Ardwick, Stockport, and Levenshulme.
Any leftover pack is then handed out to homeless people found on Stockport Road to make sure nothing goes to waste.