LONDON- Tomorrow is Thursday. So, for Naeem Qureshi, preparations are underway to present free food to hundreds of homeless in his East London takeaway.
“I saw a lot of homeless people around here so I and my son were talking about it and we decided that we will do a free food (service) every Thursday,” he told IlmFeed.
“And it’s been (all praise is for God) going on for about three or four months now. And now, people from the community, they are actually very very happy. “
Qureshi is the owner of The Chicken Spot takeaway, where he and his son serve a free meal the around 300 homeless every week.
Heather, who comes to eat every Thursday said it provides a sense of community and ‘hope’.
“It’s an invaluable service because not only do (they) provide food but (they) provide a sense of community because it brings people together,” she said.
“I’d just like to say that, it’s things like this that really do give people hope. It’s places like this that can inspire you because you’re providing a charitable food service so it kind of encourages other people to do good things too,” she added.
Thanks to Patrick, Qureshi and his son do not do the work along.
Muslim Charity Keeps London Needy Warm
Every week, the local volunteer takes any leftover food in the evening and walks the streets looking for people to give the food too.
“People need to know or realize that they can come to places like this and get a nice hot meal that will sustain them albeit it’s only for one day but at least they know that they can get that,” said Patrick.
As Ramadan approaches, Qureshi plans to provide free food to the needy on Mondays too during the holy fasting month, which is expected to fall in mid-May this year.
“I’m a Muslim (all praise is for God) and in Islam, it’s been said that you must be charitable. You’ve got to give charity. Yes it is part of my faith and I’m grateful to Allah Most High that we’re doing that,” he said.