Kettering community faith group seeking help with county food parcel project

Members of a Kettering faith group have joined forces with business and community organisations to provide much-needed food parcels to disadvantaged families across the town.

The eight-strong Midland Langar Seva Society (MLSS) operates from their Sikh Gurdwara in King Street from where they co-ordinate their monthly food kitchen, providing meals for people in need.

MLSS operates on Sikh-based ethos, with help given to all people regardless of social status. The word ‘langar’ means a general or common kitchen where food is served for free, without prejudice and regardless of race, religion, and background.

The group has now added a food parcel programme as well as their hot meal service for disadvantaged families in Kettering.

Bal Garcha, Kettering co-crdinator for MLSS, said: "We have recently initiated a new project that is being carried out on a national scale. The project's aim is to relieve the strain on struggling families, especially during this challenging coronavirus pandemic, and provide them with a food parcel.

"We are working with schools and others to make this happen."

The first of the 112 food parcels were delivered on at the start of the school week with the help from MLSS members, a team from RS Components in Corby and Philip Hollobone, MP for Kettering.

Mrs Garcha said: "The project is targeted at those families that find it extremely hard to put food on the table, and those being overwhelmed financially under current and pre-existing circumstances.

"Distribution and collection is made from schools where families have been anonymously identified to have met the requirements to be in receipt of a food parcel."

Each food parcel is designed to feed a family of four for one week and contains: a family box of cereal , a loaf of bread, three packets of biscuits, two packets of pasta, two bottles of pasta sauce, two tins of spaghetti hoops, two cans of baked beans, I tin of tomato soup and a packet of sugar. as well as fresh fruit and vegetables.

The MLSS in Kettering would like to expand their service supported by supermarkets and businesses and will be including Corby families in phase two of their giving project with the team handing out 158 food parcels to families.

Mrs Garcha said: "At the moment we are giving the food parcels monthly but we would really like to do it on a weekly basis. This is not just for Christmas, this is for all year round.

"I'd like to thank the team from RS Components for volunteering their time and to thank Mr Hollobone for supporting our project and food parcel programme.

"We would like to get more businesses on board so we can do this weekly. We have the storage at the gurdwara and anyone who would like to help us can email me."

To get involved in the MLSS food parcel project email ‌[email protected]‌ .