Army Of Kindness host eighth Christmas Day meal

Volunteers from Army of Kindness at the eighth annual Christmas Day meal

Army Of Kindness (AoK), a hot food kitchen in Rochdale, recently hosted its eighth annual Christmas Day meal.

The event was enjoyed by over 250 vulnerable members of the community, including families, asylum seekers and the homeless. The purpose was to bring people in the community together to share a meal on this special day. Additionally, over 200 food parcels were delivered to local hostels and families in need. 

A lot of organisations came together to offer their support in hosting the event and a special thanks is extended to each and every contributor that made this event possible.

St Andrew’s Methodist and United Reformed Church provided a venue, hot meals were sponsored by Al Khair Foundation, Sahara Grill provided children’s meals and an anonymous donor sponsored the drinks. The Arnold Clark Community Fund also sponsored the day.

Helen Watson provided toys for the children as well as contributing to the general expenses of running the event, as did PennyAppeal and Molesworth Hotel. Chris Furlong, a longstanding volunteer with AoK generously donated presents and food. Shabana and Sidrah, of Deeplish Community Centre kindly collected surplus food to deliver to families within the community.

A special thanks is also extended to Medina Catering, who have been a loyal catering provider to AoK for the past eight years. The Arnold Clark Community Fund also sponsored the day.

AoK senior volunteer Denise Chadwick spoke of how much the day was appreciated by those who attended: “Following the day, many told me how much they had enjoyed and appreciated the friendly, happy environment.”

She went on to speak of the volunteers who ran the event: “Our team of volunteers worked so hard to prepare for the Christmas Day meal to make the day as special as possible for our community.

“Volunteers enjoyed the day and felt great pride that they were able to play a part in such a positive day.”

Mohammed Shiraz, lead volunteer of AoK, spoke about his fellow volunteers who give up their time to serve the Rochdale Community, saying: “Giving your selfless time and dedication to serve the community today was highly appreciated and valued. The smiles on everyone’s faces just to share a meal, open a present or have a brew was down to you all.

“Your unselfish desire to help and serve others was highly appreciated. To our long-standing volunteers such as Denise and Kath and to all our youngsters who enjoy giving back; May God bless you all, I’m forever indebted for your support. I am extremely proud to have a team that’s dedicated and passionate about serving humanity.”

AoK runs on donations and sponsorship and operates weekly throughout the year.  For anyone interested in sponsoring the soup kitchen, donating food to the service, or volunteering their time – do not hesitate to contact Sheraz: 07940 470 705.