The Authority of Social Contribution–Ma’an has commenced the first deliveries of its food support scheme, providing more than 512 food baskets to Abu Dhabi citizens and residents whose income has been affected by the current health and economic situation.
In partnership with Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, the food basket deliveries will run for three months, providing three different sized baskets of supplies for individuals, couples or families in the emirate who have been most affected, depending on the number of family members, said a MA’AN press release issued on Tuesday.
Volunteers worked across the weekend to stock the baskets of high-quality, nutritious and healthy essential food and kitchen cupboard items including rice, pasta, dates, beans, tea, jam and noodles. For those with young children, baby supplies were also provided.
The volunteers are Emiratis and expatriates from Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Asia, North American, Europe and Africa.
Deliveries were made to hundreds of beneficiaries of the programme on 1st May, with the work continuing for the next three months at three supermarkets across the emirate: Lulu Coop, Abu Dhabi Coop and Al Ain Coop.
The food support deliveries will help thousands of Abu Dhabi residents get access to essential nutrition, with the baskets being paid for by the contributions made to Ma’an’s ‘Together We Are Good’ programme.
Mubarak Al Ahbabi, an Emirati volunteer, said he was proud to give his time for the programme. “The Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an is, simply, from the community for the community. As the youth, we are here to offer our support in these times. It’s the least we can do to offer our thanks to the UAE, thanks to everything it has done for us.”
Jelena Mladenov, a Serbian expatriate in the UAE, said, “I am volunteering for Ma’an’s food support scheme because I wanted to give something back to the UAE community. I love to volunteer because it’s makes me feel good helping people in need.”
Lalita Davies, a Ma’an volunteer who hails from Belgium but now lives in Abu Dhabi, added: “I would encourage everybody to volunteer at this time. It is a time for the community to come together – people really need us right now. We’re able to deliver food supplies, educational aid and medicine support to families who have been affected by the current situation.”
Baskets will continue to be provided to the most affected population in Abu Dhabi, with applications closing at the end of Ramadan through the Together We Are Good website in coordination with Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority.
To obtain this temporary support and for urgent cases, applicants must be resident in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, have lost some or all of their income temporarily (through unpaid leave, for example), and have not previously received support from any other government agency.
The ‘Together We Are Good’ programme is the first project of Ma’an’s Social Fund that allows community contributions to help tackle social challenges. The Social Fund is the official government channel to receive contributions from the community to tackle pressing social challenges. To date, the funds contributed have been used to provide additional relief to the health sector and food packages to those in quarantine.
Ma’an recently launched a new toll-free helpline (800-3088) and a specially created microsite (togetherwearegood.ae) for those in need of relief to contact the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an about their requirements.
Starting with education support and food supplies initially, beneficiaries will get assistance in due course across two other key areas of relief: health support as well as basic needs.
Participants wishing to contribute financially to ‘Together We Are Good’ can send SMS messages to 6670 (AED 1000), 6678 (500 AED), 6683 (100 AED) and 6658 (50 AED).
They can also call 8005-MAAN for volunteering and in-kind and financial contributions above AED 1,000 or send messages on WhatsApp on 0543055366. In-kind contributions include equipment, buildings, services, and time as well as expert volunteering efforts.
