Elham Asaad Buaras

Muslim Hands has opened a new community kitchen in Hounslow, West London. Launched on December 8, the kitchen is free and open to all, and will provide 100 hot, nutritious meals twice a day, seven days a week for the homeless, low-income families and needy children.

With many of the service users living below the poverty line, the Open Kitchen will provide a safe, warm environment for those in need to enjoy a good meal with dignity.

Rico, a rough sleeper in Hounslow, says: “The Open Kitchen will benefit not only me but so many homeless people in London. To have somewhere where we can get two meals a day and sit down in a comfortable setting like everyone else will change our lives”.

Pir Syed Lakhte Hassanain, Muslim Hands’ Chairman, says: “We cannot ignore the hardships many people are facing on a daily basis. Since 2012, Muslim Hands has been working to tackle issues of poverty, exploitation and exclusion within the UK.

He adds, “The Open Kitchen will provide a crucial platform to engage local communities about the existence of food poverty and to transform the way people access support by providing a safe space to help them be free from hunger”.

The Chairman told The Muslim News that “this is just a beginning. We are going to have many other kitchens across the country. We are united for the needy.”

Leader of the Hounslow Council, Steve Curran, welcoming the support the charity was giving to the poor and the needy, said, “We rely on our Muslim community to support the most vulnerable, not just the homeless but also the working poor who also need food and clothing. This shows Muslim community at its best. It is very important you continue the good work you are doing.”