Leavesden Co-op store employee Enoch Kanageraj came up with an idea to help feed the homeless that has now been put into practice
The Feeding the Homeless project is led entirely by volunteers from Co-op stores in Watford and Croxley Green as the Co-op has a policy of involving itself in local communities.
The project involves using one of the Co-op’s recipients of their Food Share scheme, Go Kula café, to cook free hot meals for homeless people. On Thursday, September 20, the Co-op volunteers helped feed homeless people hot meals at vegetarian cafe Go Kula in Watford.
Enoch explained the project in more detail:
“Go Kula is a vegetarian restaurant in the centre of Watford and on a Monday, they use donated food to cook for the homeless. I’m proud to say they are now one of our Food Share recipients.
“From seeing this service in action a few weeks ago I decided that we could do something to support – so ten of us from six local stores, including two from Princes Risborough, spent Thursday afternoon cooking a vegetarian curry, rice and samosas in the Stanborough Church kitchen, before piling into the minibus. It was like a day trip to the seaside as singing broke out on the mini bus across town”
“Arriving in Market Street pots of steaming hot curry were carried into the cafe across the busy traffic and we attracted a lot of attention dressed in our blue and white Co-op t-shirts and aprons.”
The volunteers had support from James Bartlett and Stephen Russell from Homeless Warriors, who helped spread the word about the evening; by the time doors opened at 6:30, an orderly queue had formed.
Enoch said that there were mixed reactions from the people who came to eat.
“Some were very quiet and just ate and left with a brief nod, not really sure what to make of what had just happened. Others were more chatty and happy to engage, hang around a while and ‘chew the fat.”
“We served over forty hungry and lonely people on Thursday, no-one left unfed.”
The Co-ops mission will continue on future Thursdays.
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