The Tribune

HANDS For Hunger is a local non-profit known for its food rescue and delivery. The organisation collects fresh and canned food items from businesses and restaurants around New Providence and delivers that food to various distribution agencies which then feed people in the community.

Such agencies include The Bahamas Red Cross, Salvation Army, Great Commission, and the Elizabeth Estates Children’s Home. With the abundance of fresh fruit collected at this year’s BFS Food Show, Hands For Hunger was able to not only distribute to its regular agencies but also saw it as an opportunity to reach out specifically to primary school students.

When asked what prompted the pop-up fruit stand, executive director Zeleka Knowles responded: “We are eager to promote healthy eating habits among children every chance we get. When we saw the variety of fruits donated from BFS we knew that it would be a great opportunity to share it with young people.”

Hands For Hunger delivers food to two agencies in the Kemp Road area, Eljhay’s Hilltop Ministries and Church of God of Prophecy and was happy to expand its reach in the area. Principal Lauretta Smith jumped at the opportunity to provide her students with healthy snack options.

About the pop-up fruit stand, she said: “I welcomed your donation as it allowed our students to see the variety of fruits available and gave them an opportunity to sample the unfamiliar ones.”

There are 161 students on the school lunch programme, but Hands For Hunger felt that it was important to share the fruits with all students. Hands For Hunger’s goal is to create a transformed Bahamas, where every person has access to three nutritious, fortifying meals per day.

Part of their strategy for achieving this goal is to instill healthy eating habits in children starting as early as possible.