Volunteers pack Diwali hampers to support families facing food poverty

The Diwali Basket Brigade, organized by The Diwali Foundation, brought together about 300 volunteers in Birmingham to prepare food hampers for families affected by the rising cost of living, BBC reported.

This initiative, now in its ninth year, aims to provide support during the Diwali festival, which symbolizes light overcoming darkness. The foundation's founder, Deepak Parekh, described the effort as a way to bring hope to vulnerable households.

The Diwali Foundation, based in Herefordshire, works with approximately 40 food banks and charities to reach those in need. It estimates that over 12% of UK households are experiencing food poverty and has distributed around 23,470 hampers so far.

Volunteers expressed concern about the limited resources some families have, highlighting the importance of the parcels. The hampers were delivered to residents in homes managed by Walsall Housing Group, where officials acknowledged the ongoing challenges faced by their tenants.