Shoppers at one of Bahrain’s most popular malls are getting into the spirit of Ramadan by supporting less fortunate families with donations of essential items.

People are being encouraged to donate new or used clothes in good condition, glasses, books and non-perishable food, among other things, as part of a month-long campaign at City Centre Bahrain, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Around 48 families have so far benefited from the Make a Difference This Ramadan initiative, which is being run for the sixth consecutive year by mall operator Majid Al Futtaim and promoted by well-known Bahraini actress Haifa Hussain.

The campaign is being held in collaboration with the Islamic Association, which is distributing donated items to those in need.

“This campaign helped us reach out to more families in Bahrain, especially those who couldn’t register early for the Ramadan boxes that the association distributes every year to families in need,” said association administration affairs manager Abdulsamad Ahmed.

“So far 40 families received boxes containing rice, flour, oil and other non-perishable food items.

“They were beyond happy receiving the food and some even told us that this will help them survive for the next couple of days, so you can imagine how much they need these donations.

“We also chose the best from the donated clothes and distributed them to eight families so far.”

Ahmed stressed the importance of ensuring any donated clothes were in good condition, saying some of the items received were not suitable to be distributed.

“We did not use many of the donated clothes because they were in a bad condition.

“Even those who are extremely poor deserve to dress neatly and it would be very wrong and embarrassing to donate these clothes just because we know they are in need.

“I therefore hope people keep this in mind the next time they go to the shopping mall to donate, so we can make the most of this campaign by helping the biggest number of families in Bahrain.”

Shoppers can donate items in marked bins at the mall’s customer service desk. Similar donation drives are being held in 16 other Majid Al Futtaim malls across the region.

Last year, City Centre Bahrain collected more than 8,500 donation bags. - TradeArabia News Service