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Maya Terro sure has a great potential in the job market after obtaining three master's degrees from notable universities in Lebanon, Italy and England. But instead of landing a job, Terro decided to devote herself to a greater cause in her homeland, Lebanon: Fighting hunger and reducing food waste.
In 2012, Terro founded 'FoodBlessed', a national hunger-relief initiative that is run by volunteers to connect food providers to the local community and other non-profit organisations. Through FoodBlessed, volunteering 'Hunger Heroes', as they are called, collect surplus food from restaurants, supermarkets, retailers and catering agencies and cook it into free, wholesome meals for those in need.
At the group's soup kitchen in Burj Hammoud, northeast of Beirut, Terro and her volunteers prepare free meals for homeless men, families and children in need.
It is one of four other kitchens operated in different areas around Beirut. These have become meeting points for the underprivileged, where new bonds of friendships are formed.
Before any meal distribution, Terro gathers volunteers and reminds them to "serve others as if you're serving yourself. Just like you would want everything waiting for you when you go home, do the same thing for our guests".
"What is ours is yours," she said, describing how "guests" are welcomed at the soup kitchen. "They are treated like a guest visiting a home: with respect, warm welcome, smiles and lots of compliments."
According to figures, nearly 30 per cent of edible food in Lebanon is wasted - 65 per cent of which are organic, like fruits and veggies - while 29 per cent of the population is living under the poverty line.
In seven years, FoodBlessed distributed over 350,000 free meals and over 4,000 food assistance packages, saving over 100 tonnes of food from being wasted. Today, the initiative brings together over 1,000 volunteers and 300 partnering companies.
At the soup kitchen, an old homeless man said: "I slept on the streets for three months without a loaf of bread until a friend referred me to this restaurant. I bring my son every week to meet other children and it feels like a family house," he said. "[Terro] is inspiring my son to give back to others when he grows up."
HOW FOODBLESSED SPREADS HOPE
>> Aims to fight hunger and reduce food waste in Lebanon.
>Connects food providers to the local community and other non-profit organisations.
>'Hunger Heroes' collect surplus food from restaurants, supermarkets, retailers and catering agencies.
>Surplus food items are cooked into wholesome meals.
>Free meals are served with a smile to homeless men, families and children in need.
> Organises food drives with support from universities, schools and restaurants.
>Helps direct those with organic waste to farmers.
Staff Reporter, reporetrs@khaleejtimes.com
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