Sultan Al Shehi, the Manager of the Preservation of Grace project

Sultan Al Shehi, the Manager of the Preservation of Grace project said that the most important new initiative that the project is working on during the "Year of Giving" is the organisation of the International Summit for the Preservation of Grace, which will launch the "International Day for Preservation of Grace."
''This will occur alongside executing the Giving Tree initiative for the second season during the holy month of Ramadan, with the aim of collecting donations for different charity works, executed by the Red Crescent within and outside the country,'' Al Shehi said in an interview with Emirates News Agency WAM.
He also revealed the launch of the bank food supply card for deserving families, in co-operation with partner associations. In addition, work will continue on the technology of preserving ready foods for a year in healthy and safe ways, according to internationally applied standards, as well as developing and executing electronic applications that serve the humanitarian and charity side of the project.
Al Shehi said that the number of beneficiaries from the Preservation of Grace project reached 776,012 in 2016. The number was 3,461 in the food section and 3,461 in the clothing section, while it also offered approximately 34.5 tonnes of external aid. The furniture department helped over 92 families in 2016, before the launch of the furniture storage which proves the families’ speed of response to donation.
"In the current year, the numbers of meals distributed reached 600,000. This included ten tonnes of meats, 80 tonnes of vegetables and fruits, two tonnes of dates, 30,000 litres of juices and milks, five tonnes of food supplies, 10,000 bundles of bread and 1,600 food packages. In addition to distributing full clothing packages for 1,500 families within the country, 35 tonnes were also distributed to the needy outside the country," he added.
He clarified that the project covers all the emirates in the country, in co-operation with the branches of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority. He pointed out to an increase in the number of beneficiaries and donators each year, as the project is based on collecting excess donations. Those categorised under the standards of health, safety and quality are rehabilitated according to the donation standards. There is a 5 to 10 percent increase in the number of beneficiary families annually.
Preservation of Grace is a humanitarian initiative run by the Emirates Red Crescent to spread awareness about the virtues of grace and giving in the society, overcome the waste aspects and redistribute food and clothing to the needy, support the needy and raise the standard of living of low-income people, proper distribution of aids to beneficiaries, conserve the environment by recycling the surplus and help beneficiaries of this service through their integration in the project work.


Source: WAM