By supporting Bellyful Waimakariri at its up coming charity golf tournament on Friday, February 3.
Players will be chipping and driving their way toward helping the charity raise money to allow it to prepare and deliver hot cooked meals for anyone who has a new baby or young children needing support in the community.
Organiser Carol Burdon of Loburn says the golf tournament is an excellent way to raise the expected $6000 to $7000 they need annually to run their service.
‘‘We are entirely self›funded, with no government assistance, and so this year we decided to hold one big corporate› style fund raiser to ease the burden on all our 10 Waimakariri volunteers who spend a large part of their free time fund raising each year.
‘‘We need the money to buy the ingredients, to cook, package and then deliver the 180 meals we make each month which are delivered to over 100 families in the district.’’
In the last three years the not for profit charity has cooked 2762 meals and delivered them to over 300 families in the community.
‘‘These are families coping with a new born or a child in difficulty or with an illness.
‘When someone comes around with a hot meal in their hands it’s a big burden off a stressed mother or father who’s simply trying to make the best of the situation for their families and actually not looking after themselves.’’
Carol says this is where Bellyful Waimakariri steps in.
They are part of a chain of 24 branches country›wide who together have feed more than 3000 families with 22,778 meals.
‘‘We officially started here in 2018 and I joined because like others I was a new immigrant to the country with small children and I had no support network, no›one I could turn to.’’
Carol says she loves the values Bellyful promotes and stepped in to help where she could.
‘‘We cook the meals each month in the tech kitchen at Rangiora High School, its a fun›filled day where many of our partners and children come along and help out as well’’.
‘‘The 18 golf tournament will help us be more secure financially this year as prices are rising across the board and so are the numbers calling for help from our service.”
She says anyone can make a referral to their website: bellyful.org.nz, to help someone in need and the service is free.
‘‘We have many wonderful local businesses who are supporting us with materials and discounts along with individuals and funding sources.’’
Teams wanting to enter the golf tournament being held at the Rangiora Golf Club, to help this selfless community group can contact Carol at: carol.burdon@bellyful.org.nz.
