Charity celebrates 200,000th meal delivery

A charity dedicated to feeding new mothers is marking the milestone of delivering 200,000 free meals to struggling whānau, RNZ reports. Founded in 2009 by Pukekohe mother Jacqui Ritchie, Bellyful has since grown to serve families with new babies or young children in 25 communities across New Zealand. “We don’t judge. We just provide meals,” says General manager Wendy Thompson. “They say it takes a village, but we know for many that village does not always exist. So we’re there for anyone who doesn’t have those traditional support networks.”