The holy month of Ramadan is a time for reflection, generosity, and stocking the pantry. As we gather to share food with friends and family, we can’t help but feel like it’s also a time for strengthening the community. Planning suhoor and iftar is an inadvertent pillar of the month, and here’s how you can help those in need be as prepared.

Note: The prices in this guide reflect those advertised at the date of publication — prices may vary at the point of purchase.

CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND NGOs: These are a tried and tested conduit to get these necessities to the people who need them the most.

Feeling pressed for time? These foundations are happy to offer online donation options to make sure that good intentions aren’t sidelined by busy schedules.

#1- Misr El Kheir: Their traditional donation box comes in two sizes that include rice, pasta, sugar, oil or ghee, tomato paste, salt, beans, dates, vermicelli, and orzo. The Satr box weighs around 6 kg and retails for EGP 225, and the larger El Kheir box is 12 kg for EGP 450. For EGP 550, you can gift someone a blanket alongside the Satr box.

The larger Family Support box weighs around 65 kg, and is designed to provide a family with everything they need for the month. In addition to the items in the first box, this one also includes meat or chicken, pasta, and juice. This box is worth EGP 2.75k. The Lamit El Leila package can provide a family with one meal for EGP 250.

If you’d like to donate individual meals, you can choose between the suhoor and iftar options for EGP 30 and EGP 65. What if they have different needs? El Khair cards, which are EGP 150 or EGP 350, give recipients the freedom to pick the groceries they need. Smaller meals can be donated to travelers for EGP 30.

If you’d like to give back big, you can opt for the Village Iftar for EGP 65k, which will provide a village in need with daily meals for the whole month of Ramadan.

#2- The Egyptian Food Bank: This organization has always been a reliable option as well and offers similar options. Their donation boxes come in two sizes: 8 kg for EGP 275, and 13 kg for EGP 450. Both of these boxes include rice, pasta, sugar, black-eyed peas, fava beans, dates, salt, tomato sauce, oil, tea, cheese, and flour.

Individual iftar meals can be purchased for EGP 65, and include rice or pasta, vegetables, beef, chicken, chicken shawarma, or kofta, and dates.

You could also choose to donate towards an iftar table, which is made available throughout 27 governorates in Egypt. The available donation packages are EGP 1k, EGP 3k, and EGP 5k.

You can also make these donations to Misr El Kheir and the Egyptian Food Bank through Talabat.

#3- TheMersal Foundation: Different people may have different needs. If you’d like to leave the contents of the Ramadan box up to the recipients, Mersal offers a prepaid shopping card worth EGP 500 that you can pay forward.

SUPERMARKETS: Big chains have boxes full of staple ingredients needed for well-rounded meals available for purchase. This is an easy way for you to stock others’ pantries while you stock your own.

#1- HyperOne: The supermarket offers two boxes to purchase.Both boxes include rice, sugar, pasta, tea, ghee, fava beans, tomato paste, and oil. The larger box contains more of each ingredient, in addition to lentils and dates. The smaller box retails for EGP 259, and the larger one is EGP 399.

#2- Carrefour:Their Ramadan box contains seven items: Pasta, rice, sugar, oil, ghee, and salt. The box is available for EGP 175. Keep in mind that you can only order a maximum of 10 boxes online per order.

#3- Mahmoud El Far: Theyoffer a similar package. Their small EGP 165 box includes rice, sugar, pasta, tomato paste, oil, and tea. Their medium and large boxes retail for EGP 200 and EGP 280, and offer more products. You can order up to 20 boxes online per size.

You can also customize the contents of the box if you visit one of their branches. Price will vary based on what you include, but if you’d rather leave the customization up to the recipient, you can gift them a Premium Card with EGP 50-1k of credit.

#4- Lulu Hypermarket: This supermarket offers a Ramadan kit for EGP 145, containing rice, oil, pasta, tea, salt, tomato sauce, and fava beans. You can order up to 99 boxes through Talabat.

#5- Metro: Their Ramadan carton includes eleven items: Yellow rice, oil, sugar, ghee, pasta, tomato sauce, tea, and salt. You can order these through Talabat for EGP 275 with a cap of 99 boxes.

#6- Spinneys: This retailer’s bags cost EGP 200, and contain rice, pasta, vegetable ghee, oil, salt, dates, and tomato sauce. Unlike the rest of the stores, there is no maximum order limit.

If you want to donate the boxes to specific people, you can give the store an address to deliver to. Otherwise, you can take the boxes home and distribute them as you see fit.

FOOD DELIVERY APPS: You can purchase pre-packed Ramadan charity boxes with just a few clicks through these apps:

As mentioned earlier, Talabat hosts several charitable organizations on its site and app. These include Misr El Kheir, the Egyptian Food Bank, and Al Orman. Find the charity you’d like to donate through, pick your donation box, and pay through the Talabat portal. The delivery app will distribute your donations for you.

#1- Rabbitoffers their own donation services. Their EGP 169 Ramadan bag includes rice, sugar, pasta, ghee, tomato paste, and salt. As per usual for this delivery app, you can have the boxes delivered to you on the same day. You can only purchase a maximum of five bags to be delivered same-day, but the next-day option allows you up to 30 bags.

#2- Breadfast also provides donations through their app. For EGP 220, you can donate sugar, rice, pasta, oil, ghee, tea, lentils, tomato paste, and salt. They are currently sold out, but you can choose to be notified when the boxes are back in stock.

HANDS-ON GIVING BACK: If you have some time to spare and would like to help the good people prepare the boxes, here’s where to look.

#1- Al Joud Foundation and Lifemakers offer boxes for purchasing, but if you can donate your time to help out. DM them on Instagram to find out how.

#2- i-Volunteer is gearing up to launch this year’s Ramadan campaign soon. If you’re interested in helping out, you can DM them on their Instagram page for more information.

#3- Share a Smile organizes packing events announced on their page, and is happy to tell you how else you can be involved if you DM them on Facebook or Instagram.

#4- If you live near Smart Village, you can contact Seket El Kheir to find out how you can help out this Ramadan or register here.

#5- The Egyptian Food Bank is perhaps the most popular way to volunteer. To sign up, you can contact them on Facebook, email them, or call at 16060.

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