Youngsters have come up with unique ways to feed the hungry in the city, while preventing wastage of food
Volunteers at Food Bank feeding the hungry
How many times have we passed by homeless, hungry people and wished we could feed them, but never took the initiative? A few youngsters have now taken up this social issue by bridging the gap between the hungry and good Samaritans in the city. While ‘No Food Waste’, a Coimbatore-based NGO recently got a $1,000 grant from Pollination Project in the USA in aid of this cause, namma Chennai too has been stepping up and preventing food waste using apps and social media sites. Organisations like Giveaway and the Food Bank are doing just that — feeding the needy by collecting excess food from homes, weddings, restaurants and so on.
GiveAway, started by friends Mohamed Asif, Fahd Khaleel and Nareshwar Sivanesan, aims at feeding the hungry in various parts of the city. All you have to do is send the group a WhatsApp message, if you have extra food — the team will collect it from your doorstep and pack it hygienically to feed as many as 1,000 people a day. “When I was 13 I had gone to a restaurant in my native place. I found a boy of my age washing plates for some money in order to buy food for his ailing mother. GiveAway was formed in a bid to end hunger for such people,” explains Asif. “Our research team has found that around 5,500 people are in need of food every night,” adds Nareshwar.
“I was on Marina Beach on a busy Sunday evening with my friends when a middle- aged man was looking for something to eat in a garbage bin. I was shocked at his plight,” Fahd says, continuing, “And today, we feed around 500 to 1,000 people a day including rag pickers, rickshaw pullers, cart pullers, construction workers and others, before we go to bed. We experience a feeling that cannot be put into words — the emotional high we get when we see them grateful for one morsel of food is tremendous.”3
Another organisation that’s been making national headlines recently is Food Bank; the name has been popping up on social media platforms, drawing in a lot of support and encouragement. Started by 23-year-old Sneha Mohandoss, a Visual Communication graduate, even other cities have recognised this venture. The essence of Food Bank is group effort — the city has been divided into different areas, each handled by a specific group of volunteers.
“What we do at Food Bank is something everybody can get involved with. I have been doing this personally and there are other people who also go out of their way to feed the hungry. But sometimes, people need a connecting factor,” Sneha tells us, adding, “So, this June, I created the Facebook page and spread the word in other social media groups. I assigned a group of volunteers for each locality, who collect and distribute food there. Working together with other people makes it meaningful and encouraging in a way.”
A lot of people have approached her offering words of encouragement, and even a helping hand. “There are many socially aware people, and coming together to share the excess food we all sometimes create, is the way to go,” Sneha concludes.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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