Feeding 500 people every week is no mean job, but the Food Bank Hyderabad does just that, and is looking to do much more. The man behind the initiative, 27-year old Mohammed Abdul Aziz, says, “I was thinking about how it would be if each of us could take the responsibility of feeding at least three-four people at a time — it wouldn’t be a big burden and it would help four lives. It was then that I heard about Sneha Mohandoss’s Food Bank initiative in Chennai and I thought this was the perfect way to help!”
Later, Abdul formed a core group with four other friends — Dileep Jara Japu, Shaik Iqbal, Satya Pamidi, and Abdul Salaam. Not interested in cash transactions or donations, the team only picks up packed, home-cooked meals, and distributes it among the poor.
The initiative started six months back when they distributed 34 packets on their first food drive. Now, every Sunday they distribute 500 packets or more on an average. They have more than 50 volunteers spread across the city who pick up food from families who volunteer to donate food.
Abdul adds, “Sometimes we also have people from across the country and from abroad who order food online, to be distributed, especially durable food like biscuits, bread etc. So now, the destitute are not just fed for the day but also have something to eat for the next two or three days.” The Food Bank’s volunteer pool includes housewives, students, entrepreneurs and employees — mostly below 30 years of age.
Abdul adds, “Our Facebook page now has 6,000 followers, and we are hoping that more volunteers will join us to assist in the campaign that we are running for World Hunger Day on May 28. It is called #feedthehunger challenge, our aim is to make Hyderabad a hunger-free city!”
About their biggest challenges, he says, “We need more volunteers to pitch in from all areas to give food as well as to distribute; sometimes we have more food, but don’t have the resources to distribute, so we need all kinds of support.”
