Eating fancy food at weddings, parties with endless appetisers and festivals spent exchanging mithais is a common sight in India. While we do have a great tradition of packing up leftovers for guests who come over, parties and events see huge food wastage. And on the other end of the spectrum, we see homeless people and beggars struggling to eat a single meal a day. NGOs and food drives have started distributing food to the needy for a long time, but it’s vital we all contribute to this.
The option of donating money to langars across the country is the best for people who live in remote areas. It is advisable to do so as the ongoing pandemic can make travelling difficult. For those who are fortunate enough to have access to a langar service at a neighbourhood gurudwara and similar places, go ahead and donate food to feed hungry souls. Here’s what you can donate: – Grains – wheat and rice – Pulses & dals – masoor dal, kala chana, moong dal, chana dal, rajma, chole, toor dal – Vegetables – any and every – Dairy products – milk, dahi and more
In India, nearly 3,000 children die every day from hunger. Your small donation to your nearest NGO or orphanage can make a huge difference. There are tons of such organisations doing their best to provide a homelike environment and care for people in need. Most NGOs and orphanages have well-equipped kitchens. You can donate by: – Giving staples like grains, vegetables, dairy products, and lentils – Celebrating your special occasions at orphanages; most of these kids rarely get to eat cakes and sweets – Making festivals special by ordering food for them from an F&B service
The domestic help, drivers, nannies, cleaners, security guards, and more who left their place of work to go home due to the pandemic are slowly coming back. They are in desperate need of work and most importantly, having left their families home, they need good food that will help them stay safe. You can cook or order food from trusted sources and feed them. – Feed your security guard, gardener, driver and domestic help – Distribute food at low-income housing areas, most of them are currently unemployed – Offer tiffins every weekend for those living far from home on their own
As per the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013, children studying in classes 1 to 8 or within the age group of 6-14 years are entitled to one mid-day meal free of charge. This excludes a huge chunk of students and in some places, the quality of food is just not good. Many are fed the same food day after day. You can help this new generation of kids stay in school and eat healthy by donating food in local schools. – Prepare nutritious food and donate to local schools as and when you desire – Put up a free pickup service in the canteen – Hire local food eateries (roti-sabzi centres) that serve home-like food to distribute food to the students