Millions of people are sheltering in a comfortable place to help stem the spread of Covid-19. But in the empty city streets, some of society’s most vulnerable daily wagers and the homeless continue to gather outside the dwindling number of open shops to gather a few crumbs for their grumbling tummies and families. Anbu aged 23, says he often lives out of the leftovers by customers as they exit the small road-side hotels. While such eateries drown their shutters, people like Anbu are drowning in their sorrow of lack of food or medical care.
We can debate all day about the causes of homelessness and hunger but as we try to find a cure for hunger, someone is actually starving. While staying safe and infection-free for the homeless is a battle, managing to feed themselves with a single meal a day is an altogether herculean challenge. As the pandemic continues to create a mayhem, there will be one too many lessons to learn from it : one is a lesson that should have been learned long ago, that inequality kills.
The only solution at such a critical time is to route the necessities from the have-s to the have-nots. Get food, find a hungry person and then feed them. And that is exactly what Sneha and her team have been relentlessly working towards. In association with the Greater Chennai Corporation, Food Bank India has distributed over 35,000 food packets and over 28,000 kgs of groceries and even rescued over 150 homeless people.
Sneha Mohandoss, a Chennai-based activist is a household name for the country as she strives hard each day to feed the homeless through her NGO FoodBank India which she started in 2015. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over his social media accounts to seven women achievers on Women’s day, the founder of NGO Food Bank India was one among the privileged seven to share her journey. The altruistic work that she has been doing for the last five years has spared many poor souls going to sleep without a meal.
Food Bank India is a lifeline to those living on the breadline. With more than 80 percent of India’s workforce employed in the informal sector, and one-third working as casual laborers, it is crucial that we have a relentless drive from NGOs like these.
“I feel empowered when I do what I’m passionate about! I wish to inspire my fellow citizens, especially women to come forward and join hands with me. I urge everyone to feed at the least one needy person and contribute to a hunger-free planet,” Sneha says. Sneha was inspired by her mother who instilled the habit of feeding the homeless.
Considering safety measures in the wake of Coronavirus, Sneha operates with a limited team of volunteers who pick the dry food ration from the doorsteps of people who would like to contribute. They then deliver it to the homeless people in your locality. It’s one thing to serve a meal but an altogether different feeling to share a meal!
As they begin their Season 2 of lockdown drive, do you wish to contribute dry ration from the comfort of your home? Connect with Sneha Mohandoss or Foodbank India on Facebook / Twitter.
Stay Home, Save Homeless!
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