G2C Team being Good Samaritans in Collecting & Donating Food to the Needy

G2C Team being Good Samaritans in Collecting & Donating Food to the Needy

• “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one” – Saint Mother Teresa
• “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me”- Matthew 25:35-40 in Bible

Mangaluru: If there is any leftover food- after a party, or after a festival, or after any happy occasion- don’t throw it away, instead call the members of G2C, who will readily come to your place and pick it up, and then distribute it to the hungry on the streets or at a ashram. These young members of ‘Team G2C’, where `G2` stands for the Second Generation and `C’ stands for Creation, have been doing this humanitarian service since last year, where they have fed hundreds of hungry folks in and around Mangaluru. Their motto is “Why Waste Food When You Can Feed the Hungry?”.

In a growing city like Mangaluru, where parties are on the rise, but many a times left over food is simply dumped into garbage bins in large quantities. But why waste that food, when there are so many hungry people on the streets who are anxiously waiting to be fed. However, in a novel initiative, a group of youngsters have been silently mitigating hunger of the destitute in and around Mangaluru with the unwanted/left over food- an initiative that they started in August 2017, and looking for no publicity until now.

Just like Mother Teresa who cared for the lepers, homeless and the poor, where she once said ” If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one” , the members of G2C who were inspired by Saint Mother Teresa’s words took it seriously to serve and feed the poor, with their initiative, where now hundreds of homeless, destitute and poor are fed. Six youngsters namely- Jeethesh Kulal Thokur, Likhith Bantwal, Premith Vamanjoor, Vijeth Bajpe, Nishmitha and Vinod Shetty Surathkal started this humanitarian service started it small, but now have over 40 volunteers comprising of students, some working and nonworking, helping them out in this project. Jeethesh and Vinod who run an event management firm, and in the view of ensuring that no left over food is wasted, they decided to pack the unwanted food and distributed among the hungry folks. Later they both contacted many caterers and eatery places and apprised them of the initiative, and they also mobilized volunteers, mainly students to join in their project- and their initiative proved successful, with over 40 volunteers in the fold now.

Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Jeethesh Kulal who was the man behind this project said, “I was working for a marketing company, but due to health problems I had to quit my job, and later start my own business of Event Management. While organizing many events I found out that large quantity of left over food was simply dumped in the garbage, which was a sheer waste when there are less privileged on streets and ashram needing food. I thought to myself, instead of throwing away unwanted food why not pack it up and share it with the hungry poor. With the help of a few friends I started a group named ‘Team G2C’ and also a Whatsapp group, and the response was great”.

“We also printed pamphlets requesting people not to waste food, instead call us and we will collect it and distribute it to the poor. Though the handbill has not been officially launched so far, it has been circulating on social media and has gained good response from the public too. Once I met a person named Joseph Crasta who manages Snehalaya, an NGO caring for the destitute, sick and poor. Appreciating and inspired by Crasta’s service to the less privileged, we called for a meeting and planned how we can share the unwanted food with the poor rather than throwing it away, and our initiative clicked. I am happy that at least now that large quantities of food that was wasted is being served to the hungry masses. We also deliver food to Snehalaya inmates too, and also many other orphanages/ashrams, other than hungry people on streets”.

“We have many caterers calling us after the event, and our volunteers go there, collect the food, make packets and distribute it to the needy. With Mangaluru being the centre, we stretch up to Mulki, Bantwal, Surathkal, Bajpe and many other vicinity, where we have our volunteers there. In the last two months we have packed at least 30 times for hundreds of empty stomachs on the streets. With so much food wasted daily, and with so many destitute/hungry people needing food, we are looking for more volunteers so that we can serve and reach out to such less privileged people. You can call us at the numbers mentioned below to become a member of G2C” added Jeethesh.

So anyone interested to be a volunteer in G2C Team, and in case there is extra or left over food at any event, please call – 9591409076; 9886241105; 9663652034; 8867884155

“We are the world, We are the children/people, We are the ones who make a brighter day, So let’s start giving”- Watch YouTube Video