Like Minded Youth Join Hands, Serve Food to Needy through Udupi Helpline
Pics By Ankith Team Mangalorean
Udupi: A group of youngsters in Udupi have set a noble example by collecting leftover food from marriage parties and catering units and distributing it to orphanages, special schools and old age homes in Udupi district.
After experiencing nature’s fury that left Kodagu and Kerala in distress with people striving to get proper food, youngsters formed a WhatsApp group ‘Udupi helpline’ in August. Its official launching ceremony was held on Thursday, October 11 at the Lions Bhavan Brahmagiri, Udupi.
The Launching ceremony of the Udupi Help Line was done in a unique way by distributing food for 100 people by the dignitaries. Jayakar Shetty Indrali General manager of Badagabettu CO-operative Society, Mattar Rathnakar Hegde president of Udupi district BJP, Janardhan Tonse district president of Indian National Congress and Yogish Shetty district president of Janata Dal Secular launched the Udupi Helpline.
According to Mahesh Poojary president of the Udupi Help Line. Likeminded youth took up the initiative to collect leftover food from caterers, marriage halls and distribute it among the needy. The group appealed not to dispose of the leftover food, but instead, contact the group so that they can take the food and provide it to the needy.
“This message has received good response and marriage halls and catering services have been informing us of the leftover food to be collected,” said Mahesh Poojary.
The leftover food, otherwise, would have been thrown to the garbage bins. But it is now being used to provide the much-needed nutrition to those who need it the most. Food is essential for all. Helping a person in satiating hunger is a noble service, he added.
Mahesh Poojary said, “We supply food to Ashrams in Shirva, Kaup, Kundapur, Koni and Santhekatte. Though we have started an initiative to collect leftover fool from organisers, we had not officially inaugurated it till today”.
It was disturbing to see food being wasted while there are people who don’t get proper food. The flood victims of Kodagu and Kerala also suffered from lack of food supply. There are hundreds of marriage halls and caterers in the district. If we can make an effort to distribute the unused food to old age homes, orphanages and special schools, it will benefit many,” he explained.
“At present, we don’t have the utensils to collect food. We collect the food from different halls in utensils provided by the caterers and return it to them. We are also chalking out a plan to purchase utensils and a vehicle to transport the food. If donors come forward, we can extend the activity further. We are now pooling in resources to take up the initiative,” Mahesh said.
