<p>The rains on Sunday caused the cancellation of a political meet in HSR Layout. The food ordered for the event was diverted to 100 kids at a nearby slum. “They ate the surplus idlis, kesari bath and khara pongal for breakfast,” Younes Matheen told <em><strong>Metrolife</strong></em>.</p>.<p>Matheen’s non-profit collects excess ready-to-cook chapatis, biscuits, bread and fresh food from food processing units, restaurants and community halls, which would otherwise be binned at the end of the day. The collected food is served to the needy within a few hours. “A lot of food goes unutilised during weekends, when it’s raining and over the wedding season,” says Matheen, an electronics engineer who helms Helping Heroes India Foundation (HHIF).</p>.<p>Similarly, the Robin Hood Army (RHA) has been reducing food wastage in Bengaluru for the past 10 years. The group has 300 active volunteers. They feed 1,000-1,500 people living in low-<br>income communities every week.</p>.<p>Individuals like Shivakumar Bhadraiah have been at it for 30 years. Earlier, he would collect excess food from wedding halls. Now, caterers deliver the surplus food at his doorstep for further distribution. He runs a shop selling pooja essentials in Rajajinagar.</p>.<p><strong>Reserve on app</strong></p>.<p>A year-old-app is diversifying its beneficiaries in a bid to normalise the consumption of surplus food. Called Bee The Change, it sells an assortment of excess food from bakeries, cafes and biryani outlets at 1/3rd the cost. Students and working professionals concerned about sustainability use the app although orders are scant, says founder Mohammed Tajamul.</p>.Zomato launches 'Food Rescue', ensuring no order cancellation and zero food wastage.<p>The app has 50 businesses on board. Each business puts out a minimum of three surplus dishes as a ‘Treat Bag’ at the start of the day and they offer a 'Treat Bag' or two daily.</p> <p><strong>Restaurant excess</strong></p>.<p>According to Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd, Bengaluru generates approximately 296 tonnes of food waste daily. Restaurants are the biggest contributors, followed by tech parks, community halls, and malls.</p>.<p>Subhra Das from Saahas Zero Waste supports the distribution of excess food. The associate lead (operations) says, “Five-star hotels and tech parks don’t part with leftover food citing internal policy. They fear somebody may fall sick if others handle their food. This prevents them from exploring such solutions.”</p>.<p>P C Rao, president, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA), admits to the hesitation among F&B players. The body is in talks with BBMP to supply fresh leftover food from restaurants <br>and hotels to feed stray dogs. “Some already send the food to piggeries in Hoskote,” he adds.</p>.<p><strong>Hygiene concern</strong></p>.<p>FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has guidelines for redistributing food. “It must be transported hot (at 65°C) or cold (5°C) in food-grade containers, and handlers should wear gloves, hair nets, masks and clean clothes,” says food safety consultant Dr Mamatha Mishra.</p>.<p>Volunteer groups HHIF and RHA, and Bhadraiah told Metrolife they don’t use thermal or cold containers. They transport the food in steel or plastic tubs, ferrying them on their two-wheelers, cars or mini trucks. They use gloves and ladles while serving. They smell or taste the food to ensure it is safe to be eaten.</p>.<p><strong>Social impact</strong></p>.<p>During the day, these groups and individuals distribute food to people living in low-income areas. At night, they reach out to beggars and the homeless on roadsides, bus stands, and railway stations, or poor families at government hospitals. They source food from restaurants, office canteens, corporate events, house warming ceremonies and wedding halls. If the food arrives past midnight, Bhadraiah sends it to piggeries.</p><p>G Nagaraj, a long-time volunteer of RHA Bengaluru, says, “The poor don’t line up for food because it is free. They come because they trust us and that’s come after years of volunteering in these areas.”</p>.<p>They are aware of the widespread scepticism around freebies but Priyanka Balaga, former city head of RHA, shares the impact on the ground. “A woman gave birth to a boy, weighing 3 kg. He was the healthiest of all her four children at the time of birth. She said it’s because she was getting fresh food from us routinely,” shares Priyanka, now a volunteer.</p>.<p>Matheen of HHIF pitches in, “Families are able to save Rs 50-100 per day for the education of their child. And about 200 elderly in a J P Nagar slum solely depend on our food distribution.”</p>.<p>Bhadraiah recalls a poignant story: “At a bus stand, I fed a 15-year-old who had not eaten for two days. Somebody had brought him to Bengaluru on the promise of a job and abandoned him.”</p>.<p><strong>How to connect</strong><br>Robin Hood Army: robinhoodarmy.com or 89719 66164 (WhatsApp)<br>Shivakumar B: 99005 68514<br>Helping Heroes India Foundation: 99458 73364<br>Download Bee The Change app on Android and iOS</p>
<p>The rains on Sunday caused the cancellation of a political meet in HSR Layout. The food ordered for the event was diverted to 100 kids at a nearby slum. “They ate the surplus idlis, kesari bath and khara pongal for breakfast,” Younes Matheen told <em><strong>Metrolife</strong></em>.</p>.<p>Matheen’s non-profit collects excess ready-to-cook chapatis, biscuits, bread and fresh food from food processing units, restaurants and community halls, which would otherwise be binned at the end of the day. The collected food is served to the needy within a few hours. “A lot of food goes unutilised during weekends, when it’s raining and over the wedding season,” says Matheen, an electronics engineer who helms Helping Heroes India Foundation (HHIF).</p>.<p>Similarly, the Robin Hood Army (RHA) has been reducing food wastage in Bengaluru for the past 10 years. The group has 300 active volunteers. They feed 1,000-1,500 people living in low-<br>income communities every week.</p>.<p>Individuals like Shivakumar Bhadraiah have been at it for 30 years. Earlier, he would collect excess food from wedding halls. Now, caterers deliver the surplus food at his doorstep for further distribution. He runs a shop selling pooja essentials in Rajajinagar.</p>.<p><strong>Reserve on app</strong></p>.<p>A year-old-app is diversifying its beneficiaries in a bid to normalise the consumption of surplus food. Called Bee The Change, it sells an assortment of excess food from bakeries, cafes and biryani outlets at 1/3rd the cost. Students and working professionals concerned about sustainability use the app although orders are scant, says founder Mohammed Tajamul.</p>.Zomato launches 'Food Rescue', ensuring no order cancellation and zero food wastage.<p>The app has 50 businesses on board. Each business puts out a minimum of three surplus dishes as a ‘Treat Bag’ at the start of the day and they offer a 'Treat Bag' or two daily.</p> <p><strong>Restaurant excess</strong></p>.<p>According to Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd, Bengaluru generates approximately 296 tonnes of food waste daily. Restaurants are the biggest contributors, followed by tech parks, community halls, and malls.</p>.<p>Subhra Das from Saahas Zero Waste supports the distribution of excess food. The associate lead (operations) says, “Five-star hotels and tech parks don’t part with leftover food citing internal policy. They fear somebody may fall sick if others handle their food. This prevents them from exploring such solutions.”</p>.<p>P C Rao, president, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA), admits to the hesitation among F&B players. The body is in talks with BBMP to supply fresh leftover food from restaurants <br>and hotels to feed stray dogs. “Some already send the food to piggeries in Hoskote,” he adds.</p>.<p><strong>Hygiene concern</strong></p>.<p>FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has guidelines for redistributing food. “It must be transported hot (at 65°C) or cold (5°C) in food-grade containers, and handlers should wear gloves, hair nets, masks and clean clothes,” says food safety consultant Dr Mamatha Mishra.</p>.<p>Volunteer groups HHIF and RHA, and Bhadraiah told Metrolife they don’t use thermal or cold containers. They transport the food in steel or plastic tubs, ferrying them on their two-wheelers, cars or mini trucks. They use gloves and ladles while serving. They smell or taste the food to ensure it is safe to be eaten.</p>.<p><strong>Social impact</strong></p>.<p>During the day, these groups and individuals distribute food to people living in low-income areas. At night, they reach out to beggars and the homeless on roadsides, bus stands, and railway stations, or poor families at government hospitals. They source food from restaurants, office canteens, corporate events, house warming ceremonies and wedding halls. If the food arrives past midnight, Bhadraiah sends it to piggeries.</p><p>G Nagaraj, a long-time volunteer of RHA Bengaluru, says, “The poor don’t line up for food because it is free. They come because they trust us and that’s come after years of volunteering in these areas.”</p>.<p>They are aware of the widespread scepticism around freebies but Priyanka Balaga, former city head of RHA, shares the impact on the ground. “A woman gave birth to a boy, weighing 3 kg. He was the healthiest of all her four children at the time of birth. She said it’s because she was getting fresh food from us routinely,” shares Priyanka, now a volunteer.</p>.<p>Matheen of HHIF pitches in, “Families are able to save Rs 50-100 per day for the education of their child. And about 200 elderly in a J P Nagar slum solely depend on our food distribution.”</p>.<p>Bhadraiah recalls a poignant story: “At a bus stand, I fed a 15-year-old who had not eaten for two days. Somebody had brought him to Bengaluru on the promise of a job and abandoned him.”</p>.<p><strong>How to connect</strong><br>Robin Hood Army: robinhoodarmy.com or 89719 66164 (WhatsApp)<br>Shivakumar B: 99005 68514<br>Helping Heroes India Foundation: 99458 73364<br>Download Bee The Change app on Android and iOS</p>