Restaurants, informal groups provide food for the needy

They are giving out free meals and provisions and will continue all through the lockdown

Voluntary groups and eateries are providing free food for daily wage labourers, domestic workers and those living in slums.

Café Reset, Koramangala, is giving out ‘holistic and healthy’ meals to about 750 people every day. Surendra Kedia, owner, says, “Since we already had a café, we thought why not involve our café team to create healthy meals? We have been providing meals to frontline workers, daily wage earners, and homeless people after the lockdown kicked in.”

The café works with BBMP teams in Koramangala and HSR Layout, and serves lemon rice, rice with eggs, and rice with other vegetables, cooked with quality ingredients and oil. “We plan to continue till June 7,” he says.

Desi Masala, a restaurant located in Banaswadi, is handing out 7,000 free vegetarian meals a day.

Domestic and daily wage workers are the focus group, says Sachin Jain, owner. “We have a WhatsApp group, through which people connect and place requests. Meals are sent through Dunzo and Porter to our support system, which then distributes them,” he explains. People come to the restaurant also to collect meal packets.

Many groups which started such initiatives last year are continuing them in the wake of the second Covid-19 wave.

Entrepreneur Vinod Venkatesh and his cycling and running friends supply 150 meals to domestic and warehouse workers in Belur Ambedkar Nagar, Bellandur.

“We prepare rice items like pulao and lemon rice. We did this last year and restarted the initiative with the lockdown, as many weren’t eating even a single meal a day,” he says.

S Raju, founder of Rescue Mission Charitable Trust, has been giving out groceries and meals to many, including cab drivers and construction workers. “Every day, we hand out 400 food packets and water bottles in Kammanahalli, Lingarajapuram, Banaswadi and Coles Park. Since the recent lockdown, we have helped 500 people with ration kits,” he says.

Pledge project

The Bangalore Pledge Project has helped 2,600 families with ration kits. Started in 2020, it encourages citizens to pledge help for the needy in their own communities.

Nisha Abdulla and Rheea Rodrigues Mukherjee, who started the project, have been able to help people in GM Palya, Shivajinagar, M S Palya, and Attibele. “Each kit costs Rs 1,000, includes dry provisions for a family of four and lasts 10 days. Sometimes we also add masks and sanitisers,” Nisha says. The group works with partner stores, with the beneficiaries going there to collect their kits. Nisha hopes more Bengalureans step up and help people in their own circles. “An easy way to locate the needy is to ask your domestic help,” she says.

Here they are...

Café Reset: 63606 54004

Desi Masala: 98867 51019, 98867 24236

Vinod Venkatesh: [e-mail]

Rescue Mission: 95385 77373

The Bangalore Pledge Project: On Instagram