With the pandemic hitting the capital hard, volunteer groups and individuals have been burning both ends of the candle to ensure that no one who is affected by COVID-19 goes hungry. By Christy Varghese
On a normal day Utsav Malhotra, proprietor of Utsav’s Aroma Express located in Navin Shahdara, would wake up well in time to open the shutters of his bakeshop and cafe by 10 am. As a small business owner, Utsav would take care to tend to orders and requests well in time so that the workload did not pile up. His venture was fairly successful and was shaping up to be a popular joint among the youth who resided in the surrounding areas. That was until he had to make peace with ‘the new normal’.
Fast forward to the second wave of Covid. Utsav makes some calls and takes stock of messages on WhatsApp to confirm that he needs to prepare 50 lunch thalis and that there are no pending orders for his cafe. He is one among numerous volunteer groups and individuals rising to address the need of the moment by providing hot meals to people affected by the pandemic. While some have the advantage of having an abundance of resources at their disposal, and are making good use of this privilege, there are others like Utsav who work on a smaller scale but leave no stone unturned in helping those in need.
“As of now, the 50 food packets will be delivered to the members of around 20 families residing in or around Navin Shahdara. I am very grateful to my family members who help me prepare enough food, depending on the need, without any hesitation. They constantly remind me with their actions that I should appreciate what I have and have successfully instilled the practice of helping others in me,” he shared over a rushed telephonic conversation. Utsav has been delivering hot, home-cooked meals ever since the second wave of COVID-19 cases have hit the capital hard. While his team of delivery attendants help hand over orders from Utsav’s Aroma Kitchen, they have refused to help him with his philanthropic initiative and he expressed that their fears aren’t unwarranted and that he won’t force them to do anything they are not comfortable with.
He has made it a point to refuse any sort of payment from the people he delivers food to. “I do not seek donations or payments from those whom I am helping. While I have to admit that I could use all the help I receive but I haven’t asked anyone for any sort of assistance. I am grateful for everyone who has aided me in my endeavour but regardless, I have decided that come what may I will continue this tiffin service till the time I can. There are children out there with both parents testing positive for COVID. There are entire households that have been rendered weak due to the pandemic and I will go out of my way to ensure that they receive a hot meal at least twice a day. I think that is the least I can do,” Utsav signed off before abruptly disconnecting the phone call so that he could get back to delivering the food before it turned cold.
Working on similar lines, but on a somewhat larger scale, the Rotary Club of Ghaziabad has been delivering food to COVID-19 patients across Ghaziabad since May 3. “We have been delivering over 150 meals, give or take 20 packets depending on whether there are any new cases or if some of our recipients have recovered, twice a day for lunch and dinner. While we do not seek payment for the food packages, we have been accepting donations. In the meanwhile, we have been making use of the funds accumulated by our organisation,” said Virender Aggarwal, a member of the club. With an extensive team at their disposal, they have been catering to customised meal requests.
At the other end of the spectrum, we also have associations of residential areas pitching in to lend a helping hand.
With the onset of the second wave of COVID-19 cases, my friendly neighbour, who refuses to be named, advised their domestic help to be careful and not visit them until the situation regains a sense of normalcy, while handing her two months’ salary in advance. However, a few days later, when she tested positive for the novel Coronavirus, she was overcome by helplessness and did not know what to do. She highlighted her plight in one simple statement, “All I could think about was, if I am not well, what will my son eat?”
That was when her neighbourhood’s residents welfare organisation came to her rescue by providing healthy, nutritious food to their household till she recovered. She shared that the first time she received the warm package she struggled to hold her tears back. “My gratitude knows no bounds. We received hot meals from our neighbours for a couple of days even after I tested negative. Moreover, those who helped me out refused to accept payments for the same. I cannot even express how overwhelming this simple act of kindness was,” she said.
Special shoutout to every person out there who has been checking up on others to make sure that they are not hungry in these uncertain times. The simple pleasure of receiving a plate full of hot food when one is starving cannot be conveyed in mere words. Be the reason someone else starts believing in humanity.