Thanks to help from the likes of Sunny Leone, Genelia, and Raj Kundra, outreach expands to cover 2,000 meal packets in city slums; dance group that feeds the blind, handicapped and homeless gets donations and food grains from readers
Actor Sunny Leone distributes food to the needy at Behrampada, Bandra, on Sunday. Pic/Shadab Khan
Two warm initiatives started last month to feed the needy and the elderly who are stuck alone at their homes during the lockdown have got a massive boost. The owner of Earth Cafe at Waterfield Road, who distributes meals to the elderly who are incapacitated, or bed-ridden, or living alone in the suburbs, got support of Bollywood bigwigs, including actors Sunny Leone, Genelia Deshmukh and businessman Raj Kundra. A group of seven young friends, who used their own income to provide free meals to beggars and footpath dwellers in Bandra, are now getting help from Mumbaikars.
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Sunny Leone distributes food to the needy in the slum pockets of Bandra, on Sunday. Pic/Shadab Khan
After mid-day published, on May 7, about the efforts of the friends, now known as The Bandra Youth, they received help from the general public, Marathi actress Sanika Gadgil and an NGO. Yusuf Shaikh, a struggling artiste and a Bandra resident, and his friends have been distributing meals to beggars, footpath dwellers and blind and deaf people who are struggling due to the lockdown-like curbs.
On Sunday, ‘The Bandra Youth’ distributed 22 packets of dry rations among blind and deaf people alone. “An NGO, Community Outreach Programme, helped us distribute dry ration on Sunday,” Shaikh said. “Each ration kit contained 10 kg rice, 5 kg sugar, 1 litre cooking oil, 5 pieces bathing soap, and pulses — 2 kg masoor and 2 kg arhar, 500 gm jaggery and 5 kg wheat,” he said.
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“The story published in mid-day helped us a lot. Many people contacted us and gave us dry ration, while others gave cash so that we could arrange food for the needy people in Bandra and nearby areas,” said Shaikh, who is heading the group.
Vik Khatwani of Earth Cafe in Bandra got the help of an international NGO, Million Dollar Vegan, through which the Bollywood biggies extended help. “We initially distributed free food packets to elderly people in Bandra and Khar. The initiative has been taken to another level after Bollywood bigwigs joined hands together to support our campaign,” Khatwani told mid-day.
Businessman Raj Kundra and Genelia Deshmukh
“On Sunday, we distributed 2,000 food packets in slum pockets of Bandra East, Dharavi and Kurla. Today, Sunny Leone and her husband visited our cafe where the food was prepared and distributed among the needy,” he added.
“The initiative is supported by Leone, the key ambassador, who is fronting the campaign, alongside Kajal Aggarwal, Genelia Deshmukh, Raj Kundra, Neha Bhasin, Joanna Lumley OBE, Bryan Adams, Digangana Suryavanshi, Sadha Sayed, Anushka Manchanda,” said Amy Aela, the outreach manager for Million Dollar Vegan in India. “The report published in mid-day helped us take the initiative to another level,” Aela added.
“In difficult times like this one of the biggest worries is, ‘how am I going to feed my family or children?’ We are doing the best we can with regards to the current situation so helping people feel the warmth of a full belly, love, and compassion goes a long way. Let’s heal together with one love for humanity,” said Leone.
Actress Genelia Deshmukh said, “India has been severely affected by the pandemic and it is up to us to do whatever we can to help.” She added that they plan to serve 1,00,000 meals over the coming weeks.
Khatwani said, “The food packets will be distributed in slum pockets every Sunday. Next week, Raj Kundra is expected to join us.”
“Our goal is to feed 1 million people by 2022,” said Aela, adding, “Last month 5,000 meals were distributed among homeless people in Mumbai alongside Neha Bhasin.”
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