From rescuing homeless people to providing food, ration kits amidst COVID-19 – top Social Stories of the week

Amidst a raging second COVID-19 wave, many samaritans have come forward to help society — be it with life-saving medical equipment or providing food to the needy and essential workers. One such initiative is Gurugram-based Rasoi on Wheels, which tries to eliminate hunger in the city by providing three meals a day to the poor.

In fact, Habitat for Humanity took to distributing meals and hygiene essentials to the poor during the pandemic. Entrepreneurs of Kolkata, too, is providing medical essentials like oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders to various hospitals in Kolkata and the nearby districts.

Here are the top Social Stories of the week:

Hyderabad-based 'Good Samaritan' rescues and shelters homeless people through his non-profit

AI George Rakesh Babu unofficially started the Good Samaritans Trust in 2008 by opening a free clinic in Hyderabad, which provides basic healthcare. He, along with his wife, Sunita George, a special educator, and another trustee, Yesukala, officially founded the trust in 2011. The clinic turned into a ‘welfare centre’ and is now a full-fledged home for the destitute.

The Good Samaritans Trust rescues the homeless, who are cared for based on their needs and illnesses, if any. The team also looks at the circumstances that led them to their homelessness and goes on a search to find any members of their family based on their recollection, if any.

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Gurugram-based mobile kitchen provides free meals to the poor during COVID-19 pandemic

Many organisations are taking steps to ensure no food is wasted and distributed to the poor who sleep with a hungry stomach. While the kindness and thoughtfulness of this cannot be priced, it doesn’t always assure that the meals are nutritious and healthy enough for consumption.

Gurugram resident Atul Kapur believes these people should not be deprived of nutritious food just because they cannot afford it. So he, along with Manika Badhwar and her husband Ashim Badhwar, founded Rasoi On Wheels. The NGO provides freshly cooked, nutritious, and as their tagline reads, ‘ghar jaisa khana’ to the underserved communities in and around Delhi and Gurugram.

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Habitat for Humanity is helping India’s most underserved communities

Global housing non-profit Habitat for Humanity says there are 63.67 million households across India that do not have adequate housing. The organisation has been working in India since 1983 with communities and groups at the bottom of the pyramid such as the Irula tribes of Tamil Nadu, families living with HIV AIDS, families of martyred soldiers, and the widows of farmers who committed suicide due to debt. 

Since it was founded, Habitat India has impacted over 5,16,071 families through direct interventions and coalitions.  

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Habitat for Humanity India to host third edition of Annual Charity Golf Tournament; to raise funds for COVID-19 care centres

Entrepreneurs of Kolkata (EOK) join hands to provide medical essentials amidst COVID-19 second wave

Entrepreneurs of Kolkata (EOK) — in partnership with the Rotary Club of Calcutta Visionaries — has launched an initiative ‘Breathe Again’ to support essential medical requirements that are of high priority in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Active since May 2020, the group is led by Sagar Daryani (Founder, Wow! Momo), Pulak Chamaria (Owner, Infinity Group), Aditya Ladsaria (Founder, Chai Break), and Amit Saraogi (Managing Director, Anmol Feeds), among others.

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VisionSpring raises $1.5M for India's COVID-19 response; to deliver more than 1,000 oxygen concentrators

Project Global Cure is providing food, ration kits to those in need

The Humanity Welfare Council (HWC) has launched an initiative called Project Global Cure, which focuses on transforming the healthcare sector globally by gathering and providing funds to those who need medical assistance.

In these trying COVID-19 times, Project Global Cure has directed its efforts into raising funds for food to provide meals across India to the needy.