NGO gets 3,000 kg newspapers in three days to feed patients
HT HAD PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ON JULY 9 ABOUT THE INITIATIVE. IT BEGAN TRENDING ON TWITTER ON SUNDAY
In just three days, Delhiites donated around 3,000 kilograms of newspapers to a city-based non-profit organisation, after Hindustan Times published an article about a unique initiative to feed poor patients.
The Uday Foundation sells donated newspapers to fund their programme to feed poor patients and their families who live outside All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
In June, when the initiative started, the organisation received a donation of nearly 800 kg of newspaper.
The article dated July 9 about the initiative explained how people in Delhi and Mumbai came forward to help the sick by launching voluntary initiatives. The hashtag #DonateOldNewspapers started trending on Twitter on Sunday.
Believe it or not, just 10 kg of newspapers, which people often forget after reading, can provide a meal to 12 people. About 3,600 people could be fed with 3,000 kg of newspapers.
Right now, Uday Foundation provides food to 1,000 people twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays. “With this overwhelming response, we are planning to do the food drive three days a week from August. Maybe, we could increase it to all seven days by the end of the year,” said Rahul Verma, founder of Uday Foundation.
Anyone who wishes to help can drop off their old newspapers at the foundation’s collection centre at 113A/1, Adchini, Sri Aurobindo Marg.
Verma said he himself had spent countless hours outside the country’s premiere hospital when his son was receiving treatment for multiple birth defects. “I know how tiring it can be to wait outside the hospital when a loved one is getting treated. My thought was that if the caregiver is hungry, how can the patients be taken care of? There are several people who stay here for months and I had to help them,” said Verma.
At any given point, there are around 200 people who call the pavement, bus stop and metro station outside AIIMS their home. The hospital has night shelters for kin of patients, but it is inadequate for the 2,000 people admitted to the hospital.