Local eateries team up with Robinhood Army to feed hungry
PRAYAGRAJ: : Poor and homeless in Sangam city will not sleep empty stomach anymore, courtesy joint efforts of the Prayagraj unit of Robinhood Army and the officials of the Food Safety and Drug Administration department (FSDA) of the district.
Following the noble work being by the Robinhood Army for the past two years, the district administration has decided to come forward and further strengthen the bond between the ‘army for the poor’ and the restaurants of the district.
The eateries have agreed to part with the remaining amount of food that goes waste at their respective establishment and the same would be distributed to homeless and downtrodden by the volunteers of the Robinhood Army, said officials.
The FSDA officials had arranged a meeting of the Robinhood Army representatives and the office bearers of the hotel and restaurant association of the city.
“Although, we were in contact with some of the prominent hotel and restaurants of the city but due to Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021, the businesses of hotels and restaurants were adversely affected and impacted collections too,” said Narendra Tiwari, a senior member of the Robinhood
Army.
He said that there are around 250 active volunteers of the ‘army’ and presently the sticker drive is being carried out by the team of these volunteers who visits the guest houses of the city on every Sunday and paste the stickers at prominent and noticeable places of the guest houses.
“Through the stickers we try to communicate the numbers that the people using these guest houses for hosting marriage and birthday functions can contact us if they have leftover food. The food, which the donor wants to give us, should be minimum for 25 people with no maximum limit,” said Tiwari.
He added that the sticker drive has already covered around 90 guest houses of the prominent localities of the city including Daraganj, Kydganj, Allahapur, Sobatiyabagh, Talierganj etc while 90 odd more guest houses marriage halls would be contacted soon.
“We attend the calls till around 11pm also and after that, we request callers to preserve the food that is picked up early next morning. We taste the food and if it is fit to be consumed, then we distribute it to the needy living in the vicinity of the food collection site,” Tripathi said.
Prayagraj’s Chief Food Safety Officer, Department of Food Safety and drug administration, KK Tripathi said, “The department is trying to play the role of a bridge between the hotels, restaurants and this noble NGO from time to time. Such meetings are held to spread awareness about the noble work of this ‘army’ and how hotels and restaurants can play an important role in the same”.