With Facebook and ATMs, Food Banks in India are taking food from the haves to the have-nots

Food banks started mushrooming across Israel, Australia, Turkey, Taiwan, Colombia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil, and India and several other countries in the developing world since 1980. These non-profit charitable organizations operating in 30 countries worldwide are aimed at making food available to those who either don’t have access to food or lack purchasing power to buy it.

One of the first food banks to have started operations in India is based in Delhi.

Known as the Delhi Food Banking Network, the NGO is seeking to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of “Zero Hunger” in India by feeding and providing nutrition to the economically backward fringes of the society that failed at availing two square meals a day. They also aim at breaking the cycle of poverty by empowering and transforming the lives of those trapped in this cycle by linking them to health care facilities, education, and livelihood. The Delhi Food Banking Network has also undertaken various feeding programs for schools, orphanages, charitable hospitals, faith-based organizations, beggars, and the homeless.

Committed to the philosophy of general welfare, the Ponty Chadha Foundation entered an alliance with India Food Banking Network, with the goal of providing for the hunger-stricken population in the streets and corners of Noida and Ghaziabad by engaging with a channel of NGOs and helps in transporting food from the donors to the needy. Led by Jatinder Kaur Chadha, (W/O Late Gurdeep Ponty Singh Chadha) the foundation not only aims at curbing hunger but also seeks to create awareness about malnutrition and encourage more people to extend their assistance.

Griffith Laboratories Private Limited and a handful of volunteers inaugurated “The Feeding Bangalore Foundation,” in celebration of the World Food Day, October 16th, 2014.

The first donation of ready-to-cook ‘khichdi’ packets for 5000 people came from Griffith Laboratories’ NGO partners. The foundation acquires dry and uncooked food, like rice, pulses, oil, and spices from donors, and takes them to the poor. With over 28 NGOs including Mitra Jyothi School for the Blind, Vathsala Charitable Trust, and Auto Raja’s Home of Hope partnering with it, the Bangalore-based food bank acts as a bridge connecting those who have surplus food to those who have none.

The dabbawallahs of Mumbai have also jumped in to fight hunger in the country’s financial capital.

After acclaiming global fame for their unprecedented performance of delivering lunch to 9-to-5 Mumbaikars throughout the city, they have joined hands with Mumbai Roti Bank to pick leftover or excess food from their dabbas and give it to ones starving. They are not only channeling out excess food in the lunch dabbas but will also reach you if you call them to take the surplus in your kitchen to someone that desperately needs that bowl of rice or roti-sabzi you might have wasted otherwise. So, if you are in Mumbai and want to contribute to the fight against hunger, you may call them, by dialing 8655580001 or 9111891118.

Chennaites have come up with the novel idea of utilizing Facebook to make home-cooked food available to the homeless.

Instead of handing out left-overs, this group of youngsters encourages homes to cook a few portions more of their regular meals. The food will be collected by the members of FoodBank Chennai Fbc and served to a homeless resting on a street nearby.

Asif Ahmed of ‘Sanjha Chulha’ started a Foof ATM in Kolkata.

Apart from these major cities, there are miscellaneous food banks running throughout India.

While it’s disheartening to observe a day dedicated to Hunger, given that it shouldn’t even exist, the blessing is that most of us are equipped to combat this global curse. Our armory is our kitchen with all its pans, knives, spatulas, whisks, and ladles where all we have to do is caramelize some onions, spice up the Sambar, and roll on some soft chapatis.