Udupi: Have excess food after a party or function? Just take out you phone and call on the “Udupi Helpline”. This unique helpline, started by altruistic youngsters from Udupi, had an official launch on Thursday, October 11, at the Udupi Lions Bhavan, Brahmagiri near here.
The helpline was initially launched informally in August by youngsters from Udupi as a WhatsApp group, in response to the Kodagu and Kerala floods. As their project received good response, they decided to launch the helpline officially with a unique ceremony, where they distributed food to 100 people. The food was distributed by Jaykar Shetty Indrali, General Manager of Badagubettu Co-operative Society, Janardhan Thonse, District Congress President, Mattar Rathnakar Hegde District Bharatiya Janata Party president, Yogish V. Shetty District President of Janata Dal Secular and other personalities.
President of the Udupi Helpline, Amruth Shenoy, in his keynote address said, “We Indians love to eat as well as feed others. For this very reason, every time we have a function or a party, we ensure that there’s plenty of food around. After all the eating, drinking, and merriment, we often end up with a lot of leftover food. While some of it can be packed and given to friends and relatives, most of it goes to waste. Often, after a big party at home is over, we wonder what to do with the food. This is where the Udupi Helpline comes in. Youth from Udupi will come forward to take these leftovers and make sure that it reaches the underprivileged.”
He added that, after the leftovers are declared fit for consumption, it is stored in refrigerators till it can be distributed to the poor in Shirva, Kundapura, Kaup, Uppoor etc.
Amruth expressed tha though this work is difficult to organise, he was confident that the youth of Udupi would succeed in their mission.
Jaykar Shetty Indrali, Mattar Ranthnakar Hegde, Janardhan Thonse and Yogish V Shetty also spoke during the occasion and appreciated the good initiative of the youngsters.
Later, Abdul Hammed released the Udupi Helpline T-Shirts for the youngsters of the initiative.
During the programme, Roshan D’Souza, T. S. Tanveer and K. S. Kalkura were felicitated for their various services to the society.
Khalil welcomed the gathering and Steevan Colaco compered the programme.
Mahesh Poojary Hoode, President, Udupi Helpline, Rafiq Kallianpur, General Secretary and Lion Manoj Prabhu were present on the dais.
