"The Margam" Foundation in Vijayawada has stepped in to support Covid patients in home isolation by delivering nutritious food to their doorstep for free. All that is needed is a day's notice to the foundation's helpline, which is staffed entirely by volunteers.
“I was in home isolation for nearly two weeks and was unable to cook for myself during that period. After I recovered, I went back to work on the issue and decided to serve food to others in isolation. In the Covid second wave, however, I was able to capitalise on my goal.” Annapurna has been feeding 250 patients and their families every day through her foundation in Moghalrajpuram, Satyanarayanapuram, Vidhyadharapuram, Brundhavan Colony and other nearby places. “I began the initiative with a Rs 2 lakh investment, and the rest was donated by philanthropists. Volunteers compile information on the infected and their families who are being kept at home. The RT-PCR results, Aadhar card, and residential address details must be issued one day ahead of time, and the order must be put before 11 p.m., according to Annapurna.
In One Town, a centralised kitchen was set up to prepare the meals while adhering to hygiene protocols. Rice, dal, dried fruits, ladoo, vegetable curry, chutney, sambar/rasam, and curd are on the lunch menu. To ensure that food is provided to the patients on time, two volunteers are allocated to each locality. The foundation spends Rs 75 per meal, and Annapurna spends Rs 20,000 per day.
“To improve the taste of the food, we want to add a few more things to the menu. However, due to a lack of funding, we are unable to reach out to more patients. A few of our customers who order meals from us pay for our services.” She claims that a part of the police force that is aware of the foundation's activities is not intervening in the distribution of goods.
“We are requesting that the police provide us with vehicle passes and permits so that we can reach out to a larger number of patients, even in remote areas,” Margam founder said. “There are also plans in the works to provide therapy to patients who order meals from us in order to keep them motivated.”
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In tough times like the ones we are in, there are many people who have come out and became real life Heros for the people who are suffering due to this pandemic. At Truescoop we are inclined to bring out these stories and present them, applaud them on the big stage.