When they saw the beggars begging for alms at the station, the sight forced them to come up with this initiative.
In Andhra Pradesh’s Palasa, three jawans joined hands for an initiative to feed those who are hungry. According to The New Indian Express, these jawans who were posted in different parts of India met at Palasa railway station – where they had come to meet their families.
When they saw the beggars begging for alms at the station, the sight forced them to come up with this initiative.
“Moved by their plight, we decided to do something for beggars and homeless. We launched a service activity under the banner Swami Vivekananda Seva Samithi (SVSS). Initially, we prepared food at our village and served it to the beggars at Palasa railway station,’’ said Rapaka Kiran, one of the jawans.
Kiran is attached to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. The other two are Bunny of Assam Rifles and Dharma of BSF. Both belong to Gollamakannapalli village in Palasa mandal.
The food bank was started by collecting leftover food from function venues and hotels to feed the hungry. Their efforts inspired others and over 600 youths from all over the district joined the venture. Now it has expanded to Mandasa, Sompeta and Haripuram.
But food is not all they help with. The members also donate blood when needed.
“When I posted a message on social media seeking four units of blood for an open heart surgery of my mother about a year ago, SVSS members immediately responded and donated blood,’’ said Bhagyalakshmi Brahma of Muktapuram in Meliaputti mandal.