Caterers do their bit to feed needy

TNN | Apr 4, 2020, 04:41 IST

Coimbatore: Out of business since the lockdown, caterers have come out to feed the needy, instead of mourning their losses and sitting idle at their houses.
They had large orders for weddings in the last week of March, but they were all cancelled with the entire country going into lockdown mode to fight Covid-19 outbreak.
With no other functions to look forward to for at least another two weeks, the caterers have decided to use their resources to help the district administration feed the hungry guest labourers in the district. They are open to donations and requests for food supply to people, who require it.
The catering owners’ association from the district and Erode first approached collector K Rajamani with a request to allow them to provide food to the needy.
Ganesh, of Express Holidays, said, “We were then sent to the north taluk office in Ramnagar, where officials allowed us to distribute food in north Coimbatore. We have now set up a kitchen at Ashoka Prema Kalyana Mandapam, which the owners have lent us for the purpose. Besides using our own resources, we also get a lot of sponsorship and donations in terms of raw materials from clients, vendors and volunteers.”
He said they have been distributing 2,000 lunch boxes and as many boxes of dinner daily. “We also serve around 125 officials, who are risking their lives for us. The beneficiaries are spread across eight camps and they include guest labourers, tribals, homeless people and beggars,” Ganesh said.