SAMBALPUR: Every evening, an area under the flyover near Peer Baba Chhak in Sambalpur city turns into a makeshift dining space for dozens of poor and homeless people. Here, they are fed their last meal of the day from the ‘roti bank’, an initiative run by a group of volunteers who ensure none of them goes to sleep on an empty stomach.
Volunteers of a city-based organisation, Khidmat, started this initiative on Gandhi Jayanti last year. They began by serving 35 people every day and the number has gone up to 80 now. People across age groups wait patiently to get a meal of rice, roti, dal, vegetable curry and a paneer curry or sweet dish sometimes. There are 15 members in Khidmat, belonging to different religions, and eight of them are working for the ‘roti bank’.
One of the founders of the organisation Md Farooque said they had started a drive of feeding the poor and the needy before the Covid pandemic hit. However, it was discontinued after Covid situation subsided. “While we were willing to continue distribution of food, we were finding ways to sustain the drive and subsequently the idea of roti bank took shape,” he said.
While eight members are involved at any time to run the initiative smoothly, other members of the organisation ensure resources are never a roadblock. As the initiative caught the attention of people, several of them came forward to support it and began providing grains like wheat and rice besides funds.
The eight members include two cooks and a helper. Another member is entrusted with the duty of collecting money or groceries as donations from the patrons. The others assist the cooks with everything from sourcing vegetables and groceries to getting the food prepared. On an average, they incur around Rs 2,000 everyday to feed the poor. This apart, they pay a nominal amount to the cooks and helper every month.
“On some days we serve sweets donated by some patrons or even cake when someone donates on his or her birthday. It would never have been possible to sustain the service without support from the public,” Farooque added.
Sharing their plans for the future, he said there are many senior citizens in the city living alone. “We are willing to start a mobile service to deliver them food at their doorsteps. However, we are trying to figure out the logistics for it,” he added.
The ‘roti bank’ operates without judging anyone by his or her caste or religion, welcoming anyone who is in need of food. Whether it’s a daily wage labourer who didn’t find work that day, an elderly person abandoned by family, or an attendant at hospital accompanying his patient, the ‘roti bank’ ensures that each person is treated with respect. The service goes beyond charity because it is driven by a shared belief in the power of community, Farooque added.