KAKINADA: What began as a Facebook collective with eight members eight years ago to serve the needy, has now become a full-fledged team of 150 volunteers. The group has been providing food and essentials to the poor in their surroundings with the help of social media platforms.
Peddireddy Naresh, who runs a sawmill in Kakinada was moved by the plight of the poor and created a group on Facebook - Mana Peddapuram - with eight members.
The group initially identified poor families in their surroundings and offered fortified rice and essentials to them. Over the course of time, the services of the group have attracted many on social media platforms, who also started offering services through the group members.
The members of the group came up with an idea to control the dumping of plastic waste on roads and in drains. They started 'Rice for plastic' with the motto of 'Avoid Plastic, Avoid Hunger'. The members of the group offered one kg of rice in exchange for one kg of plastic waste.
Further, they have created awareness on traffic, rash drivin in Peddapuram. The members have been collecting leftover food from various hotels and function halls, and distributing them to the destitute and the needy in the town.
They have also taken up blood donation camps and plantation programmes and distributed textbooks to students from poor families. During the lockdown period, the Mana Peddapuram members offered food and nutritious supplements to pregnant women, children and workers.
Peddireddy Naresh received the Global Community Award by John FK International for his services in September 2019.