TIRUCHY: Meet a team of social activists from the district who, not stopping with their year-long lockdown initiative of feeding the needy, has gone a notch higher by helping the medically challenged destitute with personal hygiene. Taking back just a grateful smile from them after giving a bath and a haircut, the team of youngsters led by a police officer are reaching out to more such people here.
The team, ‘Time to Change’ led by Nagarajan, the sub-inspector of Thiruverambur police station, has been on their toes since the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, for the 30 members have been travelling even to the smallest areas in Thiruverambur to distribute food to the people in need at their doorsteps. They also feed hundreds of stray dogs in and around the locality.
As the further step to their good deeds, the team has taken up the initiative of aiding the destitute whom they are feeding daily. Accordingly, earlier this week the team bathed four such persons and gave them new clothes to put on. They were also given a “decent” hairdo.
Speaking to TNIE, Nagarajan said, "I along with the youngsters have been distributing food to people who have lost their jobs during the lockdown and also to the destitute who reside on the roadside. Owing to their filthy appearance, not many people go near such persons to aid them or even talk to them, also such lack of hygiene would put their health at stake. Thus we came up with the initiative of giving them a bath, and clean clothes and masks." He added that it was as part of the first phase that the team involved in improving the hygiene of the four mentally-challenged destitute.
Nagarajan said that as part of the succeeding phase they are planning to conduct a medical camp for the destitute in the streets in his jurisdiction and give medical aid, if any is needed.
Alex, one of the team members, said, "After the cleaning process and wearing new clothes, the innocent smile of joy the destitute gave made our day. We will bring that smile to more such people in the future."