Cooks and service staff employed by the Press Club of India (PCI) who live in the vicinity of the club have decided to stand by the needy and feed the hungry during the ongoing lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The PCI management put together the logistics, the members contributed funds and the Delhi government stepped in to help distribute 600-700 meal per day.
“Since March 30 we have packed and distributed over 600 meals everyday. Staff come in the morning and by lunch we have the meals packed and ready. A vehicle sent by the Delhi government comes to collect the packets. After we are done, civic body staff come and sanitise the entire area,” said Jitender Singh, Office Secretary of PCI. Mr. Singh added that after they took the initiative, press clubs in other parts of the country also took up same initiatives with contributions from journalists.
Bhaskar, the cook heading the kitchen at the club, said that they have been cooking pulao, biryani or poori alu that is served with pickle and curd or a banana. “The food is very different from what we are used to cooking at the club but with limited rations, these are the items that we can cook on a large scale,” Mr. Bhaskar says. The club has been spending ₹12,000 a day to cook and pack the meals.
“This is an initiative taken by our staff who have come forward to volunteer. So we are making it possible. We do not know when the lockdown will end and even after it does, if there will be restriction on gatherings. So we may not be able to hold press conferences and open the facilities of the club. These volunteers do not know what the future holds for them, but are coming forward to provide this service,” says Mr. Singh.
Shyam and Manjeet, two other staff said that they have been maintaining social distancing and wearing gloves and masks while packing the food. “When we finish our work and the van from the Delhi government comes to pick up the food, we feel satisfied that someone who is hungry is getting a good meal,” they say.
