It was around 11.30 p.m. when B.J. Venkata Mahesh reached home after office. His phone rang and a stranger on the other side told him that quite a large a portion of food was left over at a wedding function at the NAD Junction.
Wasting no time, the 26-year-old dressed up in ‘green’ — it was a call of duty for the Robin Hood Army (RHA). Soon, his co-volunteers Bhargavi, B. Sai Kumar, Satya, Ram Kumar among others joined in. They picked up the food and distributed it among 100 homeless people across the city. The drive continued till 1.30 a.m.
Around 70 youngsters including students and job holders—both girls and boys— from the city have been working with the RHA, an international organisation, since 2016. They collect food and other essentials from donors, Samaritans, hotels, function halls for distribution.
‘Immense satisfaction’
“Serving the poor gives me immense self-satisfaction. The RHA with more than 35,000 volunteers is running in many countries. After coming to know about it, I joined. Every time we feed the poor, the happiness on their faces is beyond description,” says Neelima, a private employee and volunteer. However, she says they will not accept money as donation. “We do not have any office but a meeting point on the Beach Road and a WhatsApp group. Our motto is to feed every morsel of food that otherwise would go waste to the people who carry their hungry stomach to the bed,” says Leela, another volunteer and an employee.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the drives are mandatory. All volunteers gather at the Beach Road from where they leave for the Children’s Ward at the King George Hospital (KGH), orphanages and a few other places. During the week days, it depends on the contribution by the donors or hotels.
There are occasions when the RHA has provided meal to more than 300 persons. On festive days such as Deepavali, Sankranti, Dasara, New Year and etc, the volunteers distribute food, blankets, clothes, toys and etc to the needy.
Social responsibility
“We recently collected sanitary napkins from the girls’ hostels in the city and distributed them among 80 students of a government school at Rushikonda. We feel this the best way people can discharge their social responsibility,” says Bhargavi, a law student of the Andhra University.
“A substantial number of people including senior citizens and children sleep with empty stomachs. They take shelter on pavements near the railway station, Gnanapuram, Beach Road, Kancharapalem bridge, NAD junction and a few other areas.
“A lot of food goes waste at marriage parties, family functions, restaurants and hostels of educational institutions. People can just inform us or send us a message on our WhatsApp number,” volunteers B.J. Venkata Mahesh and A. Dura Sai Prasad say.
The RHA contact numbers are 8008809698, 9652820934 or through Facebook or Instagram pages, the volunteers add.
