Rasoi On Wheels is providing free meals to the needy in Delhi NCR for the last 5 years!

With a goal of ending hunger, Rasoi On Wheels is a Gurugram-based mobile kitchen that serves free meals to Covid patients, old age homes, slums, and the needy in Delhi NCR.

Our country is still fighting with the second wave of the pandemic, and along with the frontline workers, there are many NGOs and organizations that are working tirelessly. Some of them are making sure that the oxygen is available, while some are serving meals to patients. A mobile kitchen named 'Rasoi On Wheels' is among such NGOs, and they are ensuring that they are filling as many hungry stomachs as they can. Along with homeless people, schools, and old age homes, they are also serving food to Covid patients without charging anything.

Rasoi On Wheels was founded 5 years ago by Mr.Atul Kapur and Manika Badhwar. " We are a team of 14 people, but there are many people who also volunteer for us. They distribute meals and help us with necessary arrangements." Atul Kapur believes that food is the most important requirement and people should not be deprived of healthy food just because they cannot afford it. With this thought, the duo started their mobile kitchen. " Our aim has always been to distribute food which is healthy, nutritious, and hygienic. We serve it with dignity. We pack our meals in proper boxes that have spoons, and serve them well so that nobody feels bad.", he added.

Rasoi On Wheels distributes packed meals to various schools, slums, old age homes, and villages across Delhi NCR. They have also tied up with Helpage India, which provides funds for about 300-400 meals a day. They are currently providing midday meals to 12 to 15 schools that are not government-aided, and have zero resources. " There is a school by the name 'Little Flower's School in Gurgaon. Back then it only had 20 children, but now they've got 100 plus children. The principal told us that the parents have started sending their children to school because they are getting meals. The situation is bad, they attend school for food. It's saddening.", he said.

Rasoi On Wheels is currently serving approximately 3 thousand meals daily. Last year during the first wave of the pandemic, they were serving 20 K meals a day. However, the numbers never bothered them, and the team has always made sure that the food is fresh and nutritious. They have their own kitchen, where a team of 8 people handles everything. The team starts working at around 5.55 in the morning and the distributing van leaves the kitchen by 9 am.

"We never serve any leftover food. We get many requests from restaurants to distribute their leftover food. But, since the freshness cannot be determined and compromised, we never distribute it. And, if we have leftover food in our kitchen due to any reason, we pick them up and distribute it to families in the nearby areas, and they accept it with happy faces. So, there's never a food waste at Rasoi On Wheels", he added

Rasoi On Wheels receives its funds mainly through individual donations. Mr. Atul likes to call it ISR (Individual Social Responsibility) funds. " You must have heard of CSR, but we have ISR, where individuals like you and me donate. People reach out to us and donate during their celebrations, happy and sad events. Some of them give ration, and since people now know us by god's grace, they do not hesitate."

Rasoi On Wheels Foundation is also running a COVID-19 care centre in association with WARWA (Sanik Farms). They are providing beds, food, and basic medical facilities. " We started the centre last year. At that time our centre had 50 beds. But, this year, we have added 100 Isolation beds with all the essential facilities. There is food, medication, food nutritionist, caretakers, nurses, concentrators, oxygen cylinders, and even TV and other means to entertain patients.", he said.

In 2020, India was ranked in 94th position out of 107 countries which are considered as a ‘serious’ level of hunger. NGOs like 'Rasoi On Wheels' are trying their best to eradicate hunger, and indeed are a saviour for the homeless and needy in the country. Help them feed more people by donating here, and check their work here.

Also Read: An elderly woman from Kerala donates food packets to police personnel on COVID-19 duty

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