Lions to set up food bank for poor in Patna

Members of Lions Clubs in Patna, many of whom are into food business running catering services, hotels, restaurants, or food joints, have come together to launch a food bank for destitutes.

Over 100 tonnes of food is wasted in Patna everyday, over half in homes all over the state.

The food bank would cater to the needs of poor. (HT file photo)

They constitute the leftovers, which a family cannot consume, or that go waste at hotels and restaurants.

“It happens all the time, especially, when there is a marriage around,” said TR Gandhi, former governor of Patna Lions Club.

But members of Lions Clubs in Patna, many of whom are into food business running catering services, hotels, restaurants, or food joints have come together to launch a food bank for destitutes, who scrounge on the streets for food, but go to sleep empty stomach. “That would solve a larger social purpose,” said Gandhi.

The plan has received the backing of several members and even retired educationists, senior citizens and professionals and they are joining to help the initiative.

“If all goes as per plan, Bihar may see its first food bank in Patna at Buddha Ghat to help extremely poor people,” said Gandhi.

"We have the basics in place. A building to cater to people has been arranged. A kitchen-cum-food recycling unit is ready and a storage facility is now being built with refrigeration. We hope to launch the project in three months time,” Gandhi, a founder member of productivity council, added.

He said, “The proposed food bank would have all facilities, including house for central AC food storage, where food picked up from hotels and food joints would arrive on designated vehicles.”

The plans of Lions Club was disclosed by Gandhi while discussing issue of waste management with students of Indian Hotel Management Institute at Hajipur recently. Gandhi said, “BK Luthra, former Lions Club governor and a prominent hotelier, is taking the lead and meeting most of the needs to set up the food bank on the lines of such kitchens already operational in some metro cities.”

Arun Kumar of Suruchi restaurant, Sudhir K Singh, Raj Kumar Sahay and Raj Kumar Aggarwal and many other Lions Club members from various fields were working on the concept, he said. “A food pick up vehicle and men to cull waste from hotels and restaurants have been arranged, while machinery needed to recycle them and store them hygienically is on,” he added.

“The plan was conceptualised during the Chhath festival, when members came together to organise langars for the poor. It was agreed then that they could set up something like this on a regular basis. The food bank will encourage food donors and homes to join the campaign,” said Luthra.

Principal of IHM Sitesh Srivastva and food experts Sanskritayan and Anupam Kumar said maintaining temperature at ideal standards to preserve recycled food should be of utmost importance in such endeavours.