'Guru Ki Rasoi' distributes free lunch boxes to over 400 needy every day

Tribune News Service

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, May 31

With an aim to feed poor and needy persons daily, a charitable organisation, Nishkaam Sewa Society, which has been started by Canada-based NRI Gurjinder Singh, a native of Chela village in Hoshiarpur, is distributing over 400 free lunch boxes across Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur.

Nishkaam Sewa Society with the help of Guru Nanak Mission Sewa Society of Nawanshahr has set up a permanent kitchen named ‘Guru Ki Rasoi’ at New Friends Colony in Nawanshahr and in Kharar Achhrawal village in Hoshiarpur from where steaming hot tiffins are packed and sent across the district to the needy, who have availed this free service.

While chapatis and rice are a part of the regular menu on the list, vegetable dishes vary. The volunteers and other members of the society have fixed different vegetable dishes for each day; one day it is dal, the other day rajmah chole and so on. Sweets are also on the menu.

When asked about this goodwill venture that gives free food to the needy, Surjit Singh, president of Guru Nanak Mission Sewa Society, said: ‘Guru Ki Rasoi’ is the brainchild of Gurjinder Singh, who wanted to give back to the society especially to his native village, where he had spent his childhood. “He first discussed this idea with his friend Kulwant Singh, who then shared it with us. We then decided to bring his idea into reality and started looking for a plot, where we can set up this rasoi,” he added.

He said they started the initiative in April last year, and at that time only 22 tiffins were being delivered and there were only a few volunteers. But at present, the team has grown and they are distributing boxes to over 200 people in Nawanshahr. Besides, people from nearby localities too come to offer help in preparing and packaging of food.

He said in Hoshiarpur too, over 200 needy across Kharar Achhrawal village and nearby areas have availed this free tiffin service, and the food it delivered to them by the volunteers on their door steps.

When asked how do people approach them and what other formalities are required to avail this tiffin service, Amrik Singh, president of Guru Ki Rasoi, said the contact numbers of volunteers and other members have been disseminated everywhere. Besides, people also approach them through WhatsApp group, Facebook page and even YouTube channel. He said when a person registers himself for the service, two members of the Sewa Society visit their home for verification.

They said that 90 per cent of the people who are availing this free tiffin service belong to below poverty line families, while 10 per cent are those old parents who either live alone and are not in a condition to cook.

How to avail this selfless service

Amrik Singh, president of ‘Guru Ki Rasoi’, said the contact numbers of volunteers and other members have been disseminated everywhere. Besides, people can also approach them through WhatsApp group, Facebook page or YouTube channel. When a person registers himself for the service, two members of the Sewa Society visit their home for verification, he added.

Shelter Home in Achhrawal village

Apart from ‘Guru Ki Rasoi’, Nishkaam Sewa Society under the supervision of Kulwant Singh, a childhood friend of Gurjinder Singh, has also set up a shelter home for the destitute in Kharar Achhrawal village in Hoshiarpur. At present nearly 30 homeless, disabled and persons with special needs have been residing there.

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