Odisha’s first food bank inaugurated in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to suppress hunger from the state, So Am I Foundation (SAI) Trust, a not-for-profit social organization, under its hunger-free Odisha initiative inaugurated state’s first food bank located at Acharya Vihar here.

Padmini  Sahoo, Bhubaneswar – Cuttack Deputy Police Commissioner along with Padmashree Debiprasanna Pattnayak graced the occasion as chief guests.

The basic objective of the initiative is to fight against hunger and malnutrition and control food wastage in the state by channelizing excess food from individuals, weddings, restaurants, corporate offices and reach to the people who really need it and have no means or access to food.

Speaking on the initiative, Pinaki Mohanty, founder of So AM I (SAI) said, “India stands first in hunger list globally where Odisha also continues to be one of the poorest states with 1/6th of its population deprived of sufficient food.  Around 250 million Indians go to bed hungry every night in India. Keeping this in mind, we at SAI have come up with an initiative ensuring no individual in the state is deprived of food.”

The process of controlling the food bank has been made systematically. One can donate excess food from parties and other resources. To donate one has to make a phone call to SAI and bring the excess food to the nearest located food bank. If one cannot come then the volunteer will reach and collect the food.

The food is preserved in food banks in a very hygienic and systematic manner. SAI distributes the foods after making those hot in the SAI’s kitchen and serve to the needy people close by through its volunteers.

Initially, it has come up in Acharya Vihar and SAI is planning next food banks at Rasulgharh and Forest Park.

Apart from this, one can also create a food bank in the name of your loved ones for which one has to donate a big freeze of Rs 80,000 and operating and management cost of Rs 48,000 per annum.