Indori Youngsters Launch M.P.’s First ‘FOOD ATM’
Is the free fridge the new soup kitchen? There is growing evidence—the latest of which comes all the way from Indore, Madhya Pradesh—that this is indeed the case. If you have questions on what is a “free fridge”? Or are we going to get a fridge for free? Let me tell you that this is a kinda social start-up that has been being implemented at the SECOND place in INDORE, the first being in Tamil Nadu. Youngsters in Indore are moving towards the concept of Start-ups rapidly. The concept of a free fridge that was introduced way back in August 2016 has now been better termed as FOOD ATM (Any Time Meal). As there is a huge amount of food being wasted in our country, this system aims to maintain the surplus food being wasted from restaurants, homes, hotels etc. Although there are certain rules imminent, and will soon be announced officially on the amount of food given to people in restaurants/hotels, currently we are delighted to support and help this social initiative.
What is a FOOD ATM?
Coming to its purpose this ATM is not a refrigerator that you get to keep for free. Instead, it is a refrigerator stocked by do-gooders—often a church, restaurant, or community group—with food to all those poor classes who are deprived of the basic needs. This food and beverage ATM is an initiative to collect surplus food from the haves and distribute it among have-nots.
How can one give away their food in this ATM?
All one has to do is pack their excess food, bring it and place it in the sidewalk refrigerator which is set up in INDORE. There are some guidelines to follow which have been provided by the Food Bank, making it easier for you to give away your food.
- You are allowed to give away either raw materials or cooked food.
- Please do not provide stale, leftover food as it will not be accepted.
- The quality of food should be the same as the one you would eat, as this food will be provided to the poor.
- Only vegetarian food items are acceptable. Please refrain from fish, meat, egg or other non-veg items.
- Kindly provide the food in clean transparent polythene or disposable bags.
Who would benefit from FOOD ATM?
One can easily deposit surplus food in this ATM which is actually a fridge. Through this, any poor or needy person can come up and take away the food free of cost. This initiative is the first of its kind in Indore to eradicate hunger and helplessness from the city. In a way, this is another stepping stone of success towards our Smart City. The ATM, which will be setup has been estimated to have the capacity to feed around 20-30 people on a daily basis. In an attempt to reach out to more people, the group is now trying to collaborate with restaurants in the city. Tying up with restaurant chains in the city would help sustain the initiative in the long run.
The Person Behind This Big Picture
The founder of FOOD ATM is Hardik Kataria, a young innovative brainy from Emerald Heights International School with a social cause to eliminate ‘food wastage’ and ‘hunger’ from the society, along with his team of five members. We hope to see people support this social venture and turn it successful and help root up hunger from the city.
- - Advertisement - -
