Mangaluru: While patients admitted to government hospitals like Wenlock are provided meals, their attendants often struggle for food. Addressing this, two organizations—Snehalaya Charitable Trust and M-Friends Karunya Foundation—have been serving free lunch and dinner daily, offering much-needed relief.
Snehalaya Charitable Trust, based in Manjeshwar, has been providing lunch for nine years, while M-Friends Karunya Foundation has been distributing dinner for seven years. Together, they serve around 500 people daily, benefiting 15,000 individuals monthly and approximately 1.8 lakh people annually.
Snehalaya serves lunch from 12 pm to 1 pm, offering rice, sambar, and pickles. This initiative costs around ₹21,000 per day, funded by donors. “Our support comes entirely from donations,” says Joseph Crasta, founder of Snehalaya.
“M-Friends provides dinner, which includes chapati and curry five days a week, and idli with dal two days a week, costing around ₹7,500 daily. On special occasions, they serve festive meals. The organization also extends other necessary services to patients” says Zacharia Jokatte, chairman of M-Friends.
“Joseph Menezes, a businessman in Delhi, has been a major donor to Snehalaya, with his monthly contribution increasing from ₹15,000 to ₹3 lakh over the years. He has committed to continuing the support for generations. These organizations have been a source of hope for thousands over the years. May such noble efforts inspire others,” said Dr. Shivaprakash D.S., superintendent of Wenlock Hospital.
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