Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 16: "For I was hungry and you gave something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me" - Matthew 25:35-40
On 15 February 2020, the members of the All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF), St Aloysius College (Autonomous ) Mangaluru, aspired to be good samaritans and took to the streets from 12.40 pm to 4 pm to feed the hungry with parcels of meals. The principal Dr Praveen Martis SJ, Anup Denzil Veigas, Vinola Sequeira, Joel Fernandes, Melvita Baretto, the AICUF animators and the members of AICUF association went about the streets of Mangaluru and fed nearly 900 hungry and homeless people.
The food was prepared by the AICUF’ers at Twins Caterers Outhouse, Kiram, Vamanjoor, Mangaluru. The preparation of the same began on February 14, at 7 pm which was ready by the next day morning, all packed in 900 boxes. The members of AICUF started their hunger drive programme at 12.40 pm on February 15, at White Doves Psychiatric Nursing and Destitute Home. Corrine Rasquinha, the founder of White Doves addressed the AICUF’ers and said 'Love Conquers All.' The AICUF volunteers, with the principal Fr Praveen Martis of St Aloysius College (Autonomous), had the food along with the inmates of the White Doves Home.
The AICUF unit of SAC, later on, moved to the streets. They distributed the food at the surroundings of Nehru Maidan, Mangalore Central Railway Station, slums in Kuloor-Kavoor Road, State Bank, Padil, KSRTC Bus stand. The organisations namely Riya Foundation Kulshekar, Snehasadan Gurpura, Samvedana Home for Children, Karunamaya Trust Jeppu were covered along with many other places, covering almost all places in Mangaluru. At around 4 in the evening, the volunteers were done distributing all the parcels of meals to the homeless and the needy.
It was indeed a delightful day for the proud AICUF’ers of St Aloysius College, receiving the blessings from the old and the young, for the good work and their positive gesture. The hot sun did not bother the volunteers because they were the reason for the shine in the eyes of the hungry children. The smile and happiness on the wrinkled faces turned all the odds in their favour and motivated the members for the future. The day ended with the encouraging words from the principal who said, "One must always try to help fellow beings and as well nature so that it makes a huge difference in the future."