New Delhi, Apr 20 (IANS): The Reliance Foundation's Mission 'Anna Seva' is set to be the largest initiative globally by a corporate foundation.
In response to the massive humanitarian crisis caused by the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, Reliance Foundation has scaled up its meal distribution programme, Mission Anna Seva, to provide over three crore meals to marginalised and under-resourced communities across India.
Mission Anna Seva is set to become the largest meal distribution programme ever undertaken by a corporate foundation anywhere globally.
Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), has already distributed 2.22 crore meals in 68 districts across 16 States and one Union Territory.
The beneficiaries of the programme include daily wage earners, slum dwellers, urban service providers, factory workers, and residents of old-age homes and orphanages.
In a letter to two lakh-plus Reliance colleagues early Monday, Reliance Foundation founder-chairperson Nita Ambani said, "the Reliance family, therefore, feels humbled at the opportunity to serve our fellow Indians in this hour of their need."
Nita Ambani also added: "Our hearts go out to the families of marginalised and under-resourced communities whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through Mission Anna Seva, we are committed to providing meals and grocery essentials to these families so that none of them are compelled to sleep on an empty stomach".
"While we had initially committed to delivering 50 lakh meals, the prevalent situation has prompted us to expand our commitment to three crore meals. Personally, I couldn't be happier if the meal-programme becomes the largest of its kind in the world, because it would ultimately assure me that a few more mothers were able to feed their hungry babies," Nita Ambani said.
Under the programme, Reliance Foundation is providing cooked meals, ready-to-eat food packets and dry ration kits to families and bulk ration to community kitchens. It is also providing meals to frontline workers such as junior medical staff, police personnel and security forces. At some locations, Reliance Foundation is also distributing food tokens that could be redeemed at Reliance Retail outlets, such as Reliance Fresh, Reliance Smart Superstore, Reliance Smart Point, and Sahakari Bhandar.