By C V Joseph

Bengaluru, May 19, 2020: Don Bosco Church, Lingarajapuram, a Bengaluru suburb, has reached out to those affected by the nationwide lockdown in their neighborhood.

Pparish priest Father Aloysius Santiago, who has led the aid work, termed the impact of Covid-19 outbreak on the Indian population as alarming and shocking, forcing people to alter their lifestyle.

The middle class have adjusted to the situation, but the poor and marginalized such as migrant workers, slum dwellers, single parents, widows, elderly and children, find it as nightmare, the priest told Matters India on May 19.

More than the Covid-19, the sudden lockdown has brought people’s life to a standstill. They do not know what to eat and drink. They have difficulty maintain social distancing as most families live in houses of one or two rooms.

“Besides, the sweltering summer has brought untold suffering to the already hapless people. There was scarcity of everything required – mask, sanitizers, food, dry ration and all other necessities of life for survival,” the priest explained.

With “generous people’s help,” the parish managed to distribute bread, bun, biscuits and other snacks to children and the vulnerable; Father Santiago said and expressed gratitude to Britindia that supplied most items.

As the situation came under control, the parishioners contacted an international aid agency to provide food packets. Later, through Dream Networking India, the parish provided 500 packets of cooked food in their neighborhood.

The extension of lockdown four times, created havoc among the lower income group. Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru supplied 500 packets of cooked food in the morning and an equal number in the evening. In total the parish catered to 1,500 people every day.

The parish has been already feeding 55 people a meal a day. During the lockdown, they were given dry ration for 15 days with the help of Dream Network India.

The Archbishop’s House provided 200 packets of dry ration that was distributed among migrants working in and around Lingarajapuram.