It is said there is not a bigger joy than helping others?in distressed times. Whether the times are good or bad, there is someone out there trying to help those in need. And, even during such testing times, stories emerged where some were hailed as heroes, warriors and even saviours. Here's a list of the people who made the world a better place amid COVID pandemic.
1.?Sonu Sood
Ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the actor has lent a helping hand to thousands of migrants?and daily wage workers through his random acts of kindness.?From providing meals to the underprivileged and offering transport facilities for stranded labourers to get back to their hometowns, to donating personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline healthcare personnel, he has done it all.?
He opened the gates of his Juhu hotel in Mumbai to accommodate health workers after the government announced the nationwide lockdown in March this year.
He also?launched Shakti Annadanam in the name of his late father, Shakti Sagar Sood, with the objective of feeding at least 45,000 people every day in Mumbai. The actor has helped over 20,000 migrants reunite with their families by arranging for their flights, buses and in some cases, train tickets, He also introduced a?toll-free helpline number so that migrant workers could send in their requests.?
2. Khalsa Aid
Be it the devastating Kerala floods or the rescue of Kashmiri students after the Pulwama attack or distributing gifts to Syrian refugees on Eid, volunteers of Khalsa Aid come forward to help those in need, time and again.?
Amidst a global pandemic and the desolation it had caused,?Khalsa Aid, the UK-based humanitarian relief organisation, worked?around the clock to distribute langar?and ration kits among the needy, PPE kits, masks and gloves among hospitals, cops and sanitation workers.?
According to a report by?The Tribune, close to 32,000 Khalsa Aid volunteers were on the ground, working across the country.? The group in collaboration with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Punjab chapter, had set up a 20-bed Covid-19 isolation centre at Malsian village in Shahkot to deal with any sort of unforeseen emergency.
3. Rani, idli shop owner
70-year-old?Rani runs an?idli shop?near Agni Theertham in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to serve free food to poor people.?She provided food to poor for free, and charged a minimal amount from other customers even as she worked relentlessly to earn her own livelihood.?
Rani said that she still uses the traditional wooden stove to prepare her food because it is economical. Rakku, who works with Rani at her shop, says that Rani never pesters people to pay money for the food.? ??
4. Gurdwaras
The country saw one of the worst exodus in the recent history with lakhs of migrants walking back home in pitiable conditions after the government announced an unprecedented lockdown in March end.?
In a bid to help some of these migrants braving the odds, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee reportedly organised a philanthropic initiative they called 'langar on wheels' to feed all?those?looking for a decent meal.?To ensure that no one sleeps on an empty stomach, estimated fifteen thousand people living on the streets, railways stations, bus stands, rain shelters and?pavements were served food daily by the community members.
This wasn't the first time the committee had come forward to help the needy. The Gurdwara Committee in May beginning, distributed free packets of food to thousands of home-bound migrants. Delhi's Gurdwara Bangla Sahib even prepared 75,000 meals 7 days a week for those who chose to stay back in the city.