Punjab: Nurturing hope, one meal at a time

Punjab: Launched with the aim of ensuring food security for the needy, Sanjhi Rasoi – a community kitchen initiative by the Red Cross Society of Hoshiarpur, provides food to around 500 to 550 people every day with the help of donations and financial support from locals. Launched in 2017, Sanjhi Rasoi is the only surviving community kitchen of its kind in Punjab, serving nutritious food to all at a nominal cost of Rs 10. Led by Ashika Jain, the deputy commissioner, who is also the chairperson of the Red Cross Society of Hoshiarpur, the initiative has become a symbol of dignity and livelihood with an annual budget of Rs 34 lakh, serving over 1.5 lakh people in a year. Sanjhi Rasoi runs on the values ​​of dignity, empathy and community spirit, serving as a model of how a small contribution from a community can create a lasting impact. Sanjhi Rasoi was started with the mission that no person in Hoshiarpur should go hungry just because he/she cannot afford a meal. It serves nutritious vegetarian food to everyone who comes to enjoy it. Labourers, daily wage workers, street vendors, employees of various business establishments, etc. can be seen having lunch at Sanjhi Rasoi, sitting or standing together in an air-conditioned hall. “Book a Day” is a unique initiative to attract the community to contribute to this noble cause. Under this initiative, any individual can sponsor a day’s meal service at Sanjhi Rasoi to celebrate their special day or to celebrate it for their loved ones. With a minimum contribution of Rs 5,100, the day’s meal can be sponsored and Sanjhi Rasoi displays who the special day was sponsored by.

The meal usually consists of dal, vegetable, rice, chapati, salad and pickle, but contributors often add some of their own items like fruit or sweets. If someone books a day to celebrate a birthday or anniversary at the Sanjhi Rasoi, the day is celebrated by cutting a cake provided by the Sanjhi Rasoi. “Citizens celebrate special days – like birthdays, anniversaries or remembering loved ones. The list of bookings has grown so long that we already have more contributors than the number of days in a year,” Red Cross secretary Mangesh Sood told The Tribune. Mangesh said a team of six working women was responsible for preparing the daily lunch, while the Red Cross team and volunteers work with them to ensure that every meal meets high standards of taste, nutrition and hygiene. He said that Sanjhi Rasoi not only serves food but does so in a comfortable and orderly environment in a fully air-conditioned dining hall with a seating capacity of 200 people, with a celebration room with a capacity of 20 people, allowing contributors and families to participate in the day’s service. Sanjhi Rasoi is making simple meals meaningful with the efforts of Red Cross Hoshiarpur, which is not only filling stomachs but also touching hearts and souls.