The spirit of giving and community service came to the fore as the Gem & Jewellery National Relief Foundation (GJNRF) donated two vans to the Roti Bank\/Roti Foundation. The \u00a0initiative, jointly supported by the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB), reflects the industry’s continued commitment to social responsibility and community welfare.<\/p>\n
The two vans were handed over to Mr. D. Sivanandhan, IPS (Retd.), former Director General of Police, Maharashtra, and Managing Trustee of Roti Bank\/Roti Foundation, at a ceremony held at the BDB Administration Office in the presence of Mr Sanjay Kothari, Managing Trustee, GJNRF, and Mr Mehul Shah, Vice President, BDB, along with other industry dignitaries. The contribution is aimed at strengthening the organisation’s food distribution network and enabling it to extend its reach to more people in need.<\/p>\n
Speaking about the journey, Shri Sivanandhan recalled that the Roti Bank\/Roti Foundation began on 1 January 2017 with the collection and redistribution of surplus food. Anyone with leftover food could call, and a vehicle would be sent to collect it. However, the Covid pandemic brought a complete halt to social gatherings and the availability of surplus food. The organisation responded by setting up its own central kitchen and preparing meals for distribution.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Solitaire International<\/em>, Mr Sivanandhan revealed that during the pandemic, Roti Bank scaled up its operations dramatically, providing approximately 47,000 meals a day. Its efforts extended to communities in containment zones, including Mumbai suburbs such as Worli, and Sion, as well as to migrant workers who were making their way home on foot.<\/p>\n That experience transformed the organisation’s approach. It moved away from collecting leftover food and towards preparing fresh meals at its central kitchen in Mahul village, Chembur, Mumbai.<\/p>\n Today, Roti Bank has expanded its presence across Mumbai, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Cuttack, Hyderabad, Chennai and Coimbatore. Sivanandhan shared that the organisation has distributed more than 2.8 crore meals since its inception.<\/p>\n Its work also places considerable emphasis on child nutrition. In Mumbai alone, Roti Bank provides nutritious food to around 24,000 children across 52 schools. Working with a renowned nutrition expert, Naini Setalvad, it offers a varied menu that includes poha, upma,<\/em> bananas, chikki, sheera<\/em> and kheer,<\/em> moving beyond the conventional mid-day meal fare.<\/p>\n The organisation daily serves approximately 5,000 to 7,000 adults, including patients and their attendants at hospitals such as Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel and Kharghar, KEM Hospital, Sion Hospital and Ambedkar Hospital. Wholesome meal is also provided to elderly people in old-age homes.<\/p>\n Such a vast operation depends on the generosity of donors and corporate partners, stated Mr Sivanandhan, acknowledging the contribution of the gem and jewellery industry.<\/p>\n The two vans donated by GJNFRF, with the support of GJEPC and BDB, are another expression of this shared commitment. More than vehicles, they represent support for a cause that reaches thousands of people. Through this contribution, GJNFRF reinforces the gem and jewellery industry’s larger commitment to social responsibility and community welfare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The spirit of giving and community service came to the fore as the Gem & Jewellery National Relief Foundation (GJNRF) donated two vans to the Roti Bank\/Roti Foundation. The \u00a0initiative, jointly supported by the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB), reflects the industry’s continued commitment to social responsibility and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38778,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[125],"tags":[],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-38777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-helping-hands-csr"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n