Read regular updates on our flood relief measures in Chennai. Scroll down to begin!

14 Dec 2015:

Today our kitchen set-up at Arambakkam served 6,000 packets of Puliyogare for lunch and dinner each. Our kitchen at Thiruvanmiyur  also served 6,000 meals at Kilpauk, Saidapet, Vyasarpadi, Vadapalani, Kalipatti, Porur and Paiyanoor.

13 Dec 2015:

Today our feeding initiative at Arambakkam served 6,000 packets of Puliyogare for lunch and dinner, while our kitchen at Thiruvanmiyur served 10,000 meals too. The Thiruvanmiyur  kitchen served meals at Triplicane, Manali, Padur, Anna Nagar, Old Perungalathur, Vyasarpadi, Pammal and Porur.

12 Dec 2015:

We have started a second feeding initiative in Arambakkam, with support from Sri Siddhanta Foundation, SocialPedia and D G Vaishnav College. Today we served 5,000 packets of Puliyogare (500 gm) for both lunch and dinner. Our other kitchen at Thiruvanmiyur, which started cooking at midnight served 9,000 meals today, and 10,000 meals yesterday.

10 Dec 2015:

2,600 packets of food was served yesterday at our kitchen in Thiruvanmiyur. Today there are 100 volunteers and we expect to serve between 7000-8000 packets. The cooking started at 7.30 am and is underway.

There are plans underway to open a second kitchen to provide food. Purchasing of supplies for the second branch of cooking has already begun.

09 Dec 2015:

On 04, 05 and 08 December, trucks left for Cuddalore. These trucks were carrying dry food like fruit bread, chikki, chapatti packets, peanuts, candy etc. So far the Cuddalore efforts have distributed 35,000 packets of food. Today the aim is to distribute 10,000 ready to eat packets of food, and the same was distributed yesterday.
On 08 December, trucks left from HK Hill kitchen to our kitchen in Thiruvanmiyur at Chennai. The materials reached at 10.30 am the next day. By 11.45 am the team had already cooked dal for 2,000 people.
There are currently 25 volunteers and 4 Akshaya Patra employees at the site, more are expected tomorrow.

05 Dec 2015:

In the face of the floods that have rocked the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, citizens of the state and the rest of India have banded together in a show of unity that is inspiring. Relief material and volunteers have been pouring into the city to provide aid to those in need.

We, at the Akshaya Patra Foundation, too are eager to do our part in supporting Chennai, and alleviating the distress in the region. To this effect, our team has been serving freshly cooked meals every day with the aim of increasing the reach to 10,000 meals a day. The team will continue serving even beyond that based on the need of the hour.

The cooking procedure is being carried out through the efforts of a team of 10-30 people, working as required for the successful implementation of this initiative. The team has been equipped with utensils and cooking equipment from the Bengaluru unit, with raw materials, packing material, housekeeping and fuel supplies being sent regularly to Chennai till arrangements can be made to procure it from within the city.

To increase the reach of the meals in the city, our Karnataka unit is sending five Akshaya Patra vehicles carrying vessels in the coming week to Chennai. On assessment of the relief needs, supplies will be replenished, additional man power will be mobilised and equipment transported.

We are happy to be able to provide support to Chennai during these difficult times, and assist in reducing the difficulties facing the citizens of the city. We express our heartfelt solidarity to everyone in Chennai affected by this calamity.

If you would like to support our efforts in Chennai, make a contribution. You can avail tax exemption under Section 80 G of the Income Tax Act on all donations.

We were thrilled to host His Excellency, Mr. Richard Rahul Verma, the US Ambassador to India, at Akshaya Patra’s Vasanthapura kitchen on 4th November 2015.  He was accompanied by Ms. Andie DeArment, Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Consulate General in Chennai.  The Ambassador was received by Shridhar Venkat, CEO TAPF; Sundeep Talwar, CMO TAPF and Vinay N.Kumar, Director Operation TAPF.

 The entourage arrived at the kitchen at 7.30am sharp. After a warm welcome, the Ambassador was escorted to the terrace of the kitchen facility. The Ambassador keenly observed the silos, solar panels, RO (Reverse Osmosis) plant and other fixtures on the terrace. This is where the entire cooking operation starts, as the entire kitchen follows a gravity-flow model that operates downward, floor by floor, to increase efficiency in the processes.

Next, he was escorted to the floor below, the third floor of the facility. This is the area where pre-processing is done and raw material is readied to be integrated into the cooking process. The Ambassador was very receptive to the brief that was being given to him by Shridhar Venkat, while Andie clicked away to her heart’s content! The Ambassador showed keen interest in the processes involved in this precooking area. He was impressed by the hygiene and cleanliness maintained on this floor, the cold storage used to keep the vegetables fresh till cooking, and was awed by the use of latest technology and modern practices at every stage in Akshaya Patra’s mega-kitchen! He was especially impressed by the absence of any dependence on LPG in the kitchen!

The next stop was the second-first floor combined cooking area. This is the heart of this mega-facility. The Ambassador looked mesmerized by sight of huge cauldrons bubbling away. He was so taken in by the captivating sights and smells that he volunteered to participate in the actual cooking! Out came the aprons and cooking gloves for his convenience.  All decked up, he took into hand a massive ladle and started stirring pulao! Next, he took up another ladle and stirred the kesari bhat that was being readied for the school children.  He did a pretty good job, we must say!  He looked around keenly and had many a questions to ask. Shridhar Venkat was close at hand to address each of his queries.

The entourage then landed at the ground floor where the packing of food and dispatch of packaged vessels takes place with a meticulous clock-work precision.  What struck the ambassador was the cleanliness and the faultless packing and dispatch lines. For moments, he observed the food being filled into vessels and then being transported through conveyor belts to the dispatch section.  He then moved out to the dispatch section and was quite impressed by the efficient tagging and loading process. He closely observed the insides of the vehicle that carries these meals to schools.  He was then escorted to the boiler area where bio degradable waste is used to fire the massive boiler that in turn generates steam for the cooking process. The Ambassador was hugely appreciative of our efforts to make the best use of natural resources like solar, bio and green energies!

This winded up the tour of the facility and the Ambassador and his entourage was escorted up to the Board room. Here, over breakfast, the Ambassador, Ms. Andie, the CEO and the CMO of Akshaya Patra had a chat.

The Ambassador was very pleased and content to have made it to Akshaya Patra’s kitchen despite his very busy schedule in Bengaluru. Shridhar Venkat and everyone at Akshaya Patra too felt very honoured to have hosted His Excellency.

So it was on a very pleasant note that the Ambassador bid adieu, but he did so with a promise to talk about and endorse the good work that The Akshaya Patra Foundation is doing towards the elimination of child hunger in India.