Mysore/Mysuru: A hot meal or a warm blanket amid nip in the air cost nothing to most of us, but can be life-savers for thousands living on streets, with no roof above their head. This winter, homeless, daily wage workers and those who have lost their homes to calamities are the worst hit. And if the cold weather wasn’t enough, they have COVID-19 to battle with.

A warm blanket in the harsh winter months can save a child’s life, it can protect a woman’s dignity and spread warmth to lakhs of homeless people. Many people, volunteers and NGOs donate blankets to shelterless people who suffer out in the open amidst cold condition. The donors set out during night incognito to distribute blankets to not so fortunate people.

At present in Mysuru, this noble task is being carried out by Rtn. A.N. Aiyanna, President of Rotary Midtown and his group of friends from the Club that has a 40-year history of charity and social service. “We have not set any targets. Over 50 woollen blankets are carried in a car daily around the city and we scout for people sleeping without blankets. There are days when we have hardly found a single person on streets, without a blanket. We feel happy that people have stopped sleeping on streets as they might have got the shelter,” Aiyanna told SOM.

He and his Club friends start from their home after 10 pm with around four to five dozens of blankets in a car and visit areas including Sub-Urban Bus Stand, City Bus Stand, M.G. Road, RMC Yard, Bandipalya, Siddarthanagar, Nanjumalige, Dodda Gadiyara Circle, Ashoka Road and Railway Station in search of such people. Without waking up them, these donors put a blanket on them and silently disappear from the scene. “We do not want to wake up the sleeping person, give self-introduction and handover the blankets,” he said.

The team has also donated blankets for people sleeping under the sky in K.R. Hospital premises. “We are ready to donate blankets to even 500 persons under our Club’s ‘Project Random Act of Kindness’ and ‘Team Jataayu’ is always ready to execute this project,” he noted.

Club Secretary Rtn. Veeresh, Community Service Director Rtn. Jayakumar and Treasurer Rtn. Satyendra are behind in these community service. Recently, the Club donated washable uniforms (sort of PPE kits that help fight Coronavirus) to Police personnel so that they could wash it and wear it without leaving them in the open for drying. 

During lockdown, the Club members donated food items to needy. “I got elected as Club President in June this year and wanted to sponsor two dialysis patients daily. But dialysis is not happening in many hospitals due to pandemic. Once things are normal, I am launching the initiative again,” Aiyanna said.