1,000 days of Annavaasal: Erode’s dusk meal mission feeds over 2.5 lakh people

A quiet, consistent effort to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry has crossed a significant milestone in Erode. A free dinner initiative run outside the Government Headquarters Hospital has completed 1,000 days of uninterrupted service, providing nutritious meals to more than 2.5 lakh people so far.

The initiative, “Annavaasal”, launched on July 26, 2023, is spearheaded by Erode Siragugal, a trust known for its work in environmental protection, tree planting, and the relocation of withered trees. Over the past eight years, the trust has also focused on food waste management by collecting surplus food from marriage halls, meetings, and social events, and distributing it among residents of slums, alms-seekers, old-age homes, orphanages, and people near bus stands and hospitals. However, the effort was irregular, as distribution depended on the availability of surplus food. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the activity came to a temporary halt.