2008-09-27 10:55:49 - The Akshaya Patra Foundation, the world's largest NGO run school meal program which currently feeds over 9.5 lakh children across the country every day, has come forward in a large way to help the flood hit people of Orissa.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a not-for-profit, Bangalore-based secular trust, evolved a free lunch program in schools in the year 2000. What started as a pilot project in five schools in Bangalore, feeding 1,500 children, has now grown into a mammoth endeavor reaching out to over 9.48 lakh children in over 4,600 government, government aided schools and anganwadis (day care centers)

in 15 locations, across six states in India, day after day. Currently the Foundation reaches to the underprivileged children in Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Bellary, Mangalore and Mysore in Karnataka, Jaipur, Nathdwara and Baran in Rajasthan, Vrindavan and Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh, Puri and Nayagarh in Orissa, Gandhinagar and Ahemedabad in Gujarat and Raipur in Chattisgarh.

The foundation reaches out to more than 30 thousand underprivileged children in Puri and above 12000 underprivileged Children of Nayagarh in Orissa.

As the foundation continued to feed the underprivileged children, it also extended a helping hand to the flood affected victims in Orissa. As the flood created havoc across the state Akshaya Patra Foundation took upon itself the challenge to be with the people at the time of disaster and need. Puri district is severely affected with flood since last week. Many people are homeless and food supplied by Akshaya Patra is the only meals available to fill their hungry stomach. Although Puri district is flooded with water from Mahanadhi basin, Jagannath Dham remains unaffected.

The foundation distributed food to the victims for four continuous days from September 20 - 23, 2008 with cooked nutritious food. This benefited more than 1.25 lakh victims in the worst flood hit areas of Pipilli Block, Kanas, Puri, Teispur, Satsankha, Balanga and Satyabadi.

Shri, Madhu Pandit Das, Chairman The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said 'it is our social responsibility to help our fellow beings in the time of need and distress, our centralized kitchen in Puri is well equipped, with such infrastructure we can cook food for one lakh in less than six hours and hence it was our duty to reach out to support the victims of the flood.'


The foundation also pleads to all the people across the country to extend a helping hand for the victims of the flood, as the surging water from the beaches has submerged most of the area of Puri District.

Please check this link :

picasaweb.google.com/puritapf/FloodRelief

www.akshayapatra.org