![\"People](\"https:\/\/medialit.in\/thevoices\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/People-Being-Fed-With-Food-at-Pagirndhu-Unn-300x225.jpg\")
Since the day Pagirndhu Unn commenced its work, it has been standing by the side of those who are considered less\u00a0 fortunate .<\/p>\nThe plight of hunger is indescribable; enduring it is no easy feat. Yet, every effort to provide food to those in need is a noble deed, offering sustenance and hope to those facing adversity. Pagirndhu Unn (Community Fridge) has been serving the purpose.<\/p>\n
For seven years, Pagirndhu Unn (Community Fridge) at East Tambaram has stood as a testimony of success in the ongoing war against hunger, nourishing the needy and fostering unity within the community.<\/p>\n
Pagirndhu Unn, the community fridge at Bharathwajar Street at East Tambaram in Chennai began its journey in 2017. Pagirndhu Unn means “share and eat.”<\/p>\n
Since the day Pagirndhu Unn commenced its work, it has been standing by the side of those who are considered less\u00a0 fortunate .<\/p>\n
Currently, about 50 people are being provided with food on a daily basis near the community fridge.<\/p>\n
Food can be served directly to the deserving, if it arrives on time. If it is comes a bit early, it can be stored in the fridge and served at the right time.<\/p>\n
He used to go home regularly for lunch in the afternoons which was time consuming. There was\u00a0 little time to focus on offering rides to earn money. But he is relived now. He tells The Voices<\/em>, “The spot offering food is quite near the auto-stand. I can have food here and be back to the auto-stand to attend to my business.”<\/em><\/p>\n Selvam<\/em>, a painter by profession is also among the beneficiaries. “My income is erractic, not on all days, my pockets are filled with money.”<\/p>\n He is here whenever his earnings are almost low. “I sleep on pavements with great deal of gratitude that there is a place where I can have good food.”<\/p>\n There are many like them with similar stories to tell.<\/p>\n “Idea of serving the needy has been within me since my childhood.” Geetha used to reside at Nungambakkam then (during 70s) where she used to provide food on a banana leaf to the needy outside her house.<\/p>\n The students of 1976 batch of Church Park Convent School at Mount Road lent a helping hand in procuring the fridge. “I was a student from the same batch.”<\/p>\n Services started the very next day after the inauguration.<\/p>\n Initially, excess food used to be kept in the fridge for serving. Later on, Focus shifted towards serving fresh food.<\/p>\n Someone interested in serving food to needy, can also make use of the fridge to store it, till the beneficiaries arrive.<\/p>\n The fridge The other has racks where they store plates that are used to serve food to the needy. Even clothes, toys, sarees brought to be distributed among the poor are also kept here, says Geetha<\/em>.<\/p>\n The team<\/strong> “I come here daily by 9 AM and clean the premises near the fridge,” tells Sekar. He stays there for sometime and then goes back to his home.<\/p>\n “I live nearby the locality of the community fridge. So rushing in case of need isn’t a big deal for me.”<\/p>\n Vimala<\/em>, the staff, who takes care of the fridge has been working there for over six years now.\u00a0 She enthusiastically serves food to the needy when it is time to serve. “Independence Day is special here, for, that is the day when breakfast is served to the deserving people and lunch is provided in the afternoon”, she says.<\/p>\n Some people wash the utensils to maintain the proper hygiene.<\/p>\n According to geetha, Families\u00a0 donate food on special occasions like birthdays to help those in need. This also reduces food wastage in the locality. She confirms that response to this initiative has been positive, with people from all sections of society coming forward to support this noble cause.<\/p>\n Edited by Team Voices<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The plight of hunger is indescribable; enduring it is no easy feat. Yet, every effort to provide food to those in need is a noble deed, offering sustenance and hope to those facing adversity. Pagirndhu Unn (Community Fridge) has been serving the purpose. For seven years, Pagirndhu Unn (Community Fridge) at East Tambaram has stood<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":528,"featured_media":20136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[259],"tags":[108,1663,1662,1661,639],"ppma_author":[1462],"class_list":{"0":"post-19666","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-society","8":"tag-food","9":"tag-food-to-poor","10":"tag-needy","11":"tag-pagirndhu-unn","12":"tag-society"},"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Geetha](\"https:\/\/medialit.in\/thevoices\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Mrs-Geetha-Kumar-along-with-watchman-Sekar-Vimala-who-serves-food-300x225.jpg\")
Beneficiaries<\/strong>
\nDoraisamy, an auto driver at the auto-stand at Tambaram Sanatorium Railway Station is one of the many beneficiaries of this initiative.<\/p>\n![\"Left](\"https:\/\/medialit.in\/thevoices\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Left-Side-of-the-Metal-Box-which-has-racks-to-store-dress-materials-and-other-items-to-be-distributed-among-the-poor-225x300.jpg\")
![\"Right](\"https:\/\/medialit.in\/thevoices\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Right-Side-of-the-Metal-Box-which-has-the-fridge-to-store-food-225x300.jpg\")
How did it begin?<\/strong>
\nThe initiative was conceptualised by Geetha Kumar. She tells The Voices, “desire to do something for those in need in Tambaram motivated me. I moved to East Tambaram in 1978 after my marriage.”<\/p>\n![\"Doraisawmy,](\"https:\/\/medialit.in\/thevoices\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Doraiswamy-the-Auto-Driver-One-of-the-beneficiary-225x300.jpg\")
<\/strong>
\nFridge is located outside Gandhi Park at Bharathwajar Street inside a metal box with two sections. One section is used to store food.<\/p>\n
\nThere is a team of people who take care of the community fridge on daily basis. Sekar<\/em> is the watchman appointed to take care of the fridge.<\/p>\n![\"Selvam,](\"https:\/\/medialit.in\/thevoices\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Selvam-The-Painter-Another-Beneficiary-225x300.jpg\")
Donors<\/strong>
\nPrasadam from Shakatapuram Mutt, Pulihora, Rice comes to Pagirndhu Unn every day which is served to the needy in the afternoon. “I am an ardent devotee of the Mutt.” Dr Saravanan, a physician and who runs Priyam Clinic at nearby Valmiki Street also provides food on all Mondays.<\/p>\n