From Food to Hygiene kits, Here is How Believers Eastern Church is Helping the Poor Tide Over COVID-19 Crisis in India

Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, Believers Eastern Church dioceses across India continue their efforts to bring help and hope to families severely hit by the lockdown. From ration items and meals to masks and hygiene kits, here is how our dioceses are helping the poor tide over this crisis.

Dry Rations and Essential Items:

On 4 April 2020, Diocese of Vizag distributed essential supplies to 200 families of daily wagers, slum dwellers, sanitation workers and poor widows who have been adversely affected due to COVID-19 lockdown. On the same day, Satgaon Mission Diocese, in collaboration with 3 IR Mizo battalion, conducted COVID-19 awareness campaign and distributed essential commodities to the poor and needy.

Dioceses of Bastar, Dehradun, Kolkata, Anand, Diphu, Surguja, Gorakhpur and Banswara distributed ration items to families of daily wage earners who have lost their livelihood because of the lockdown.

In Diocese of Lucknow, Hope for Children staff took initiative and helped 55 widows and needy persons in three villages with grocery items.

Local Parishes:

Parishes are doing what they can to help the needy at this time of crisis.

In Diocese of Tinsukia, one of the priests provided grocery items to 10 families that were at the verge of starvation due to the lockdown. Similarly, other parishes in this diocese helped 21 families with rice, potatoes and vegetables.

St. Thomas Believers Eastern Church Parish in Mandla Diocese distributed grocery items like Rice, Dal and edible oil to the needy people at two villages.

A parish in Diocese of Nagpur helped 30 needy families with dry ration kits and essential items. Parishes in dioceses of Sarguja and Haryana took initiative to help needy families with food items.

The priest and the faithful of St. John Believers Eastern Church in Niranam Diocese provided rice, sugar, tea powder, potato, wheat flour to the families affected by lockdown.

Fresh Meals

Diocese of Chandigarh provided freshly-cooked meals to 250 families. Diocese of Dehradun provided one time meal to 65 needy people.

Hygiene Kits and Masks

Diocese of Bilaspur distributed hygiene kit consisting of surf and soap to 100 people at a leprosy colony and diocese of Nagpur distributed more than 50 protection masks among people who had little or no access to amenities required to prevent coronavirus.

In each diocese, distribution was done as per the government guidelines, with the approval and permission of local municipality authorities and police personals.