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Field work
A hot plate, handed over by a person who stops
Our outdoor food service is the work most people see. Volunteers cook in very large pans, pack plates and carry them to pavements, bus stops and tents, where people who live outdoors are waiting.
What the pictures show
Motorbikes, plates and people who gather around
Our photographs of the food service show the same scenes again and again. Onions and carrots are chopped on a mat. A pan as wide as a table is stirred with a long ladle. Food boxes are tied behind motorbike seats. A woman with a load on her head receives a packet. A man sitting beside his bundles is handed a plate.
A Telugu newspaper clipping in our records, dated 25 October 2021, reports a food distribution for homeless people led by the trust. Photo files from that month show volunteers on the road with food. The work has gone on since, and the photographs on this page come from different days.
People gather around when they see the volunteers coming. The volunteers keep the crowd calm, serve the old and the weak first and make sure that nobody is left out.
Why we serve outdoors
People who live on the street rarely reach an office, a kitchen or a free meal centre. Many have no phone, no papers and no way to travel. A volunteer who brings the plate to them reaches the person who is most likely to be missed.
It is also the most direct way to see need. A volunteer who hands over a plate can see that a man has a swollen foot, that a woman is coughing, or that a child is alone. The food opens the door to other help.
From market to pavement
The day starts in the market. Rice, vegetables, oil and spices are bought in bulk. Onions are peeled, carrots and greens are chopped and the pan is lit. The food is stirred for a long time, tasted and salted.
When it is ready, it is spooned into plates, boxes or packets. Water is added. Everything is loaded on motorbikes and in a van, and the volunteers set out in pairs.
How people are served
A volunteer bends down, hands over the plate with both hands and says a few words. People who are old, sick or disabled are served first. Mothers with small children come next. Nobody is made to queue for long.
If a person is too weak to eat, the volunteer sits and helps. If a person is clearly ill, the volunteer calls a doctor or an ambulance.
Keeping the food safe
Food is cooked fresh and served the same day. Volunteers wash their hands, wear clean t-shirts and use clean plates. Leftover food is not kept for the next day.
If we are not sure about a pan or a vegetable, we do not use it. A meal that makes people ill does more harm than none.
Seasons and special days
In winter, the food service often goes with blankets. In summer, volunteers give water and sandals. On festival days, sweets are added. During the Covid lockdown, the same service carried food to people who had lost their work, as the lockdown relief page shows.
On birthdays and anniversaries, families sponsor a meal in the name of a loved one, and the volunteers send them a photograph of the day.
What a volunteer needs
A pair of closed shoes, a clean cloth, a bottle of water and patience. You do not need to cook. Many volunteers help to pack, to carry, or to say a kind word. A driver or a rider with a motorbike is especially welcome.
You will be told where to meet. Bring a friend if you like, but tell us in advance.
What we ask people who come to watch
Please keep a little distance while the food is being served, so that people can reach the volunteers. Do not take photographs of people who turn away. Never hand out money or food yourself without asking the volunteer in charge, because a crowd can form quickly.
If you want to help, ask for a task. A volunteer will hand you a stack of plates or a bottle of water, and you will be part of the team within a minute.
A note about hygiene and dignity
Food is a sensitive thing. People who eat from our plates have often had to beg for food, and some feel shame. We try to remove that shame. We serve with a smile, we call people by the name they give us, and we do not lecture.
We also ask for the plates back where we can, wash them and use them again. It saves money and reduces waste on the street.
Keeping a food service going
A food service needs a steady supply of rice, oil, vegetables and gas. It needs a place to cook, vehicles to carry the food and volunteers who show up. All of this depends on regular gifts and regular helpers.
If you can promise a gift each month, even a small one, it lets us plan. If you can promise a morning each month, it lets us staff the team.
When it rains
In heavy rain, the food service may be harder. Volunteers wear raincoats, cover the food and move more slowly. People who live outdoors are the worst hit, so we try to go on if it is safe.
If the weather is dangerous, we stay in and plan an extra service the next day.
How it works
A food service day
Six steps, repeated each time.
1
Plan
We decide the day, the place and how many plates.
2
Buy
Volunteers buy rice, vegetables, oil and spices in the market.
3
Cook
Food is cooked in very large pans.
4
Pack
Plates and packets are loaded on motorbikes.
5
Serve
Volunteers hand the food to people by hand.
6
Record
We take photographs with permission and note how many were served.
Questions
Food service questions
You are welcome to watch before you decide to help.
How can I sponsor a food service?
Call us and tell us the date and the number of plates. A volunteer will plan the day and send you photographs.
Can I come with you?
Yes. Fill in the volunteer form or call. We will tell you where to meet.
Do you serve only vegetarian food?
The meals in our photographs are rice with vegetable curries. We decide the menu with the donor and the volunteers.
How many people do you serve at a time?
It depends on the day. We say honestly how many were served and we do not exaggerate.
Can a school or company help?
Yes. A class can collect rice and a team can sponsor the cooking. Write to us.
What if I know a place where people need food?
Tell us the place and the time people gather. A volunteer will visit and plan a service.
Is cooked food from home accepted?
Please talk to us first. We prefer to cook ourselves for safety.
Do you give food to children as well?
Yes. Our photographs show children holding plates at the roadside, and our children’s home visits include meals as well.
Do I need to bring my own plates?
No. Volunteers bring plates and packets. If you have clean steel plates to donate, we welcome them.
Can children come along?
Older children can come with a parent, to hand out fruit or water. Please keep them close.
Sponsor the next food service
A pan of rice and curry reaches a very large number of plates. Choose a day and we will cook.
Write to us
Ask about outdoor food service
Tell us what you would like to know or do about outdoor food service. A volunteer will call you back.
- +91 97036 30893 (call and PhonePe)
- +91 82972 92602 (second number)
- hnpcharitabletrust@gmail.com
- NPS Nilayam, Road No. 2, Gajuwaka S.O., Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh 530026
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