Kothagudem: As the name of their organisation suggests, a group of youngsters here derives happiness in serving the needy.
Instead of whiling away their time in revelry like most youngsters, a few like-minded engineering students, diploma holders and other graduates in Kothagudem and Paloncha towns decided to come together to help the poor.
They have been functioning under the banner of organisation aptly named ‘Happy to Help You Foundation’ for the past few years. There are 20 active members while 80 others extend their support to the foundation’s activities, its founder K Lentil Leans told Telangana Today.
The youngsters donate blood, distribute food, lend financial assistance towards medical care, donate rice and groceries to poor families. They raise funds using social media and every month carry out expenditure audits.
“Initially we pooled the pocket money our parents gave us, for our activities. Impressed with our service, families and friends of our group members and outsiders are now coming forward with donations supporting us in serving the needy,” Leans said.
People who want to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and marriage anniversaries in a meaningful manner, instead of spending lavishly, approach the foundation to facilitate mass feeding or a donation to an orphanage or an old age home, he said.
“Identification of beneficiaries is done purely on their financial conditions. We serve only those who genuinely need help. We are providing rice and other essential commodities to around 10 families on a regular basis,” the foundation general secretary Ghulam Mateen said.
“Recently a person known to us met with an accident and we raised Rs 34,000 for his medical expenses. Over Rs 1 lakh has been spent on medical care to around 10 persons in the past couple of years,” he said.
During lockdown, the foundation donated food packets to around 50 to 100 persons every day for 60 days and groceries kits to poor families. In addition to that buttermilk and face masks have also been supplied to the frontline warriors, said Sudeep Guptha and Manish Yadav.
In recognition of the Happy to Help You Foundation’s blood donation in emergency cases, Young India Blood Donors Club presented ‘Young India Seva Puraskar’ to the foundation last June.
The activities of the Kothagudem youth even impressed noted Telugu film star Vijay Devarakonda, who calls himself ‘Devara Santa’ donning the role of Santa Claus to give Christmas gifts, for the past few years.
Responding to the foundation’s request, the actor sent his Rowdy brand t-shirts for distribution among children in local orphanages. “We were very happy with Vijay’s prompt response to our request and greater was the happiness of the kids who wore the clothes,” Leans noted.
“Helping the needy in critical situations and spreading smiles in their families is our main motto. We thank our parents, family members and friends for their kind support”, Leans, Mateen, Guptha and Yadav averred.
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