The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in 2020 fundamentally transformed how humanity perceives life on Earth. The first wave left us astonished as we grappled with the reality that a minuscule virus could lead to such a staggering loss of life in the technologically advanced 21st century. The second wave hit even harder, forcing us to confront the grim reality of oxygen shortages, a vital resource for survival.
Across the nation, many faced severe challenges, including unemployment, hunger, malnutrition, and a lack of shelter and necessities. Numerous individuals lost their jobs and were pushed into poverty, often going without a meal each day. Many struggled with additional health issues, largely unaware of the pandemic's full impact. Daily wage laborers faced particularly significant hardships from the start of the pandemic, and their situation deteriorated further during the second wave, making it nearly impossible for them to support their families.
Another group severely affected comprised differently-abled individuals and cancer patients, who faced immense challenges in accessing consistent treatment and medication as hospitals overflowed with COVID-19 patients. Access to healthcare and essential resources became increasingly scarce, resulting in suffering that was difficult to comprehend.
In response to this crisis, the Catherine Hope Foundation mobilized as a dedicated team of volunteers and donors, becoming a beacon of hope for many. During these unsafe and challenging times, our team rose to the occasion, working tirelessly to provide support through food packets, awareness programs, COVID-19 relief kits, and various other initiatives.
At Catherine Hope Foundation, we are passionate about empowering individuals and helping them lead fulfilling lives. We regularly distribute dry ration kits to marginalized communities, specifically targeting differently-abled individuals, cancer patients, and daily wage earners who have lost their jobs. Each kit contains essential items such as rice, pulses, oil, sugar, salt, and other provisions sufficient for a month.
Our efforts during the nationwide lockdown revealed many heartbreaking stories. For instance, Vadivelu, who once sold peanuts on the train, found himself sleeping outside Central Station with his family, relying on food provided by volunteers. Sahul, a tailor and pillow maker who had previously thrived in his business, was now forced to sell masks at traffic junctions. P. Kumar, who had been employed in the packaging department of a plastic manufacturing company, had been jobless for over a year.
Each interaction reveals more compelling stories of hardship, illustrating how deeply lives have been affected by this prolonged pandemic.
During the height of the pandemic, our nation faced unprecedented challenges. Hospitals were overflowing, and families struggled to secure beds and oxygen cylinders for their loved ones. Amid this chaos, friends and relatives of infected patients waited outside hospitals for hours, often without access to food or water. The partial lockdown in India further complicated their efforts to find proper meals.
In response to this urgent need, we regularly distributed food packets and water bottles to those waiting outside hospitals. With the timely assistance of volunteers and sponsors, we provided support to over 700 individuals in Chennai and Mumbai, including those living on the streets. The demand for food was so great that our supplies quickly ran out as people arrived from all directions, drawn by news of our distribution efforts.
As part of our COVID-19 relief initiatives, we distributed COVID-19 prevention kits to differently-abled individuals in underserved regions of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Each kit included a double-layered cloth mask, a strip of Zincovit tablets to help boost immunity, and a disinfectant (Dettol).
The recipients of these kits came from extremely rural and underserved regions with limited access to quality healthcare. In Andhra Pradesh, we also provided a week’s supply of vegetables alongside the COVID-19 prevention kits.
