From Feeding Patient Attendants In Hospitals To Caring For Strays, Alwar Volunteers Sustain A Service Mission
A volunteer-driven initiative in Rajasthan is bridging food insecurity for patients and the homeless while preparing to expand into elderly care and stray cattle rehabilitation.
Published : April 6, 2026 at 12:12 PM IST
Alwar: Rajpal (name changed) had been worried about getting healthy food while attending to his mother admitted to the district hospital. "I thought to manage with whatever little I could lay my hands on but then I saw some volunteers distributing food for the attendants of patients and that has now become my only hope when there was none. Sumptuous and nutritious, I now get food regularly within hospital premises," says Rajpal. Soumya (name changed), another attendant at the hospital, does not get tired appreciating the efforts of the volunteers who ensure everyone attending to patients at the hospital at least get one good meal a day. "There could not have been anything better," she says, while looking after her husband in the hospital.
It is not only about Rajpal or Soumya, but there are hundreds of others in the streets and hospital premises who rely on the food distributed for free by a group of volunteers. And this has been happening since nearly 600 consecutive days.
Every day, unfailingly, meals reach hundreds of destitute, needy and patient attendants in hospitals just to ensure that lack of food does not add to their existing distress.
Till 2022 the group of volunteers had taken upon itself the responsibility to place food and water for animals and birds. But gradually that effort evolved into a structured community service. The group of friends who had started pooling resources to feed stray animals, recognised a larger gap - daily wage earners, homeless people and the destitute struggling for regular meals. By 2023, they decided and expanded into cooking and distributing food on the streets of Alwar.
In its early phase, meals were prepared once a week, largely on Sundays due to work commitments. This continued for about 50 weeks. But as demand grew, the frequency increased to twice a week and eventually transitioned into a daily operation. Today, meals are served twice a day, around 11.30 am and 7 pm, creating a reliable support system for those in need.
However, a bigger shift came when volunteers began helping sick people from a nearby night shelter reach the district hospital. During these visits, they saw that attendants of admitted patients often struggled to arrange food for themselves while attending to their near and dear ones. Responding to this gap, the group extended its service to hospital attendants from January 25, 2026.
Today, around 500 to 600 people are fed every day, free of cost. Approximately 150 people receive meals in the morning and nearly 400 in the evening. The food plate includes dal, rice, roti and occasionally sweets, prepared through contributions from volunteers and local donors.
Behind the effort are people from diverse backgrounds - government employees, students, homemakers and senior citizens. The core team consists of about 15 active members, while nearly 50 people contribute in different capacities. For many volunteers, the initiative has also become a way to mark personal occasions through community service.
Vijay Yadav, who initiated the effort with a small group of associates, said the idea was never limited to food distribution but to respond wherever the need was visible. "Over time, that approach has shaped the group’s expansion from feeding animals to supporting vulnerable people in both public spaces and hospitals," he says.
The initiative now operates formally under the name Help All Foundation. According to team member Chandra Prakash, the next phase includes plans to establish an old-age home and a cowshed in Alwar. "The proposed old-age home aims to provide shelter and food for elderly individuals who continue to live on the streets despite the presence of night shelters, while the cowshed will focus on the care of stray cattle," he explains.
Volunteers like Thakur Singh say the initiative stands out for the dignity it offers. "After observing the work done by the group I joined in and I am now here to be a part of the effort regularly, including on personal occasions," he says.
Beneficiaries say the service has helped them the most in times of need. Like Rajpal says, "My mother is admitted for treatment and arranging food had been a constant challenge. With regular meals now available, it has eased both financial and logistical pressure."
Another family member Soumya says, there is nothing to choose or not like. "The food is simple but nutritious and volunteers serve it with dignity, without making anyone feel dependent," says she.
For beneficiaries the service has become essential. With limited resources and long hospital stays, regular access to simple, nutritious food has eased that burden, allowing them to focus on caregiving without added stress.
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