Extra Food From Weddings Now Feeds 40K People!

Turning surplus food into meals for the needy: Chennai’s hunger champion

Arun Kumar can’t bear to see food go waste – or people go hungry. That’s why he and his team at No Food Waste have made it their mission to prevent surplus food at events and weddings in Chennai from going to the trash, redistributing it instead to offer 40,000+ meals a month to those in need.   
It all began when Kumar saw the three engineer-founders of No Food Waste in Coimbatore convert their shock at the mountains of food waste at weddings into positive action. Inspired by them and appalled by the large number of people who go hungry in India, Kumar founded the Chennai chapter of No Food Waste in 2018.

The initial years were tough given limited funds, low awareness and few volunteers. But Kumar was passionate about feeding the needy. “India generates 78.2 million tonnes of food waste  every year,” he states, pointing to the enormity of the problem.

Undeterred by obstacles, Kumar and his team of volunteers let no event in Chennai go waste today. Whenever there’s extra food at a wedding, a corporate party, school function or any other event, No Food Waste’s helpline is ready to take the call. Kumar’s team rushes in with collection vans and ensures timely and safe redistribution of the surplus food to people in shelter homes and slums. “We collect surplus food from big events and serve it to needy people across Chennai,” says Kumar. By reducing food waste, they create social impact. 
 

 Extra Food From Weddings Now Feeds 40K People!

And what happens if there’s no leftover food? Kumar has a solution for that as well. He has set up a community kitchen where volunteers cook 700-800 hot meals a day to feed the hungry in and around Chennai. Their collective effort has turned the Chennai chapter into No Food Waste’s busiest one in the country today.

“Take one small step—share leftover food. You could be the reason someone sleeps with a full stomach tonight,” urges Kumar. He adds: “We request you to support our initiative by volunteering or becoming a part of our community. Also, we request you to donate excess food so that we can feed another person.”   
Aditya Birla Group is proud to partner with The Better India to amplify stories of change-makers like Arun Kumar, who are shaping a better future by choosing to be #AForceForGood