The After Party

Their work begins when the parties get over. They reach the venue,collect the leftover food in cans and containers,pack equal quantity of the food in various silver foil boxes and then head towards the slums in the city,where they can give the food to the needy.

Five professionals from different fields have come together to collect leftover food from party venues and distribute it to the needy

Their work begins when the parties get over. They reach the venue,collect the leftover food in cans and containers,pack equal quantity of the food in various silver foil boxes and then head towards the slums in the city,where they can give the food to the needy. In just about eight months,the team of Beyond Self has served over 500 city slum dwellers.

The idea of Beyond Self was born at a wedding function attended by the group about a year ago. We saw a great quantity of food getting wasted,which is what happens during most functions. We discussed the ways through which it could reach the poor people, said Madhu Thakur,a fashion designer and one of the members. The group contacted few city caterers who agreed to inform them about party dates so that they could come and collect the food at the end of the event. The friends continued their novel initiative voluntarily for over seven months,which was followed by an official launch of the NGO – Beyond Self. Others in the team include Mahesh Mulchandani who runs a manufacturing unit,Tanvi Saxena,an event manager,Sainath Shetty,a bank recovery professional and Dheeraj Chabria who is into fabrication work.

During Diwali,Beyond Self received their biggest food donation till date. The Mahila Bachat Ghat of Sai Palace,Balaji Nagar,had 300 kg of excess laddoos and faral which they offered us. It was distributed in the Ramwadi slums and Ashray Old Age Home and Rehabilitation Centre, says Mulchandani,the founder.

Almost every second day,Beyond Self gets a call from one of the caterers they are associated with,regarding the food collection. The group takes utmost care with the food that has a certain shelf life. After we reach the party or the function venue,we distribute the food within an hour or two,so that it does not get spoilt, says Thakur adding that shelf life is one of the reasons that not many caterers are willing to take the risk of sharing the leftover food. They had approached hotels and restaurants also but were told that they do not cook excess food.

Since the group is active on Facebook through its webpage,the members have been approached by over 100 people who wish to join them as volunteers. A few of them have joined us. Once they get trained in the work,we can give them the responsibility, states Mulchandani. Apart from food,they also work as a medium to collect old clothes which are donated to the underprivileged.

(Beyond Self can be reached at 9822022066 / 9890549668)

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