Vakola-based Catholic youth group, under the guidance of assistant parish priest, raise money and distribute 200 blankets to the poor sleeping on pavements between Mahim and Andheri
At least 16 volunteers from the group distributed the blankets
The Vakola-based Catholic youth group YOUVAK-which boasts of over 300 members aged between 16-25 years under the Archdiocese of Bombay - held its winter outreach programme called 'Operation Warmth' recently. During it, 16 volunteers from the group donated blankets to 200 homeless people sleeping on pavements between Mahim and Andheri, in the cold. Under the guidance of the group's Youth Director Fr Savio de Sales, who is also the assistant parish priest at St Anthony's Church in Vakola, Operation Warmth was held on December 22 and 23.
"Once people came to know about our winter outreach programme, many of them reached out and wanted to donate blankets to the cause. Some even wanted to buy us new blankets. But I politely refused because I wanted this project to belong to the youth. I got each youth to contribute Rs 200 for one blanket, and we bought 200 blankets at a wholesale rate, which were then distributed to the needy," said Fr de Sales.
Andrea Menezes, 21, vice president of YOUVAK, said, "We left the church premises at 8 pm because of the curfew. We were shocked to see so many people sleeping on the streets." Father Nigel Barrett, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bombay, said, "The whole aspect was to think in terms of the Christmas spirit…and to acknowledge that it is a time of giving."
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