Replacing hunger with hope

When Dr K Anji Reddy founded Dr. Reddy’s, he was very clear that the company would not only make medicines more affordable for the common man, but also help uplift the underprivileged in all ways possible. This is the culture of the company — to help those in need — and over the decades, it has percolated down to its employees. At Dr. Reddy’s, giving is a part of us, and we do so individually and collectively.

Food insecurity has always been a serious problem in the US, but with the pandemic, the number of people going hungry has swelled. What does food insecurity mean? It means people don’t have enough food to lead a healthy life. This doesn’t mean there is nothing to eat, but it can mean children get smaller portions than they need, or parents aren’t able to afford nutritious foods. It is estimated that about 42 million people in the US face food insecurity, including 13 million children.

In New Jersey’s greater Trenton area, more than 40,000 people face hunger every day. This includes over 6,000 children. More than 20 percent of households with children are struggling to feed themselves. So, a few months ago, in celebration of Diwali and Thanksgiving, our employees in the Princeton office stepped in to help by conducting a virtual donation campaign. Sponsored by the Employee Activities Committee, the campaign raised more than $1,500 to support the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK).

The TASK serves meals to anyone who comes through their doors, no questions asked. Everyone is welcome. It is the only soup kitchen in the Trenton area open five days a week, including holidays. The kitchen serves more than 7,000 meals each week at its main location in Trenton and through community partners throughout the region.

Down south, the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana is the largest distributor of donated food for the seven-parish area surrounding Shreveport and one of only five food banks in Louisiana. Recently, the Dr. Reddy’s team provided assistance with sorting, warehouse and distribution activities of food to over 150 non-profit organisations, shelters and churches in the area, serving the Caddo, Bossier, Bienville, Claiborne, DeSoto, Red River, and Webster parishes.

These organisations, also called partner agencies, distribute food to needy individuals free of charge. Some operate pantries, bagging sacks of groceries for parents to take home to hungry families, such as Noel Neighborhood Ministries and Operations Blessing. Some agencies prepare and serve meals to the hungry like Christian Service and Salvation Army. Many others are shelters such as Providence House, Oakwood Home for Women and the Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission, providing refuge for people who require short- or long-term assistance. Still other groups distribute food to the elderly, many of whom are home-bound or chronically ill.

When individuals and families with children are hungry day after day, it can be devastating. Adults in these situations can be affected by diet-sensitive diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. For children, not having food can have serious implications for his or her physical and mental health, academic achievement and future economic success.

Hope makes the world go round. These organisations and committed people at Dr. Reddy’s who go back to volunteer week after week, offer hope through food.

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