No funding but this real hero feeds the poor daily

Tridip Mandal / CNN-IBN
TimePublished on Wed, Mar 04, 2009 at 16:23 in India section

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Ahmedabad: 2002: Ahmedabad was burning and there seemed no end in sight to the communal riots. But in the chaos there were those who reached out to help, like Hemant Patel.

Patel is a small time sound engineer and a caterer. He sought the help of some friends and then went to the VS hospital through the burning streets with piles of tiffins full of food. Through the uneasy days Patel continued to provide food to the relatives of the patients.

"Hindus, Muslims, Christians, they all come here. God might keep people hungry while they are awake but he told me I shouldn't let them sleep hungry," he says.

2009: As Hemant Patel's food van arrives in the slums of Vashna, the slum comes alive. The spread is not lavish but it's this that brings back the smiles on riot-ridden, poverty-ridden faces. Over the last seven years Hemant Patel has expanded his free catering to include the slums of Ahmedabad.

When it comes to the cooking, Patel wields the ladle himself, overseeing every stage of the preparation along with his volunteers, ensuring that the food is both tasty and hygienic. By 6:30 pm everyday, the action shifts to VS hospital as relatives of the patients queue up for their dinner.

Identity cards are issued to ensure that it's the more needy who are attended to first.

As Hemant Patel winds up for the day he knows money is tight. He needs Rs 60,000 a month to keep his operations going.

"Everyone can give money. But I need people who'll give their time," he says.

Meanwhile, with a prayer on his lips Hemant Patel keeps the faith that perhaps one day he can feed many more mouths.