FOOD is nourishment for the soul as much as it is for the body. Two individuals have proven this true, and all that was needed were simple acts of kindness.
Jesvinder Singh (pix) has been delivering food to Covid-19 patients while S. Megalah has been cooking for the elderly to help lift their spirits.
For Jesvinder, who is an IT specialist, it was a request for Punjabi food by a few Covid-19 patients that set him off on a campaign to please their palate apart from filling their stomachs.
“I got to know that some Covid-19 patients at the Sungai Buloh Hospital had expressed their desire for home-cooked Punjabi food,” he told theSun.
But there was a challenge. Given the fact that the hospital is exclusively treating Covid-19 patients, Jesvinder knew that he would not be allowed to enter the wards to personally hand the food to those who wanted it.
To get around the obstacle, he had himself screened for Covid-19 and underwent a two-week quarantine. He even went to the hospital to check out the place.
As soon as he completed his quarantine, which was last week, Jesvinder went to a restaurant and spent RM100 on 10 packets of Punjabi food.
Buying the lunch packs was the easy part.
“The challenge was to get the food delivered to the right patients,” he said.
Despite having tested negative for Covid-19, he was still not allowed to enter the wards. Not one to give up, Jesvinder would drop the food at the hospital lobby and one of the healthcare workers would pick it up for distribution to those who have placed orders.
News of his operation spread quickly and in just 10 days, orders have reached 40 packets. Apart from lunch, he also makes delivery for dinner.
In that short period, he has formed a team for food collection and delivery and a phone system for patients to place orders.
“Those who want to place orders can call 019-3174568 or 019-3319885 by 11am each day for lunch and by 3.30pm for dinner,” he said.
His team would buy the food and deliver it to the hospital.
Jesvinder said his family, as well as his employer and colleagues, have been very supportive of his effort.
For Megalah, charity is already in her blood. As founder of the Spread Love and Charity group, she has helped senior citizens through difficult times.
It began during a visit to a retirement home in Klang.
“I sat with this lady. She was in her 60s and she was coughing so hard. She then held my hand and leaned on my shoulder. I was speechless,” she told theSun.
It was then that the 34-year-old financial adviser realised that she had to do something to ensure that the community is not forgotten.
Together with like-minded friends, Megalah raised RM1,000 to purchase dry goods that she delivered to inmates of the retirement home.
To help lift their spirits, Megalah and her friends recently cooked a meal for the residents at the retirement home.
“We wanted to make their day, put a smile on their faces. And all we had to do was cook for them,” she said.
For Megalah and Jesvinder, the reward is the positive vibes that have flowed through the hospital and the retirement home.
That, itself, is a joy.
