Diocesan News

June 4 : ICYM Mangalore diocesan youth have taken up the initiative to distribute food to eliminate hunger and assist families during the pandemic lockdown. The title of the mission is "Mission Share and Care - 2021", a campaign aimed at eradicating hunger in Mangalore.

On 2nd May 2021, Most Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore, inaugurated and blessed this Mission. He also appreciated the ICYM Central Council youth for taking up such initiatives and guaranteed his complete support towards this mission. Many ICYM Youth have come forward to help and volunteer amid this challenging time.

The youth volunteers start packing food at 10.30 every morning and then set to distribute food by 11.30 am, in the streets of Mangalore. The mission is to reach out to the people who aren’t easily located. ICYM Youth therefore go in search of people who are in the interior streets and share with them food and water. Very often this is the only meal that they get during these difficult times. The youth spend 2 to 3 hours each day on the streets searching for such people. An average of 200 packets are distributed on a daily basis .

The ICYM Youth have already distributed 5750- meals, 4500- 1ltr water bottles, 2500 - masks in the past 32 days of the mission. On an average the food packets cost ₹60/- per meal, not including the wa-ter and masks that they also distribute.

There is also distribution of food kits to people whose financial conditions are very poor. More than 500 kits are distributed in and around Mangalore city. The kit consists of rice, wheat, sugar, tea pow-der, sambar powder, oil, Bombay rava, onion, salt, green gram, dosa rice, daal, beaten rice and chana.The expense per kit is ₹800/-.

This mission is running smoothly under the leadership of Mr Leon Loyd Saldanha, President of ICYM Mangalore Diocese and with the guidance of Rev Fr Ashwin Cardoza, Director of ICYM Mangalore Diocese.

We are grateful to all the ICYM youth for their selfless service who contribute their time and energy without any expectation. We salute them for the service that they render during this pandemic time. We are also grateful to our donors, for it is through their generous contribution this mission has been a success.

Report by

Minol Mrinaline Braggs
P.R.O.
ICYM Mangalore Diocese