Bhayandar : Dr. Uday Modi is a blessing for several senior citizens in Mira Bhayandar who have been left alone by their children. Modi, who runs an Ayurvedic store in Bhayandar, is the founder of Shravan Tiffin Seva, a free catering service for senior citizens, who stay alone anywhere in the twin-city.
This Navratri, Dr. Modi’s organisation had organised a garba raas especially for senior citizens |
The Seva delivers, free of cost, a sumptuous vegetarian lunch of chappatis, rice, subji and sprouted pulses (with sweets and farsan on Sundays) to the doors of senior citizens. With a noble idea to serve such needy seniors, Dr. Modi, under the aegis of his social organisation, initiated the services in 2009, when it catered only to 11 people. Today, the seva caters to more than 60 senior citizens of this area.
Recollecting the incident which inspired him to start the service, Dr. Modi says, “Once an aged man came to me for some medicines for his wife who had suffered a paralytic stroke and I was shocked to learn that the elderly couple had been dumped by their kids and there was nobody to prepare food for them. Since then I resolved to provide some relief to such lonely elders.”
Apart from catering food on a daily basis, Dr. Modi, alongwith his team of four voluntary social workers, also take care of their medical needs. Out of the 64 beneficiaries of the tiffin seva, 9 are physically disabled, two blind and four have suffered paralytic strokes.
As of now there is a monthly expense of about Rs 1.25 lakh to provide free tiffin services to 64 elders (another 60 are on the waiting list).
Thankfully, the activity attracted generosity of donors who now contribute a total of Rs 40,0000 to which Dr. Modi is indebted to. This Navratri, the social organisation organised a garba raas especially for senior citizens at the Salasar Brij-Bhoomi complex.
“I just wanted to see a smile on their faces,” says Dr. Modi who aspires to build an old-age home in the region for the elders.
