Allahabad: One Winter Night . . . blankets distributed to needy in freezing cold

Fr James Francis
Bellevision Media Network

U.P. 12 Jan 2013: Allahabad City continued to shiver under a prolonged cold spell and the night temperature kept dipping to near freezing point. There was countless number of people struggling through the night with little scope for survival in the open. Fr James Francis, Fr Archibald D’Silva and Fr Deepak D’Souza thought that something out to be done without delay. By the evening of the 8th of January 2013 there were 501 new blankets ready for distribution, procured with the generosity of many people. Fr Louis Mascarenhas, Fr Anand John K V, Fr Vincent Pereira and Fr Francis Xavier J volunteered to join in the distribution of the blankets.

 

 Huddling in twos and threes under torn blankets, pieces of cardboard or plastic wrapping and crouching near the embers of a burnt-out fire was a city of homeless men, women and children. Though only a part of Civil Lines could be covered, the group of seven had to return at 1.30 a.m. after the stock of blankets ran out.  The newspapers showed that the temperature had dipped to - 0.3 (0.3 degrees below freezing) at night when the blankets were being distributed. The gratitude in their unspoken words and their urgency to use the blanket indicated that the task was on the right track.

The organizers of blanket distribution gratefully acknowledged all those who supported in this great mission:
a) Diocesan Development and Welfare Society, Naini         :Rs 20,000
b) St Joseph’s College, Allahabad                                    :Rs 20,000 
c) Nazareth Hospital, Allahabad                                       :Rs 10,000
d) Manav Kalyan Trust (St Mary’s Provincialate), Allahabad :Rs   5,000
e) Bethany Convent, Naini                                              :Rs   3,000
f) Teachers of St Joseph’s College, Allahabad                   ;Rs   3,400
g) Fr James Francis                                                        :Rs   1,800
h) Fr Archibald D’Silva                                                     :Rs   1,500
i) Mr Floyd                                                                    :Rs   1,500
j) Fr Damien Gomes                                                       : Rs   1,000
k) Fr Vincent Pereira                                                       :Rs   1,000
l) Ms Shanta Peter                                                         :Rs   1,000
m) Mr Akram                                                                :Rs   1,000
n) Fr Joseph Sagayanathan                                            :Rs      500
o) Fr Francis Xavier J                                                     :Rs      500
p) Ms Sunita                                                                :Rs      500
q) Mr Bhushan                                                             :Rs      500

 

 Donation                                                                 :Rs 72,200
 Cost Price of 400 Blankets @ Rs180 per piece              : Rs  72,000
 Transport                                                                : Rs       200 
 TOTAL COST                                                            :Rs 72,200
  BALANCE                                                                  NIL

r) St Anthony’s Convent, Allahabad       50 Blankets
s) St Mary’s College, Allahabad      50 Blankets
t) Shokeeper’s Sample              1 Blanket
   TOTAL BLANKETS FOR DISTRIBUTION  501 BLANKETS

The blankets were distributed to every homeless person along the roads marked in BLACK in Allahabad Civil Lines and surrounding areas.