The sisters of the Missionaries of Charity have joined hands with the district administration to help the poor and the vulnerable during the lockdown imposed in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

They opened a community kitchen on Tuesday that will feed 600 such needy people every day for about a month.

The kitchen that was formally opened by Archbishop Felix Toppo and Auxiliary Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas at Indranagar Colony in Jagannathpur will feed local residents, many of whom are inflicted by leprosy and on the verge of starvation with their ration about to run out.

The Ranchi administration reached out to different organisations to help run shelters and kitchens and many of those, including the archdiocese, responded positively.

The archdiocese opened 14 shelters across the district for migrant labourers, who are stranded in the district. While shelters at Muri, Tamar and Khelari have some occupants, others are ready to receive more as and when they arrive.

While the administration is providing rice and pulses for the newly opened community kitchen, Punit Poddar, a donor who had donated on earlier occasions for such purposes, agreed to supply cooking oil, onion and garlic. The church will procure vegetables, potatoes, spices and firewood. The villagers will then cook at the kitchen under the guidance of the sisters, said a source in Ranchi Catholic Archdiocese.

“We have always been doing our bit to help the poor and the needy and will continue to do so,” said a sister at the Missionaries of Charity, adding they would soon open such a community kitchen in another area in collaboration with the Catholic Charities.

Such efforts are being made across the state and over 15 lakh people were fed under various schemes till Tuesday, stated a state information and public relations department note.

Over 7 lakh were being attended to by 734 teams of NGOs and other volunteers, the note said.