The families of around 600 underprivileged children, left in the lurch because of the lockdown forced by the novel coronavirus, received a few days’ ration at St Xavier’s school on Thursday.

Each family was handed over 5kg rice, 2kg potato, 2 litres of cooking oil, 1kg salt and 50g chilli powder. Each kit also included two 100ml bottles of sanitiser and four washable cotton masks.

The aid was organised by Alumnorum Societas (Alsoc), the St Xavier’s School Old Boys’ Association.

The recipients were parents of children who study in the evening and night school run from the campus.

“Our institution has a legacy of standing by the suffering. The distribution drive was a small step to help people who have been hit the hardest by the present crisis,” said Father Thamacin Arulappan, the principal of the school, who was among those who distributed the kits.

“There are nearly 600 boys enrolled in the evening and night schools put together. We need to help those in need,” said Bishnu Jaiswal, coordinator of the old boys’ association.

The beneficiaries included cobblers, plumbers and rickshaw-pullers.

Volunteers had earmarked spots for each family representative. The priests who distributed the ration wore gloves and masks.

Tokens had been distributed among families in the Park Circus, Mullickbazar and surrounding areas and asked one person from each family to reach the school around 10am. The distribution continued over two hours, in two shifts.