GEORGE TOWN: Once a national kickboxing champion in three different disciplines, R. Vairavasundaram, 60, now rides his bike around the city to deliver hot meals to the needy.

       The former boxing, sanshou (Chinese kickboxing) and kickboxing exponent, who ran a vegetarian restaurant before the Covid-19 outbreak, said he wanted to help the community as much as he could during this challenging time.

       “I am familiar with the families living at the Taman Free School flats as I grew up there.

       “I know their plight, so when the first movement control order happened last year, I started packing food for them.

       “Since I run a restaurant, it made sense to prepare the hot meals and distribute them to these families.

       “Over the past year since the first lockdown, we have been supplying food to families and the homeless as well as some families who have the means to collect the food here at my restaurant,” the father of two said when met at his “shack restaurant” along Jalan Free School.

       Vairavasundaram said at their peak last year, they were distributing 70 packs a day.

       “Right now, we are providing 40 packs of food to 15 families, and we do distribute a few packs to some homeless people.

       “A few families come over and collect their meals as well, but most of them are elderly.

       “I pack the freshly cooked food and deliver it right to their doorstep to make it easier for them,” he added.

       Vairavasundaram said although he is the one doing the work, there are many who support his cause and fund the meals.

       For his part, he also allocates RM500 monthly, and a group of about 10 people make monthly donations towards this noble cause.

       Vairavasundaram, who apart from his restaurant gives motivational talks under his “Zero to Hero” programme, said since the pandemic began his business has been down by half.

       “The price of vegetables has also gone up, but I must do my part.

       “I have found five vendors as well who usually discard their leftovers at the end of every day, and now I take it from them to be distributed to the needy.

       “It started when I found a soya bean milk seller pouring a big can of milk into the drain.

       “I asked him why and he said he was closing for the afternoon.

       “I asked him to give it to me and told him that rather than wasting it, I would send it to an orphanage nearby.

       “It is terrible to see good food going to waste when there are people going hungry,” he added.

       Vairavasundaram said the soya bean milk man and four other food sellers will call him when they have leftovers.

       He added that he calls it his “Just One Call Away” initiative where he goes to collect leftovers.

       “I hope to soon come up with a programme where people can ‘adopt’ a family, where they help look into one family’s needs.

       “During such trying times these families need emotional support as well, and interaction with and motivation from anyone who cares to help them,” he said.