When India entered into a nation-wide lockdown on 24 March 2020, there were several reports indicating the plight of migrant workers who were left without income, shelter and food while being under the direct threat of COVID-19 disease. These underprivileged segments of society were caught between the wheels of a looming disease and a dwindling economy. These people were left in the middle during this crisis with no food to survive. Kalam Centre through its huge network of volunteers reached out to this vulnerable section of society through Kalam Community Kitchen.

During these unprecedented times, with the support from Godrej, Zomato, Ketto, Mukul Madhav Foundation, Piramal Sarvjal and local communities, we were able to reach out to migrant workers and their families in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttrakhand, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. To date, we have distributed over 65,000 one-month ration kits impacting 325,000 migrant workers and their families and served about 500,000 cooked meals. We also extended our support to stray animals including dogs, cats and cattle.

Kalam Centre also extended its services and created employment opportunities for local women in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, who took charge of the Kalam Kitchen. The prepared food was then delivered by an auto-rickshaw service, Kalam Kitchen Kart to the remotest areas of the city. Local youths were engaged in the distribution of meals daily, thereby generating employment for them.