Warrior Plates brings joy to frontline staff and Mumbai restaurants

The Dindoshi police has been one of the beneficiaries of Warrior Plates initiative

Aiding the collective effort against the Covid-19 pandemic, an MBA student has been providing food to frontline warriors like policemen and hospital staff in the city since April. The 25-year-old is raising funds for the initiative through crowdfunding. The impact of the effort has been two-pronged - making Covid warriors feel special through the treats and aiding the businesses of city restaurants.

Vidushi Agarwal sources the food packets from well-known restaurants in the city

Vidushi Agarwal, a Lokhandwala resident, said, "In my effort to help frontline workers who are on duty round the clock, I serve them delicious food brought directly from the kitchens of well-known city restaurants. It gives me immense pleasure to see a smile on the faces of frontline warriors when we approach them with the food packets."

Agarwal resides with her parents and younger sister, an MBBS student. She added, "The aim is to make privileged youth aware that they, too, must contribute to society in every way possible. A small gesture goes a long way."

Agarwal added, "There is no discrimination in the distribution of food packets. The quality of the food remains the same for everyone, right from the dean of a hospital to the housekeeping staff."

The initiative has been named Warrior Plates Organization. The frontline workers who have been given the food packets include doctors, nurses, ward boys, security guards, aayahs, housekeeping staff and Mumbai police. So far, the initiative has delivered food packets to civic-run hospitals, Covid-19 care centres and Dindoshi police station. Agarwal said that it has received an overwhelming response from the F&B industry, too.

Vidushi Agarwal

"The idea was to help in two ways - to aid the food and beverages industry which has been marred badly in the pandemic. Second, to help frontline workers who have risked their lives to safeguard people," Agarwal said.

Happy warriors

"In one instance, when the food was delivered, some of the frontliners were so delighted that they broke into a small celebration. They were happy to see that their services are being appreciated and recognised by someone outside of their organisation. Mumbai police have also been touched by the gesture that considered them a part of the frontline force," Agarwal said.

So far, Agarwal has raised Rs 1.50 lakh on the fundraising platform, Ketto. Restaurants were added as beneficiaries in the campaign to facilitate direct disbursement and ensure transparency.

"Small business owners have been delighted to receive bulk orders from Warrior Plates. They were very enthusiastic about serving frontline workers. The orders ensured that their kitchens are busy again and the entire supply chain right from procurement to packaging is in healthy motion," Agarwal said.