With over 194.6 million people who remain hungry on a daily basis and 3,000 hunger deaths of children annually, India is home to the largest undernourished population in the world. Wishes and Blessings aim to address this problem by providing wholesome and nutritious meals to lesser privileged people. Initially, we hosted regular meals and small treats at the various homes we work with; dependent on donor support, most of these were held on an ad-hoc basis as a result of which we could not ensure the regular supply of food. Through this program, Wishes and Blessings have been filling the stomachs of starving, ensure the health and development of children and youth, and prevent crimes like petty theft and begging. We started serving daily meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to 60 underprivileged persons during our first phase in 2015. Currently, under Phase XVI, we are feeding over 500 underprivileged people on a daily basis across Delhi/NCR.

Meals are served completely free of cost in the shelter homes run and supported by Wishes and Blessings. Beneficiaries report the following changes:

• Beneficiaries report higher immunities and therefore are more resilient when it comes to fighting diseases and illnesses
• Children are healthier and record high attendance in school, ensuring their education is on track
• With the assurance of regular hot and nutritious meals, beneficiaries are less prone to begging and stealing in order to fill their stomachs
• Healthier elders who are able to age gracefully as their unique health concerns are taken care of