#MakeaDifference: Feed The Poor By Donating Your Wedding Leftovers! (Yes, It's That Easy)

We've showcased the best wedding vendors and some awesome ideas so you'll have that dream wedding you always wanted. But amidst all that shaadi fun, there is a simple way all you would-be brides and grooms to give back to society in the smallest, most efficient way possible. Yes, charity begins at home, or rather at a wedding this time. How is it possible you wonder?

Wed Me Good points you to Feeding India: Be a Hunger Hero, a superb initiative by an effervescent 23-year-old Ankit Kawatra who had the genius idea of feeding the poor straight from the leftover at your wedding. It's that simple, really. Feeding India is about giving the hungry access to leftover food from restaurants and catered parties. The amount of food that gets wasted at weddings is crazy. And the interesting part is the fact that the wedding menu is catered with a lot of thought in place - different cuisines, interesting starters and new ideas. And to imagine all of that go to waste? No siree! Let's just say you saved that trip to Benaras to take a dip in the holy river, just get your karma right there at your wedding.

Feeding India is a volunteer-based young social enterprise and it aims to tackle two issues only - Food wastage and hunger. The difference that Feeding India makes is big - it doesn't ask you to create new food, it simply wants you to not waste your food. There's a difference right there!

And you could help this budding organisation by doing your bit - just talk to your caterer before-hand and tell him about the cause. Once the celebrations are dwindling down and your guests are happy, just ask someone from your family to call Feed India helpline and give them a time and the event address where they can collect it.

Within a couple of hours, they arrive and take the load off you and immediately look at NGOs or needy people close by and donate the food. All they take is a plate’s cost of the event (Regardless of the cost per plate being 200 or 8000) as handling/ logistics fees for transportation and things. They are a growing enterprise and already operate with 750 volunteers as of now and they've already fed 2,00,000 meals. So you are indeed in safe hands - and your efforts will not go in vain.

If you have any doubts, read this questionnaire. It will help you navigate this idea well and save you a lot of time too.

Which parts of India is this possible in?

They are primarily based in Delhi but are looking at opening chapters nationwide, starting the week of August 2015 For now, they are operational in Chandigarh, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Agra, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal, Lucknow and a few more, basically all metros.

What are the best ways for people who are interested to get in touch with the team? 

Anyone interested can call on the Feeding India helpline number : 9871178810, 9958831717 or email at feedingindia2025@gmail.com. "Due to the nature of our work, we are available 24/7 and respond immediately" they say. Wow!

How early/late can one register? How soon do you guys respond?

Anyone interested in donating food can contact us via the above mentioned channels. We usually ask everyone to let us know the venue, guest size and other details in advance so we can prepare our logistics accordingly. It can be on the day of the function or a week in advance.

What if we forgot to let you know before? Or if we figured out in the last minute that we could help - then what?

If sometimes they forget to let us know before, during the event they can give us a call whenever they estimate the food is getting waste. It is usually 10pm-12am in the night when this happens. Our team reaches the venue within one to one and a half hour.

What makes Feeding India special/ better than other NGOs who do the same thing?

• A not-for-profit youth run social enterprise
• Our belief is that we do not need to create new food to feed the less privileged, but to simply direct the extra food which is already created
• A sustainable business model to cover our costs
• In less than 8 months, we have served close to 2, 00, 000 people just in Delhi NCR
• Presence in 13+ cities and aim to be in 25+ by the end of this year
• 750+ Student volunteers

Please feel free to look at the Facebook page for more details.