'Reach Lives' spreads Xmas cheer among poor children

Bengaluru: Christmas is recognized worldwide as the season of joy, celebration, homemade Christmas goodies, and more. Christmas is also the season of giving. In keeping with this spirit this year, 'Reach Lives', a Bengaluru-based NGO has committed itself to spread the Christmas cheer among communities of children-in-need with their seasonal distribution program 'Operation Christmas Cheer'.

'Operations Christmas Cheer' was a day-long event that took place on Wednesday. The event was flagged off by Meenakshi Krishna Byregowda and featured the distribution of gift-hampers among underprivileged children accompanied by lots of music, dance, and other activities. With two auto-rickshaws prepped and decorated in holiday garb, Reach Lives kicked off the event at Kempapura, and covered neighborhoods across Yelahanka, Sahakar Nagar, RT Nagar, Nagawara, Hegde Nagar, Chamrajpet, Majestic, and Richmond Town in Bengaluru. The program successfully concluded by the end of the day having reached out to over 2,000 children residing in foster homes, orphanages, and slums.

Speaking on the outreach program, Co-Founder and CEO of Reach Lives, Dr Victor Mohan said, "The Christmas season is that time of the year all especially children look forward to. While we all love to celebrate the season with our friends and families, we tend to overlook the ones that might not have the privilege of doing the same. This is why our team at Reach Lives put together this initiative where we could all come together and celebrate the season by spreading the goodness of Christmas among those who need it the most. The success of the event was overwhelming as we were able to see the smiles of thousands of children across Bangalore. It is the smiles of these children that give us the drive to do what we do - reach lives and make a difference."

Co-Founder and CFO, Reach Lives, Mini Mohan stated, "While all of us had our fair share of struggle during the pandemic, nothing compares to the effect it had on foster homes, and orphanages. With many of these homes seeing a drastic decrease in charitable funds coming their way, it's no secret as to how hard it must have been for them to get by. Through this initiative, it is our sole purpose to prove to these children that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and there is always more to look forward to. With our gifts, music, and interactions, we aim to bring some cheer into the lives of these children and foster good mental health during the holiday season."

As part of the 'Operation Christmas Cheer' initiative, the volunteers from Reach Lives were also hard at work mobilizing Bengalureans to donate toys, stationery, consumables, and other essentials. Some even went the extra mile to make this initiative even more special. Students from Stonehill International School participated by hand-making gifts by themselves to be donated. Overall, the team was able to amass a collection of several thousand small gifts that were individually packed for distribution.

A subsidiary of the Anora Charitable Foundation, Reach Lives is the result of a group of like-minded doctors, businesspersons, and philanthropists resolving to work together to reduce socio-economic disparities among Indians, primarily in the domain of healthcare. They aim to target urban poor communities such as children in foster/care homes, elderly in old-age homes, slum dwellers, trans-persons, and migrants living in temporary settlements. Through their initiatives, the team at Reach Lives aims to further expand to additional communities in need across South India and beyond.