The Hope Society, a Bengaluru based organization, has launched an initiative to build homes for the homeless each month with people’s participation.
The new movement on housing called ‘Project Shelter’ was initiated by Claretian Father George Kannanthanam on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
“Humanity is best made visible and practical when we help our needy citizens to have their basic needs,” said Justice Santhosh Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge and Lokayukta who inaugurated the project. He lauded people’s participation and volunteerism in the project.
Bishop Sebastian Edayanthrath of Mandya opened a new house and handed over the key to John Bhaskar, a person on wheelchair due to his disability, to mark the symbolic beginning of the Project Shelter.
Bishop Edayanthrath recalled that the Claretian priest has already constructed 1,500 houses for the homeless in his 30 years of service to the leprosy patients, drug dependents, disabled and the victims of disasters.
He said such programs can be implemented with the cooperation of generous people in society.
John Bhaskar said that he would never have been able to build a house without the support from Project Shelter.