The outburst of the Coronavirus pandemic brought the whole world to a standstill. Lockdowns became necessary to sustain life, people lost jobs, the economy shrunk and the daily spike in number of deaths made this year one of the worsts we have encountered so far. But we may be jumping the gun in calling it the 'absolute worst', for there were countless instances that did manage to restore our faith in humanity and all that is good around. Several people and institutions stood up this year to bring some cheer in someone else's life.
Here are 9 big gestures that made the Internet smile in the year 2020:
1. Vikas Khanna's Feed India Campaign Winning Global Acclaim
Michelin-Star Chef Vikas Khanna grabbed many eyeballs, when he managed to curate over 20 million meals for the needy during the nationwide lockdown in India. "Once we realised the lockdown meant a complete halt to life as we knew it, I found myself seeking solutions for the way forward", he told NDTV Food in an exclusive interview. "I reached out to people on my social media and was dumbfounded by the overwhelming number of responses in need of food. This gave me the inspiration to start the Feed India campaign", he added. Read the full story here.
Vikas Khanna started 'Feed India Campaign'
2. Murthal Dhaba Serving Free Food To Protesting Farmers
When farmers from neighbouring states started marching to Delhi to protest against the new farm bills, many farmers were stopped at the borders. Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba, on the Delhi-Haryana highway, organised a three-day langar for the farmers and served them food for free. Read the full story here.
3. The Internet Reviving 'Baba Ka Dhaba'
'Baba Ka Dhaba', a modest eatery in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, became an overnight sensation when food blogger Gaurav Wasan tried to document the plight of the elderly dhaba owners who were struggling to find customers due to the pandemic. The video went viral and the dhaba was thronged by thousands of zealous customers in no time. Read the full story here.
Baba ka dhaba is a modest eatery in Malviya Nagar
4.US Couple Canceling Wedding And Feeding The Needy
Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis, a Chicago-based couple, decided to cancel their big 'dream wedding' due to the pandemic and went on to use the catering deposits worth a whopping $5000 to feed the needy on the occasion of Thanksgiving. Read the full story here.
5. Man Leaving 3000 Dollar Tip On A Single Beer Purchase
According to a viral post, a customer left a $3000 dollar tip on an order of a single beer just so that the tip could be shared among the restaurant staff. The post was shared on Facebook by the owner of the restaurant Nighttown in Cleveland, Ohio. Brendan Ring was planning to shut the eatery temporarily. Read the full story here.
Man's generous tip spread cheer among US restaurant staff
6. Delhi Eatery Serving Complete Thali at Re 1
Shyam Rasoi, a Delhi eatery near Shiv Mandir, Nangloi, made headlines for their initiative of serving a complete lunch thali for Re 1. The brainchild behind the initiative, Parvin Kumar Goyal, 51, told ANI in October that they fed approximately 2,000 people every day - among which 1,000 were served to those physically present, while another 1,000 in nearby areas were provided food parcels with the help of e-rickshaws. Read the full story here.
7. Man In Batman Disguise Delivering Meals To Homeless People
Man in the costume of popular superhero 'Batman' became a social media sensation for his noble act of delivering food to the homeless and needy in the city of Santiago. The Chilean superhero chooses to go unnamed, but his humanitarian gesture sure made him the talk of the town. Read the full story here.
8. NRAI Pledging to Serve Needy Migrants During Pandemic
The NRAI (National Restaurants Association Of India) launched an initiative called #FeedTheNeedy to support the poor and needy people during the lockdown. As it may be recalled many migrant labourers decided to go back to their native states due to absence of work during lockdown, many travelled miles on foot. The NRAI initiative tried to help migrants as well. Restaurant chefs were roped in for the initiative and over Fifty Lakh Meals were served in the month of April alone as per reports. Read the full story here.
9. When A Delivery App Glitch Brought 42 Riders To A 7-Year Old's Doorstep, Neighbours Volunteered To Buy Extra Meals
All hell broke loose on a seven-year old Philipino girl when she ended up ordering two boxes of fried chicken fillets with rice, 42 times, due to app glitch. When the nieghbourhood saw 42 riders cramping the street of Barangay Mabolo, many volunteered to buy the extra packets. Read the full story here.