Mangaluru: A message from Pope Francis while celebrating the first world day of the poor on November 19 is all set to ensure that the needy in Namma Kudla will have access to at least one square meal a day in the near future.

The Pope in his message said, “Let us love not in word but in deeds”. Keeping in mind the call given by the Pope, the Mangalore Diocese has drawn up plans to provide food fridge where people can store food and fruits and the needy use them.

The Diocese incidentally in March 2016 had dedicated a free drinking water facility for all at the entrance of the Bishop’s House at Kodialbail here. With this humanitarian experiment going on without hitches, the Diocese as part of Christmas celebration this year has come up with the idea of setting up a food fridge, which in all probability be set up right next to the drinking water facility, said Fr William Menezes, public relations officer of the Mangalore Diocese.

Acknowledging the commitment made by Most Rev Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the Bishop in his Christmas Eve message in this regard, Fr Menezes told that modalities of the food fridge will be thoroughly worked out before rolling out the same. “It is our thinking that the affluent will part with a portion of their excess food and other consumables for use by the needy rather than waste the same,” he said, adding the finer details of this initiative will be worked out shortly.

To ensure that food fridge is not misused, Fr Menezes said it will be kept under CCTV surveillance and only the needy benefit from it. “The Diocese might also consider keeping a certain number of freshly cooked food packets in the fridge with fruits for people to use it,” Fr Menezes said adding that all suggestions received from various quarters including the Diocesan Pastoral Parishad taken in to consideration before the initiative is rolled out sometime early next year.