Cool Way To Show Warmth

Packed With Love

- S KUMARESAN @Chennai

HE lights flicker on as the fridge door opens. A cool burst of air escapes, revealing neatly arranged packets of home-cooked meals, biscuits, and bottled water—the humble bounty waiting for the city's hungry.

There's no cashier. No questions asked. Only a sign reading 'Ayyamittu Unn', a call to "share the food with the needy before you eat."

Launched in 2017 by Dr M Issa Fathima Jasmine, a Chennai-based dentist, Ayyamittu Unn has evolved into the city's very own food-sharing revolution in the last eight years.

What started as a single community fridge in Besant Nagar has now spread to 11 locations across Chennai, from Broadway and Mylapore to Kodambakkam and the most recent addition in Saligramam's Kaveri Rangan Nagar.

The concept is brilliantly simple: place a refrigerator in a public, accessible location, allow anyone to donate surplus food and let those in need take what they require.

Open daily from 7 am to 8 pm, these fridges accept sealed, fresh, and wholesome items. To ensure safety, strict guidelines are in place: only packaged or freshly cooked food is allowed, while raw meat, seafood, eggs, alcohol, and half-eaten meals are strictly prohibited.