Take five from 2020: Refreshing initiatives that eased residents’ burden in Chennai – The Hindu

Having an in-house medical team and a COVID-19 response team is obviously a big relief to residents, when much about the virus is still unknown, and the only way to be safe from it is to stay away from it.

From running errands for homes under quarantine to keeping an eye on those walking without masks, volunteers have been playing essential roles.

In the initial months of the pandemic, communities that had earlier maintained a directory of residents renewed their interest in the exercise. The effort was largely directed at finding medical professionals who could clarify nagging doubts around COVID-19 or to check in on a senior citizen with medical problems who did not want to visit the hospital. Some of those communities that had not created a database of residents in their community started the exercise.

The House of Hiranandani Upscale in Egattur, for instance, initiated the exercise of creating a database of doctors residing at the community. Prior to the lockdown, the gated community had a database of six to eight doctors, but after the exercise they identified at least 25 doctors, each with a specialisation.

With the lockdown driving residents to a situation where they had to manage various chores, some put their culinary skills to the test, by cooking for the larger community. From serving food to a bachelor next door, these efforts bloomed into ventures. These were people whose kind offerings had an impact, and they felt encouraged and confident to turn their hobby into a part-time vocation.

Some succeeded in persuading their apartment associations to let out their unused space to them, at a fee, so that they could run their business more professionally.

At Mantri Synergy in Padur, two families, related to each other, and a neighbour, teamed up to start a multi-cuisine cloud kitchen, Tumbo Cafe, at the gated community. The space earmarked for a kitchen had fallen vacant, and these residents approached the community management committee and took the space for a rent.

During the pandemic, there was a huge category of volunteers who wanted to be of service but without endangering their safety. These resident-volunteers signed up for initiatives that they can be a part of, while staying in the comfort of their community or home.

One such notable volunteering effort came from residents’ welfare associations from the OMR region.

Residents’ welfare associations turned their club houses and basements into spaces where resident-volunteers could pack kits consisting of essential food and sanitation items for the benefit of the underprivileged.

Bhoomika Trust approached the Federation of OMR Residents Association (FOMRRA) when it found it difficult to mobilise volunteers for this task.

Some RWAs came up with time slots for each family to help with the packing.

4. The mall at the doorstep

First they brought groceries to the doorsteps, and when the lockdown continued to extend, other things followed. That included the mall. So, from fabrics and footwear to furniture, residents got a taste of a different shopping experience, one they could have at their doorsteps, as brands like Pantaloons, FabIndia, Max and Trends had all flocked there.

Most of the gated communities had many precautions in place including not allowing more than five people to shop at a time.

Jains Inseli Park in Padur, for example, would allow only one stall at a time at their club house.

Though confined to their homes, residents discovered new ways to stay connected during 2020. From community celebrations being livestreamed on Facebook to knowledge sharing sessions on Zoom, the pandemic seemed to give residents a space where they they could meet up with their neighbours.

There were also novel initiatives for residents to staying connected, in-person, but in a manner that would ensure their safety — to give an example, The Central Park South in Sholinganallur initiated an open-air storytelling programme, which was largely driven by the grandparents in the community. These story-telling sessions would take place by the poolside or on the terrace, and safety protocols would be followed.