Thousands Of People Depend On Temples To Earn A Living. This Festival Season, They Need Your Help.

Temples are a hub of activity, especially during the festival season. Flower vendors, Puja supply shops, astrologers, and many laborers and shopkeepers run their businesses in and around temples. These people depend on temples and devotees to earn a living and keep their families safe and secure.

This year, we all know that festivities have been dampened by the Coronavirus pandemic. Many temples are shut and devotees are scarce. Most celebrations are being done as quiet affairs at home. This is absolutely the right thing to do to prevent further infections but at the same time, we have to consider those who depend on our presence in order to earn their income and put food on the table.

Businesses related to and around temples such as Puja shops, flower sellers, laborers, and countless more have seen their incomes dwindle to next to nothing over the last few months. Usually, the festival season would boost their earnings but this year there’s no hope for that. Hundreds of people and their families are facing a bleak festival season and an uncertain future.

Many such vendors and small business owners have been left with no help and have resorted to borrowing money just to provide the bare essentials for their families. As we celebrate, how can we ignore the plight of those who have always made our festivities complete?

The hardest hit is temple towns such as Kanchipuram, Madurai, and Thirunelveli. In these cities, temple vendors are even more dependent on business from temple devotees. Their income was not high to start with but the pandemic has ruined even this, with many unable to earn at all. Many might even lose their businesses entirely unless they receive some support. Their families are struggling to eat and cope with these difficult times.

They have always ensured that festivities are maintained and enjoyed by all. This festival season, we cannot leave them behind. Donate a grocery kit today and help the temple vendors of Kanchipuram, Madurai, and Thirunelveli survive. Every kit helps them and families have hope for the future.