By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Youth Welfare Board has set a model by mobilising the Kerala Voluntary Youth Action Force in every nook and corner of the state to provide a helping hand to people unable to venture outside their houses for buying essential items and medicines on account of the lockdown. The voluntary service initiative had begun on Tuesday when the state went into a complete lockdown in the wake of the spike in Covid-19 positive cases. P Biju, vice-chairman, Kerala State Youth Welfare Board, said in a release here that the volunteers have succeeded in reaching out to the people on the basis of the phone calls received from them. The local volunteers of the action force collect money and draw up the list of items needed including medicines. They buy the items from the nearby grocery, vegetable or medical shops. The service will be available till 5pm when the shops are required to shut down as per the directive issued by the state government. However, in the event of a contingency situation, the service will be available even after 5 pm. The volunteers have also taken adequate safety guards, including steps to ensure that they don’t form any gatherings. On day one itself, the volunteers extended their service to more than 100 people in Thiruvananthapuram city. They also received several phone calls from Kazhakoottam, Attingal and Neyyattinkara. The service is being extended state-wide and it will partner with local-self governments soon to ensure that no one will suffer for want of timely assistance during the crisis, the release said.

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