Homeless shelter opened for the poor in Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore – The Salesian Society has opened a homeless shelter for the poor in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, which will serve as a refuge for the underprivileged.

The Anbu Illam (a place for loving care) was opened on November 22 and is housed in a renovated corporation school that can accommodate about 50–60 people every night.

“The building has been renovated and now has three bathrooms and a large kitchen, where the need have supper and breakfast the following morning,” AsiaNews, an Italy–based Catholic news agency, quoted the Coimbatore City Corporation Commissioner, Anil Meshram, as saying.
 
The Salesian Anbu Illan Don Bosco will manage the homeless centre and issue personal ID cards to users.

According to Anbu Illam director Father John, a recent survey has revealed that there were about 550 homeless in the city. “Every effort will be made to help them get back on their feet,” he said.

Doctors will also be able to perform medical check–ups on those staying at the Anbu Illam and, if need be, provided for their hospitalization, AsiaNews has reported.
 
“Anbu Illam is a place for true loving care, a place where the Love of Christ is expressed through service to those who are marginalized, poor and dispossessed,” AsiaNews quoted Bishop Thomas Aquinas of Coimbatore, as saying. “This shelter will enable us to help children and youth from every caste and creed, young people found wandering or loitering either at the railway stations or the bus terminus, brought to the centre by the Police. Here they are treated with dignity, given a chance for vocational training and self–employment.”