Tackling one of the worst crises in the world – Hunger, the Robin Hood Army is a group of superheroes who can be identified from their green tees and compassionate faces. The Robin Hood Army is a non-profit organization run by volunteers, operating without any financial resources. Its mission is to collect excess food from restaurants and local communities and distribute it to individuals in need. With the aim of ‘Serving the Hungry Citizen’, this NGO is working towards ensuring that food is continuously made available to the needy in our society. Feeding hungry people is not limited to feeding them a single meal, it is making sure that they get consistent meals throughout.
Working on this principle, this NGO is serving society in an applaudable way. They are also working towards providing education to the less privileged and raising awareness for the same. This blog details their mission, vision, business model, revenues, and future goals.
About the Company
The local chapters of the organization are operated by acquaintances and peers who aspire to make a positive impact in their own distinctive manner. For instance, restaurants situated in the Nehru Park vicinity extend their support to destitute individuals within the neighborhood, with the aid of volunteers residing in Nehru Park. These volunteers, who are commonly referred to as “Robins”, are predominantly students and young professionals who engage in this activity during their spare time. The underprivileged communities that the organization caters to encompass homeless families, orphanages, patients from public hospitals, and elderly care homes.
Vision
The Robin Hood Army has a simple vision to beat global hunger by creating awareness amongst willing humans using food as a medium. They reach out to professionals and college students who are willing to work towards this cause, thereby urging them to bring out the best versions of themselves.
Their broader vision in the future is to create self-sustained chapters across the world that look after their local community without being coaxed by any organization. They also aim to inspire thousands around them to be more humanitarian and try to give back to those who are in actual need.
Progress Report
During the initial distribution of the Robin Hood Army, it became clear that, while offering aid to the less fortunate may have been rewarding on a personal level, feeding 50 people once a week would not have a significant influence in a country where millions faced starvation. Because of the seriousness of the problem, the organization needed to broaden its reach by working with more restaurants, serving more cities, and ultimately extending its activities as soon as feasible.
Their journey began in 2014 and here is a brief report of their achievements so far:
2014 – 15: Modeled after Portugal’s Re-Food Program, the Robin Hood project was initiated in Delhi, India in August of 2014. With the aid of social media, a group of passionate new recruits, and a bit of good fortune, the Robin Hood Army (RHA) (2314 Robins precisely) was able to expand its operations to numerous cities throughout India. In a significant milestone, the organization subsequently extended its reach into neighboring Pakistan.
2016: With 6375 Robins serving for the NGO and reaching out to 32 cities now, the Robin Hood Army (RHA) expanded its operations beyond national borders, broadening its horizons. In addition, the organization founded the Robin Hood Academy, which served as a feeder program for hundreds of street children by providing a structured curriculum. The “Robins” assumed the role of educators, training and equipping these students with the knowledge and abilities they needed to pursue their academic ambitions.
2017: With 10,350 Robins serving under its umbrella, the RHA undertook its most ambitious project — #Mission1Million. It successfully mobilized media houses, corporates, and artists to serve 1.32 million less fortunate citizens, without raising any funds, on Independence Day.
2018: By this year, the RHA took the help of tech and data to scale its operations and outreach in rural and urban areas. Now serving in 103 cities, the RHA got featured as a Harvard case study, and its zero-funds system was lauded by civilians worldwide.
2019: 28,164,165 Robins had served more than 28 million people by then. RHA had managed to establish hyperlocal community chapters by this year.
Currently, these superheroes are marching fearlessly in every nook and corner of the world, spotting the hungry, needy, and underprivileged in the world, each one bringing a massive difference in the destitute’ lives.
Shout Out to All
Their beautifully crafted website manages to melt the toughest of hearts, compelling each one of us to contribute our share as well. A simple invitation to ‘Join the Robin family’ can be seen on the home page of the site, where one can volunteer by giving time, contributing food or teaching.
Funding and Revenue Model
The Robin Hood Army operates on a single principle – as a non-profit organization, they do not accept any financial contributions. The organization does not generate revenue, employ staff members, or maintain physical office space. The only contribution that the Robin Hood Army seeks from its volunteers is their time and effort. Anyone willing to assist with the organization’s mission is welcome to participate.
They simply share their experiences on social media and reach out to wider audiences daily urging many to join the ever-growing humanitarian team. They strictly do not accept monetary donations.
Future Plans
They do not have any structured future goals. They just call out to all the good Samaritans in the world to join them in their journey to feed and educate the needy.
Final Thoughts
Building a beautiful and satiated new world, where every mouth is fed and every tongue can read and spell, the Robin Hood Army is truly a world-class non-profit organization. Having showcased amazing growth in their journey without a single penny spent, they present to the world an unbelievable model of ‘helping those who need your help, without expecting anything in return.’ With this noble mission in mind, we at fStory salute all the hard-working Robins and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
