Noida : Ahead of Christmas, the city’s restaurant community came forward to spread festive cheer among deaf children.
At least 50 restaurants in Noida and NCR, part of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), donated school bags and stationery to 150 students, aged between four & 17, of Noida Deaf Society on Tuesday.
The initiative, ‘Santa’s Cause’, encouraged restaurateurs to donate 10% of every food bill paid at their eateries in Dec. The pooled contribution was used to organise the distribution at the society’s campus, where a brief Christmas celebration was also held.
Head of the NRAI Noida Chapter, Varun Khera, said the initiative was meant to ensure that children with hearing and speech disabilities are not excluded from festive experiences.
“Children look forward to Christmas because of the gifts associated with it. Through Santa’s Cause, we wanted to share that happiness with these marginalised students,” he said. Khera said the association is also looking beyond one-time donations. NRAI is also in talks with the school to provide employment to deaf students in the hospitality sector.
There are several roles where they can perform well with the right support. Our effort is to create inclusive employment opportunities and help integrate them into the workforce,” he said.
Founder of the Noida Deaf Society, Ruma Rupa, said the students responded with visible excitement. “The children were thrilled. Many of them had never interacted so closely with people from the restaurant industry,” she said. She added that the visiting restaurateurs took a tour of the society, spent time with the students and interacted with them through sign language and the assistance of teachers.
Noida Deaf Society works to educate and upskill deaf children and youth aiming to bring them into mainstream education and employment.
The organisation supports students through formal schooling, vocational training and life-skills development, with a focus on long-term independence.
Staff members said such visits help build confidence among students and expose them to possible career paths.