Blanket Distribution 2025: sharing the warmth

In 2025, Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra (VMRK) continued distributing warm blankets to bring relief to thousands of families. More than 4,350 blankets were distributed within a radius of 185 kilometers from many VMRK centers.

In August–September 2025, heavy monsoon rains caused landslides that displaced many families. In response, VMRK provided need-based assistance, including blanket distribution to the hilly areas of Uttarakhand. Read more about the relief initiative in our blog post North India Monsoon 2025: hope amid floods.

When winter set in, many underprivileged individuals living in huts and temporary shelters struggled to stay warm. To support them, VMRK continued its blanket distribution drive across the states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Maharashtra.

Planning and preparation

VMRK volunteers began identifying distribution areas about a month before winter in two ways. In most cases, they visited slum areas and villages to assess the conditions. Occasionally, they sought assistance from the local administration to identify areas with the greatest need.
In both cases, the local administration helped identify underprivileged households and determine the blankets required for each household. This was based on family size, the number of elderly members in a family, and the severity of living conditions. Once finalized, VMRK procured thick, warm blankets. These were then transported to the nearest VMRK centers for distribution.

Distributing the blankets

At each location, our volunteers contacted the local administration a few days prior to the distribution to spread information to all beneficiaries. On the day of charity drive, reaching some locations in hilly terrain proved particularly challenging. Volunteers navigated narrow, unpaved roads with deep trenches, sometimes even in the rain.

Upon arrival, the blankets were distributed to beneficiaries one by one at a central location. For those unable to collect their blankets—such as elderly, people with special needs or those who were unwell—our volunteers personally delivered the blankets to their shelters. All beneficiaries expressed heartfelt joy upon receiving the blankets.

It is hereby stated that I am very thankful to Sant Baljit Singh Ji, the spiritual head of VMRK, whose inspiration led VMRK to donate 125 good-quality blankets on February 8, 2025, to the underprivileged and needy villagers, migrant labourers, and helpless residents of the town of Dina Nagar. This charitable activity was carried out through the selfless efforts of the local volunteers of the VMRK centre at Bal Kalan. The donation of such superior-quality blankets to people in need during this severe winter season truly deserves appreciation. I pray to God that this charitable organization may prosper more and more so that people in need may continue to be helped in the future as well.

Nitin Singh, Sarpanch, Gram Panchayat Dodwan, Dinanagar, Punjab