Loreto Rainbow Homes, IHA Foundation Launch Interfaith Dining Hall and Free Meal Programme in Kolkata

Kolkata, June 18, 2026: In a significant gesture of compassion and social solidarity, Loreto Rainbow Homes Foundation and IHA Foundation jointly inaugurated an Interfaith Dining Hall and launched a year-long free meal programme in Kolkata on June 16, bringing together humanitarian service and interreligious harmony in support of the city's most vulnerable communities.

The initiative seeks to address food insecurity while fostering a culture of mutual respect, friendship, and peaceful coexistence among people of different faith traditions and social backgrounds. Organisers described the Interfaith Dining Hall as a welcoming space where community meals become an expression of inclusivity, dialogue, and shared humanity.

The partnership unites two Kolkata-based organisations with a long-standing commitment to social outreach and human dignity. Loreto Rainbow Homes Foundation, operating under the guidance of the Loreto Sisters of the Congregation of Jesus, is widely recognised for its work among girls who have experienced homelessness, abandonment, orphanhood, or other forms of social vulnerability.

Through its innovative Rainbow Homes model, the foundation combines residential care with formal education, enabling children to grow and thrive within mainstream educational settings. The programme provides a holistic support system that includes housing, nutrition, healthcare, clothing, recreation, emotional care, and educational opportunities. It also offers vocational training, career guidance, and support for higher studies and employment, while encouraging healthy family relationships wherever possible.

The origins of the Rainbow Homes movement can be traced to the pioneering outreach efforts of the late Sr. Cyril Mooney, whose vision transformed the lives of countless disadvantaged children in Kolkata. What began in 1998 as a student-led outreach initiative in a Loreto school evolved into a broader movement, expanding to additional schools in 2002 and reaching other parts of India by 2007. The programme was formally established as the Loreto Rainbow Homes Foundation in 2011.

A distinguishing feature of the Rainbow Homes approach is its use of existing school infrastructure to provide residential care, allowing children to remain integrated within regular educational and social environments rather than being separated in institutional settings. Today, the organisation supports hundreds of girls in Kolkata, while the wider Rainbow Homes network continues to serve vulnerable children across the country.

The IHA Foundation complements this mission through its extensive work in community development, disaster relief, environmental initiatives, interfaith engagement, educational support, and free community meal programmes. The organisation's humanitarian efforts focus on improving the lives of underprivileged and marginalised communities through food assistance, healthcare support, environmental stewardship, and emergency response services.

By combining their strengths, Loreto Rainbow Homes Foundation and IHA Foundation hope to provide sustained nutritional support to those in need while promoting values of fraternity, compassion, and social cohesion. The newly launched meal programme stands as a tangible witness to the power of collaborative service, demonstrating how faith-inspired organisations can work together to build a more caring and inclusive society.

As the Interfaith Dining Hall opens its doors, it offers not only nourishment for the body but also a powerful symbol of unity across religious and cultural boundaries, reflecting the shared commitment of both organisations to human dignity and the common good.

By Catholic Connect Reporter