December is a busy time for the members of Centenary Methodist Church, Nampally, and Pearl City Church, Film Nagar. Braving the cold and going door-to-door, students and professionals have been out on the streets, sometimes till 7 am, singing carols not just for the members of their community, but also for children and adults at orphanages and old age homes.
Twenty-one-year-old Priyanka David, a student of St. Francis College for women, explains why carol singing is a must if you want to get into the festive spirit. “This is the first time I have volunteered to be a part of the carol singing group and it has been amazing — stepping out late at night, travelling to far off location, hanging out with friends. We have to go to around 100 houses and it’s just been a week since we started,” says Priyanka.
Her group starts carol singing by 9 pm and Priyanka says safety has never been an issue. “At any given point in time, there are 30 of us travelling together; there are elders, and a mix of boys and girls. Moreover, we hire a bus; so it’s safe to go to places that are far. The only problem so far has been the cold,” says Priyanka.
Over the past few weeks, members of Youth Mix from Pearl City Church have visited educational institutions, malls and hospitals. “We even conducted a blanket drive and distributed 250 blankets and winter clothing to people on the streets and sang carols for them too,” says Joel Sankeerth, an MBA student and a working professional.
Harryson Peter, a student of St. Joseph’s Degree & PG College, who has been going out for carol singing for the past six years, agrees that it has been fun. “I have been missing a lot of classes this month, but I am going to catch up with my studies in January.”
