Mukund Patel
Chicago: A month after Diwali, it has emerged that the Hindu-Americans donated nearly 294,000 pounds of food items to the needy people to mark the Festival of Lights in the USA.
During the season of giving, nearly 180 organizations and individuals collected food for 199 pantries across 26 states and 225 townships in the country over a period of two months. This food was distributed to pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters under the “SewaDiwali” initiative.
This drive was a collective effort of cultural and religious communities, yoga institutions, and numerous other organizations rooted in the Dharmic value of Sewa (selfless service).
Hundreds of people made their homes ‘collection centers’ for their neighbors to contribute. People were encouraged to donate canned goods and non-perishable items, which could be donated to food pantries or homeless shelters.
Jennifer Apostol, Department Head, MCFOODS, New Jersey, said: “With 9,000 pounds of food donated, the food pantries know they can have shelved stocks ready for visiting families. Some families are still paying bills- you have helped many families, and we have one less thing to worry about”.
“This was a two-month program, with the plan to collect food and give it to the local food pantries,” said Venkat Gade, President, Chinmaya Mission in Connecticut. “We wanted to be an integral part of the township and the community helping residents.”
The initiative began in New Jersey in 2018, when more than 25 organizations collected 18,000 pounds of food during the festival of Diwali with the goal of supporting the local community. This project expanded to 11 states in 2019 and collected over 55,000 pounds of food items across 40+ townships throughout the Northeast Region.
Even young kids and teenagers participated. A 5th grader Krish, from Katy, Texas, started a video campaign to appeal to his friends to join.
“During any calamity, we are all reminded to do all that we can to care for our neighbors in need, and those hit the hardest due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Venugopal Mallesara, a volunteer of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS), California.
The Governor of Indiana, Mayor of Woodbridge, Monroe, North Brunswick of NJ, Mayor of Livermore, San Ramon of CA, and around 25 township officials have commended the efforts of the Hindu community.
The Governor of Indiana, Eric Holcomb, quoted Martin Luther King Jr.: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘what are you doing for others?’ And in times when many people are going through hardships, physically, financially, and spiritually, your actions shine as a beacon of hope.”
SewaDiwali is a Hindu-American initiative that strives to make a difference in the lives of those suffering from food insecurity. Driven by the values of Dharma and selfless service, this act of giving back is a collective initiative of organizations and individuals from Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain communities.
This initiative is nationally coordinated by HSS, USA, a non-profit, voluntary service organization.
(VP)