Feeding people

[Vinayaka]

Many religious organisations run food kitchens, or have fundraisers supporting food banks. My favorite example is langar, the Sikh program run out of larger gurdwaras. (Free food all day long) The coronavirus has taken its toll on this program, but there are other ways creative people get around it. Here's a story from rural India. 81-year-old Sikh man feeds 2 million on remote Maharashtra highway

What is your group doing?

 

[Vinayaka]

We used to make a donation to the local food bank every time we went shopping, as the supermarket kept a donation box at the exit. Because of contacting stuff, they stopped that program temporarily. No I do cash on-line.

Food banks are interesting, as they do vary locally. One of the misconceptions is that it's only for people who come by and get it. Here in my city, the reality is that 95% of it goes to other agencies like homeless shelters. 5% is given out in hampers, but folks have to register, and can only get so many hampers a month. It's quite the work.

 

[sun rise]

My group started White Pony Express:

https://www.whiteponyexpress.org/

Our mission is to help eliminate hunger and poverty by delivering the abundance all around us to those in need - with love.

 

[Sunstone]

Here in Colorado Springs, Catholic Charities runs a soup kitchen and has for decades. It started out small but became swamped after the Great Recession. A few years later, it had secured the funds for a major expansion.

The Kitchen's is that it only provides one meal a day (lunch) but it does provide jars of soup-to-go at lunch for anyone wanting something to eat later on in the day. And it is not open on Sundays. However, Colorado College opens on Sundays (and only Sundays) to take up the slack. Neither the Catholic Charities' soup kitchen, nor the College allow proselytizing. It's genuine giving, no strings attached.

An Evangelical outfit also runs a soup kitchen, but last I heard (which was some time ago), they required patrons to listen to a 30-45 minute sermon before they would feed them. People who showed up late were not allowed in. So, I'm not sure that kitchen should be thought of as a charity. More like a barter agreement. I hope they have come to their senses since I last heard about them.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Many religious organisations run food kitchens, or have fundraisers supporting food banks. My favorite example is langar, the Sikh program run out of larger gurdwaras. (Free food all day long) The coronavirus has taken its toll on this program, but there are other ways creative people get around it. Here's a story from rural India. 81-year-old Sikh man feeds 2 million on remote Maharashtra highway

What is your group doing?

We have a good social welfare system in New Zealand and various NGOs provide well established services. Our government has taken steps to provide a wage subsidy system to enable employers to pay their workers a living wage rather than lay people off. As you may be aware I provide volunteer GP services for a free medical clinic for those in need. The medical center is well connected to emergency food and shelter providers for those most in need. Baha'is may contribute to any organisation that provides for those who are struggling, either through their work or financial contributions.

 

[Father Heathen]

I admire the Sikhs for their langar. It's something other religions should consider emulating.

 

[Vinayaka]

Here in Colorado Springs, Catholic Charities runs a soup kitchen and has for decades. It started out small but became swamped after the Great Recession. A few years later, it had secured the funds for a major expansion.

The Kitchen's is that it only provides one meal a day (lunch) but it does provide jars of soup-to-go at lunch for anyone wanting something to eat later on in the day. And it is not open on Sundays. However, Colorado College opens on Sundays (and only Sundays) to take up the slack. Neither the Catholic Charities' soup kitchen, nor the College allow proselytizing. It's genuine giving, no strings attached.

An Evangelical outfit also runs a soup kitchen, but last I heard (which was some time ago), they required patrons to listen to a 30-45 minute sermon before they would feed them. People who showed up late were not allowed in. So, I'm not sure that kitchen should be thought of as a charity. More like a barter agreement. I hope they have come to their senses since I last heard about them.

Catholic Social Services here also does a ton of stuff.

 

[Sunstone]

Catholic Social Services here also does a ton of stuff.

It's possible I'm calling Catholic Social Services "Catholic Charities". My memory for names and titles has never been the best.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Many religious organisations run food kitchens, or have fundraisers supporting food banks. My favorite example is langar, the Sikh program run out of larger gurdwaras. (Free food all day long) The coronavirus has taken its toll on this program, but there are other ways creative people get around it. Here's a story from rural India. 81-year-old Sikh man feeds 2 million on remote Maharashtra highway

What is your group doing?

There is an interfaith food bank that my synagogue contributes to.

 

[Vinayaka]

There is an interfaith food bank that my synagogue contributes to.

A lot of folks, (I think) misunderstand how most food banks run. Most are more distributors than a place where individuals pick up food. So they take in donations, in money, kind, and food itself, and then they dish it out (pun intended) to other agencies, like homeless shelters, schools with lunch programs in underprivileged areas, etc. A lot of people think it's more like a place for people just to go pick up food. Yes, they also do that. Here in Edmonton that's about only about 5% of where the food goes. Many probably operate differently than here though, as they're all locally run.

The temple I go to has a donation box, and when it gets full, we call, an a volunteer comes by to pick it up.

 

[Aupmanyav]

This 'Mobile Langar' Outside Amritsar Airport Feeds Hungry People For Free

The idea of langar or a free kitchen is one of the pillars of the Sikh faith as practiced by the Sikh community. Anyone, Sikh or non-Sikh, can come and have a meal at the langar. Introducing the concept of langar, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism said, "Share with each other. There is no difference between you; we're all equals."

On Monday, stand-up comedian Atul Khatri spotted a cart outside the Amritsar airport distributing food. At first, Khatri couldn't fathom the presence of a hawker in a high security area, but upon approaching them he found out that the people manning the cart were feeding the security staff, taxi drivers and others who were hungry.

The initiative is a boon for security personnel and cabbies who work for long hours at the airport. In his Facebook post, Khatri wrote, "I saw this cart outside Amritsar Airport departure lounge yesterday. I was initially surprised to see a 'hawker' inside a security zone."

"But when I asked them what it was - it turned out to be a 'mobile langar' from a nearby Gurudwara! They go around feeding free food to security people, taxi drivers and anyone else who is hungry. First time I have seen this."
"God bless the Sikh Community!" his post concludes.