No matter where the Sikhs are, in India or abroad, their joy of giving back to society knows no borders. Be it an individual Sikh or a Sikh community, they are always on the front in service to humanity. Recently, BBC released a documentary film, The Selfless Sikh, on 47-year-old Ravi Sikh from the UK, who is a guardian angel to 400 Yazidi refugee families in Iraq. He visits the refugee camps, risking his life, and provides them with basic supplies every month.
The Sikh volunteers of Nanak Naam Jahaj Gurudwara in Jersey City
The Sikhs are leaving footprints of inspiration and impact also across the United States through their unconditional act of sharing food. Over 500 volunteers from the Sikh Community in New Jersey served free meals to more than 13,000 needy people at churches, shelters and community centers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts from November 18 to 22.
This communal service was part of the initiative, Let’s Share a Meal, by Nanak Naam Jahaj Gurudwara in Jersey City. Founded in 2008, this organization has been conducting this charity drives for the past five years. The volunteers of Nanak Naam Jahaj Gurudwara funded, cooked and distributed free meals to thousands of the needy and hungry in 80 locations in the above-mentioned five US states, aligning their values with the mission, Let’s Share a Meal.
“Our initiative is spreading further and getting bigger year by year. It bears a testimony to the reality that Humanity is still alive. Even the people outside our community and the organization donate food items like bread, pasta and soda to support the cause,” says Onkar Singh, the chief organizer of Let’s Share a Meal.
The recent drive of Let’s Share a Meal in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut continued for five days, which was followed by the volunteers’ sincere efforts for months of planning and raising funds. The selfless service by the community members makes Onkar Singh find a bright ray of hope for peace and harmony amidst hate crimes in America.
“Our community kitchen (the Langar) upholds the principles of humanity and equality across geographies, against all sorts of discrimination. We are all humans. We should treat each other with care and compassion, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and gender, to make the world a better place,” says Onkar Singh emphasizing the objective of Let’s Share a Meal.
Travel Beats is a portal for Indian Diaspora by IndianEagle, a leading travel partner of Indian Americans planning and booking their flights to India from New Jersey and other states. Travel Beats publishes the latest air travel updates, news from India and stories of Indians in USA.