Guru Simran Kaur is well-known for her many years of Food4Kids New Mexico service to hundreds of underserved school-aged children in the rural belt of New Mexico. She is from Espanola, New Mexico. Over the years, Guru Simran Kaur's seva has extended to numerous other projects.
Guru Simran is the Custodian of the Siri Singh Sahib's Ranch in Espanola. She is also the Founder of Food 4 Kids NM, a non-profit organisation that aims to give supplemental food to local schools in order to ensure that underserved children do not go hungry.
Her felicitation
On 14th June 2020, Guru Simran Kaur was honoured with the Clara Barton Award from the American Red Cross for her voluntary work during natural disasters and times of crisis. The award is named after the Red Cross's founder. It is the organization's highest distinction for volunteers.
Kathy Segura-Sala, the State’s Executive Director said, “Her peers and staff, without a doubt, said that Guru Simran should get this award”.
Commenting on Guru Simran’s felicitation, another regional organizer said, “She is always there to support those in need, regardless of the time of day or night. Of all the volunteers I have worked with, she is the most willing, able and passionate.”
What is the American Red Cross?
The American Red Cross provides emergency aid, disaster relief, and education on disaster preparedness in the United States. Their trained personnel and volunteers (95%) are prepared to handle the immediate needs of persons displaced by man-made or natural disasters for food, shelter, clothing, medicine replacement, and mental health counseling.
Guru Simran connects American Red Cross to Sikhism’s tenets
Guru Simran linked the Red Cross's work to the Khalsa values during the award ceremony. She said that the Red Cross embodies the essence of Sikhism. During the time of Guru Gobind Singh, Bhai Ghanaya toured the battlefield, assisting anyone who was injured on any side. The same humanitarian attitude can be found in the Red Cross. Her crew steps in when someone's life has been totally crushed, when there are only a few pieces of steel left of a home after a fire, and they work to provide a helping hand in their most difficult time. Volunteering for the Red Cross is the most rewarding thing a person can do in their life.
Guru Simran has been tirelessly continuing to serve humanity. Her service is an inspiration. She is one of the many notable Sikhs who live by the tenets of Sikhism and continue to tend to the needs of society.
*Based on an article published in Sikh Dharma International on 26th June 2020