A Prayerful Reflection: Kanwal Prakash Singh
Gurdwara Darbar Hall: Sikh Ragis singing
On Sunday, December 28, 2014, on the sacred occasion of the 348th birth celebration of the Tenth Sikh Guru, The Sikh Satsang volunteers packed over 15-tons of canned food, cereals, soft drinks to be delivered to Gleaners Food Bank before year-end. The Winter Food Drive, the third Canned Food Drive in 2014, was a project of The Sikh Satsang Youth Group under the leadership of Satsang Secretary, Amandeep Singh Sidhu, and Satsang President, Maninder Singh Walia. The Winter Food Drive included a large corporate donation by PepsiCo Asian Network (PAN). The Sikh congregation and its Guru Nanak Food Pantry participated in this important endeavor to support Central Indiana families who depend on Gleaners and other food pantries to feed their families.
Our participation in the Food Drive is in response to the call by the Interfaith Hunger Initiative, the Office of the Mayor of the City of Indianapolis, and as a part of the time honored Sikh commitment to serve and feed the hungry in our midst. Amandeep enthusiastically added: "Food for everybody, no matter what?" and young Jaskirat Kaur, one of the leaders of the Satsang Youth Group, affirmed: "Incredible opportunity to help those in need."
Volunteers and Sikh leaders around the Truck loaded with canned food, cereals, and soft drinks;
DISASTER RELIEF AND HUMANITARIAN CAUSES
The Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis and its individual members have a long history of stepping forward and generously assisting in a variety of community and global humanitarian relief efforts and causes over the past nearly five decades: supporting the Indianapolis-Madras Council Orphanage /School in Truchi, India; the Earthquakes in Gujarat, India, and in Pakistan; the devastating Asian and Japanese Earthquake-Tsunamis and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans; The Indianapolis Wheeler Mission, and other causes, crisis, and worthy charities through The Interfaith Hunger Initiative, Gleaners Food Bank, Midwest Food Bank - Food and Disaster Relief, American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis, The Christelhouse Schools for underprivileged in India, The Center for Interfaith Cooperation, The Indianapolis Star's annual "Season for Sharing" (now renamed: Our Children, Our City), and many others.
Maninder Walia addressing the congregation
In expressing solidarity, adding our voice and support (manpower, materials, and contributions), interfacing and networking with other groups and faith communities, and mainstreaming our presence, energy, and involvements, we have strengthened our sense of belonging, our shared responsibility and common humanity. This commitment is to be celebrated and we hope will always remain our guiding anchor, as we individually and collectively discover our own direction and destiny to be an integral part of the incredible American experience. By our dedicated engagement and contribution to important community and humanitarian endeavors that make a difference to life, opportunities, uplifting the burdens of others, we honor our own spiritual and cultural foundation and proud legacy. For many, that is the true year-round meaning of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Sikh Baisakhi and Gurpurabs, Diwali, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Dalai Lama's call for a Century of Compassion, Native American spirit and traditions, other major feasts and festivals of our family of faiths and unifying spiritual precepts.
Mayor and Mrs. Greg Ballard's 2013 visit to the Sikh Gurdwara, Indianapolis.
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December 28, 2014 Indianapolis, Indiana USA
