A resident of Washington DC, Sonny Kakar has been serving people hot meals for years now. In the capital region of the United States where one in every seven households grapples with the pangs of hunger, he has changed the lives of thousands by serving them fresh nutritious food free of cost. Starting in 2015, Sonny Kakar operates a one-of-its-kind food truck to serve meals to those in need.
The Seva Truck
SevaTruck is a food truck that can be found in both Michigan and the Washington, DC metro area. Sonny Kakar's free-meal food truck in the Washington, DC metro area and Michigan is part of the SevaTruck Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The core objective is to serve all in the community who need nourishment – people of all faiths, races, and genders, and especially provide a warm meal to someone who doesn’t have access to one normally. He provides nutritionally balanced vegetarian meals to anyone in need.
Long back, Sonny Kakar observed that more than 12.9 million children in the United States are uncertain about where they will obtain their next meal. He decided to do something in response to it. Then, he bought a used FedEx truck, painted it orange, and started the Seva Truck. It is a distinctive nonprofit organization with a base in Washington, DC, that delivers meals to local communities in need, including schools and social work agencies.
Sonny adheres to the principles of Sikhism and the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith, who believed in providing food for the hungry and aiding the impoverished. The institution of langar, or feeding the hungry and underprivileged, is essential to Sikhism.
The Seva Truck focuses specifically on at-risk children in underdeveloped areas. The bright and sprightly orange truck has not only been the pride of the community in the short three years since it started, but it has also grown to be able to serve so many.
His views
When Sonny Kakar incepted Seva Truck, he found a greater need in society for such an initiative. However, he hopes that they go out of business soon. He thinks that there shouldn’t be a need for a Seva Truck because he wants society to advance to the point where people are more concerned with serving others than themselves.
On a normal day, Kakar visits the schools immediately after they close to deliver the children a nutritious hot dinner. He explains, "Our objective is to provide food and security to everyone,"
He adds that there is already evidence of a good impact in the neighborhood. Sonny claims that attendance has increased by 30% at one of the schools where they have been routinely dropping off lunches for the past three years.
Sikhism and Seva
The first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, emphasized and instilled the virtue of service among his followers. One of the main foundations of the Sikh community is volunteerism, especially for people who are underprivileged or in need. Sewa, or service rendered without concern for personal gain, signifies "selfless service."
Sikhs believe charity shouldn't be given to winning God's favor. Instead, it should be done genuinely out of a desire to help people. It's a deed that brings one nearer to God. Since all beings possess divinity, according to Guru Nanak, helping one another is like helping God.
The SevaTruck Foundation's free-meal service initiative focuses on helping children and veterans in need. They are working in tandem with other charities, including food banks. They have been successful. Their success can not only be assessed not only by the number of meals served but also by the impact the free-meal campaign has on those with empty stomachs. After looking at the success and wide impact of providing nutritious free meals, Sonny Kakar has expanded it to Michigan. Going forward, he plans to spread the initiative, and serve more people across the country soon. The goal is to serve humanity and spread health and happiness.