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Sewa Diwali 2023 to kick off this month
Charitable drives, will begin from mid-October and continue through the end of November 2023.
Sewa Diwali Donations at One Center / Image: sewadiwali.org
In a significant step towards combating food insecurity in the United States, an initiative by the Dharmic communities nationwide has collected and donated close to 1.5 million pounds of non-perishable food in the last five years.
According to data by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2021, 10.2 percent or 1.4 million households were food insecure. The situation is exacerbated in households with children, with every one out of eight of such households being food insecure.
Sewa Diwali 2022 Report.Photo by: sewadiwali.org
Launched in 2018, the initiative, called Sewa Diwali, is an annual food drive that takes place during the festival of Diwali closer to Thanksgiving . "Sewa" is a Sanskrit word that translates to "service" or "selfless giving and Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India and among the Indian diaspora worldwide.
Spearheaded by the Hindu Swayasevak Sangh, the charitable endeavour has grown to include 264 partner organizations and 482 beneficiaries across the United States. Apart from food drives, Sewa Diwali volunteers also donate clothes and books, volunteer at nursing homes to help elderly residents, fund scholarships, and even mentor underprivileged students.
"Sewa Diwali provides an easy platform for people to help the needy people during the festive season to get divine blessings. It also provides a platform for people who like to provide volunteer service," Venugopal Acharya, board member of the Annapoorna USA Foundation, a partner organisation said.
This year, the nationwide charitable drives, will begin from mid-October and continue through the end of November 2023.
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Comments
Tara Chand
2023-10-14 00:00:00
This is truly a community effort and a great way to practice the Sewa (selfless service) during the Hindu Heritage Month (October) along with a lot of festivities. Together, we can make a great difference. Thanks for sharing the details.
Tara Chand
2023-10-14 00:00:00
This is truly a community effort and a great way to practice the Sewa (selfless service) during the Hindu Heritage Month (October) along with a lot of festivities. Together, we can make a great difference. Thanks for sharing the details.