Serving Quality Food in Quantity
With Love in Italy
During the 2019 World Youth Meet, on the morning of November 19, Swami made this public statement:
"Inspired by the Siddha Ganga Math programme, in which they feed the poor and hungry all the time, their kitchen is open 24 hours a day, it never closes, because they serve food to the hungry all the time... Inspired by their ideal of serving food to the needy, from this Birthday, Baba's 94th Birthday, we will start a new programme. We will give the opportunity to serve food all over the world, so that no one goes to sleep on an empty stomach. It is a pity that in times when the human being is able to go to the Moon, there is someone in the world who goes to sleep on an empty stomach. If we serve the needy, only then can we call it Hrudaya (heart). Hrud+Daya is a heart full of compassion!”
As can be seen from the speech, Swami wants to serve food to the needy so that no one goes to sleep on an empty stomach. This is the will of the Master and so that these words are not like the seed thrown on a rock or on arid ground, of which the Gospel speaks, but a seed that is thrown into fertile ground, the ground of man's will; the youth will take the first step towards the realisation of the Will of the Master, and immediately, many good people will set in motion a wave of selfless love!
Together,so much can be done!!!!!
It is very simple...already some people have come forward to establish a new kitchen! It is a very noble idea to create a network that takes the whole of Italy to 'feed the world, so that no one ever goes to bed again on an empty stomach'.
It is really simple!!!!
Especially when there is the Divine Sankalpa ......
In the afternoon of November 23, 2019, during the Satsang, a brother from the USA presented the summary of the interactive session held in the morning. He underlined how Swami aspires that every young person serve at least one meal a day to those who need it – the poor and homeless.
One method of achieving this, which is at the same time a spiritual discipline, is the 'Celing of Desires'. For example, one renounces a second, third, fourth coffee a day and saves money to feed those in need. It is sad to see how Mother Earth, who is rich in resources for all, must witness an imbalance in the distribution of resources. Few have so much and many have little; millions of people suffer from hunger in this millennium which is characterised by the most unbridled technology. As Swami says: people go to the moon and into space but on the street some people die of hunger. This is really sad and should stir the collective Conscience of the young people above all, who have been invited to engage in this initiative that will transform themselves first and foremost and consequently the world!
Italy, the land of spirituality, religion, service, culture and heart, has once again confirmed these adjectives that have been attributed to this land for thousands of years. Through various means, this wave of marvelous love has been initiated. It is a pity, as surfers would say, to look at it only without riding it; because it meets the different difficulties of preparation and distribution that volunteers could find by considering various options. In fact, the preparation and distribution takes place through these different methods, so that the man of good will only has to choose the methodology that is most appropriate for him according to his possibilities and the area in which he lives:
1. Meals prepared independently at home (at least one a day) to be distributed during the day to homeless people or those who need them. A meal prepared in the morning (sandwich / sandwich, fruit and drink) that is distributed to a person in need encountered on the way to work or during one’s break.
2. People who prepare their own meals at home and then join together to distribute them together.
3. People who come together at someone's house and prepare meals together and then distribute them.
4. People who join existing organisations or associations that do this wonderful service of cooking and serving food. Italy is full of them!
5. People who join groups, for example, the 'Fondazione Casa del Divino Onlus' and groups inspired by Swami, just to name a few in Padua, Imperia, Turin, Milan and the Grace Kitchen in Rome.
6. People who buy food products (‘la spesa’ as it is called in Italy) and distribute it to families who have serious economic difficulties and are embarrassed to ask for help from third parties in the street.
7.People who live in remote areas or do not have physical health may give funds to buy food.
As one can easily see from the seven points, the opportunities to fulfill this divine project certainly are not lacking! The following is a small table that shows what has happened in Italy in less than three weeks, from Swami’s birthday to date! It can move and inspire the will of those who are paralysed by “How do I do it? Where do I start from? It's difficult.” Once again, Swami's words during a youth Satsang in Rome are an inspiration to that end: ‘An ant can do little in this room. Many ants working together can take you all away.’ This is the force of working together and in harmony!!!
Week 1 (November 23 to December 1, 2019) total served: 755 meals
Single persons and groups in six Cities: Siena, Padua, Turin, Milan, Rome and Naples.
Week 2 (December 2 to 8, 2019) total served: 902 meals
Single persons and groups in seven cities: Siena, Padua, Turin, Milan, Rome, Vicenza and Naples.
Week 3 (December 9 to 15, 2019) total served: 1,048 meals
Single persons and groups in eight cities: Imperia/Sanremo, Siena, Padua, Turin, Milan, Rome, Vicenza and Naples.
As shown, the numbers have grown (meals served and cities participating in the project) and the quality of food is always very high! One of the youth honestly confesses that he does not eat as well at home as the meals that are served!!!!! This says a lot about the wonderful work of Love that volunteers do by serving quality food in quantity and with Love and tons of gratitude to the Almighty for this additional opportunity to serve Him in the poor, hungry and homeless!
