Celebrating the Interfaith Social Justice Message of Swami Vivekananda

With billions around the world, Hindu American Seva Communities (HASC) honors Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. For HASC, Dharmic Seva and Vivekananda's message is the catalyst to building Pluralistic Communities and also honoring mother earth.

We are grateful to Swamiji for bringing Hinduism to America and laying a path for us and inspiring us even today:

All differences in this world are of degree and not of kind because oneness is the secret of everything. ... They alone live, who live for others. ... You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.

On this auspicious and celebratory occasion, HASC is proud to launch an interfaith Annadaanam (homeless feeding) program and celebrate Makar Sankranti as An Opportunity to Serve Mother Earth.

The Annadaanam program (a homeless feeding project) is a partnership with Muslims Against Hunger. HASC piloted this interfaith collaboration on Aug. 3 at our White House conference, "Dharmic American Future: Seva, Innovation and Tradition". The Next Generation Seva Leaders prepared food packages and distributed to the homeless in the Capitol Hill area.

Now we are expanding this program in the NY/NY metro area. HASC and Muslims Against Hunger are willing to pick up the excess food from Temples and Restaurants and distribute it to the homeless in the NY/NJ metro area.

In an effort to practice what our dharmic texts have preached, HASC in collaboration with Oxford University's Bhumi Project and the University of North Texas, is working to advance greening of our temples and places of worship in the America. The Bhumi Seva initiative was launched in July 2011 at the White House. HASC is also promoting Eco-Dharma through Bhumi Seva.

1. Development of Seva Centers to provide services and promote National Days of Service.
2. Strengthening Security of Dharmic Places of Worship.
3. Development of Youth/Next Generation Seva Leaders and Women's Empowerment.
4. Promoting Energy conservation, preserving the Environment; Eco-Dharma and Bhumi Seva.
5. Dharma and Social Justice education and advocacy.

Namaste!