We all witnessed the core Sikh values of solidarity, support, charity and peacefulness in action as the community came together following the Oak Creek, Wisconsin tragedy. The Sikh community has united once again to provide aid to the victims of yet another disaster: Hurricane Sandy. In the aftermath of this "superstorm," 88 people have been reported dead; 8,000,000 people from Maine all the way down to South Carolina are without power; 6,100 people in New York City alone are staying in emergency shelters.
UNITED SIKHS Disaster Relief Team has, once again, taken the helm and is spearheading the relief efforts on the ground. Their team of volunteers are braving the elements and navigating road closures to ensure that food, water and shelter is provided and delivered to those who have lost the sanctity of their home and have been stripped of the very basics needed to survive. In constant communication with the local and state disaster relief agencies, they are procuring and delivering items such as socks, clothing, diapers, sanitary supplies, towels and blankets amid the numerous requests which come in from the local community shelters.
UNITED SIKHS has been working with Gurdwaras and has prepared them as shelters and providers for food and water in this trying time. The institution of Langar (an open communal kitchen) is a daily practice of serving food and water and is an integral part of Sikhism and found in all Gurdwaras. The local volunteers have now been mobilized to serve the larger community by preparing and providing warm meals to those who desperately seek nourishment as was instructed by the Sikh Gurus. Volunteers are delivering these hot meals to the shelters to directly aid those that have been displaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
For more recent and updated information on UNITED SIKHS Relief Efforts visit:
www.sevainmotion.com
Be the one who brings warmth to a family braving the bitter cold,
Be the one who brings nourishment to a child who hasn't had a warm meal in days,
Be the one who brings solace to an elder who has no place else to lean,
Be the substantive change needed to help us overcome this immense disaster.