The roots of Thanksgiving go back to 1621. The Pilgrims arrived in the New World in 1620 and went through a brutal winter. With the aide of Native Americans, when their harvest of first corn was successful in November 1621, the Governor called for a celebration. Although celebrations have become more contemporary and less religious, most cannot deny that it is a time to come together and thank God for what He has provided us with. The first Thanksgiving was surely not only a thank you for the food the illness and malnutrition stricken Pilgrims received, but also a gesture of gratitude for the Native American allies.

Keeping the roots of Thanksgiving in mind, it becomes imperative to not only be thankful in words for what we have but also in our actions. As a reminder of that and keeping in mind one of the most important pillars of the Sant Nirankari Mission (Universal Brotherhood) of sewa (service), the Chicago Youth saints collaborated with “Feed My Starving Children” on November 28th, 2014 for a night of volunteering and packing food for malnourished children in underdeveloped countries.

The method is simple. It is through the efforts of volunteers and donators that food is acquired, packed, and distributed. Ninety-three percent of the donations go to the feeding program; whereas only 7% goes into administrative work, which includes fundraising. The packed meals contain a formula with 20 minerals and vitamins, dried vegetables, protein in the form of soy, and rice. A pack provides complete nutrition for a child to thrive. The cost of a single meal is less than a quarter.

The night started out with volunteers watching a video to understand the aim of the organization. A quick introduction of how the packing assembly line worked brought those who had not volunteered before up to speed. Two to three volunteers stood to measure out the ingredients and channel it through a funnel where another volunteer stood holding a bag into which the food was to be packed. After all four ingredients were in the bag, the bag was weighed and put into a basket near another volunteer who sealed them. The sealed bag was then put on a table until 36 bags accumulated. At that time, all 36 bags were put into a cardboard box, which was subsequently removed by another volunteer and replaced by another empty box.

At the end of the night, 119 boxes were packed, which equated to 25,704 meals. This will feed 215 children for an entire year!

Before exiting the packing area, all volunteers were led to the 119 boxes and joined in a prayer. The prayer was started by a volunteer from the organization itself and consisted of two very important components: “may those children who need the food the most, get it first” and “may God watch over this food as it has a long way to travel.”

The Chicago saints were thankful for the opportunity to volunteer during the “Thanksgiving” weekend and look forward to future opportunities of doing “sewa” to humanity.

Photographs

Video Report