FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers are recognized for their selfless dedication, compassion, and bravery. Throughout the fighting in Grozny, Sarajevo and Sukhumi — Food for Life was there. Attending to earthquake victims in Armenia, Russia and India — Food for Life was there. Saving stranded villagers during floods in West Bengal and the Philippines — Food for Life was there. Feeding hungry children in South Africa and the millions of others in the streets of nearly every major city of the world Food for Life volunteers have been there nourishing people the karma-free spiritual vegetarian way.

Pakistan Earthquake (2005) — Food for Life volunteers from Jammu, Amritsar, New Delhi and Harwar came together to provide relief for victims of the recent earthquake in Pakistan. Working from an ISKCON temple in Udhampur, which was within the earthquake-affected region, the volunteers loaded trucks with drinking water, rice, bread, and blankets. Soon after arriving in fresh meals were cooked and survivors were fed, sheltered and clothed by Food for Life.

Some of the towns visited by the FFL relief team were, Baramulla, Kapwana, Kamalkot, Bandi, Kandi Barjalaand Lagama situated high up in the hills where the most sever devastation took place.

Local military and police worked side by side the FFL team as they traveled all over the region stopping at every demolished structure and distributing food, tents and blankets. Leader of the relief team, Navayogendra swami was careful to treat the survivors respectfully, sitting everyone down and gifting all the supplies they needed, starting with the elderly, women and children.

Katrina Relief (2005) — Food For Life Global, was one of the first responders to the Hurricane Katrina disaster in late August, by providing freshly cooked meals to needy families in Mississippi and then Texas.

A Food for Life team based in Houston began serving hot meals to the many displaced victims who had been relocated to shelters. Up to 800 meals were served daily to Hurricane survivors located in various shelters throughout Texas over the last 2 months. ...more

Tsunami Relief, Sri Lanka, India (2004) — The strongest earthquake in 40 years set off a string of killer Tsunami waves that utterly devastated the coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maylasia and other nearby islands, killing nearly 200,000 people.

Food for Life was quick to respond again, providing relief support and hot vegetarian meals to needy people on the same day of the disaster. In Sri Lanka alone more than 300,000 meals were served, along with medical care, clothing, and shelter for orphanded children at the ISKCON orphanage.

Earthquake in Gujarat, January (2001) — The strongest earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, occurred at 8:46 AM local time, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquakes struck while Indians were celebrating the country's 51st Republic Day, a public holiday commemorating the adoption of the constitution. As with public holidays in the United States, government offices and most businesses were closed when the powerful quakes struck. In the Gujarat town of Anjur (population: 90,000), about 400 schoolchildren and their teachers were covered by tons of falling masonry while walking in a Republic Day parade. More than 130 Food for Life volunteers, including 50 doctors and nurses set up a temporary hospital and food distribution camps in the most devastated areas. More...

GROZNY, Chechnya, (1995) — Since the beginning of the Russian counterinsurgency campaign into this breakaway republic, that began on Dec. 11, 1995, Food for Life volunteers risked their lives to serve 850,000 bowls of hot porridge, freshly baked bread and tea to the local residents. More on Grozny."... here they have a reputation like the one mother Teresa has in Calcutta: it's not hard finding someone to swear they are saints." - New York Times. More...

SARAJEVO, Bosnia, (1994) — This once beautiful tourist town of former Yugoslavia, was the site of one of the most vicious conflicts in recent times. ISKCON members have a temple in Sarajevo and all throughout the fighting, they risked their lives to deliver fresh bread and cookies to women and children hiding in bullet-riddled apartments. More

SUKHUMI, Abkhazia - FSU, (1992 to 1994) — a small group of Food for Life volunteers called the "Saffron Berets" remained in this shell-shocked city, often risking their lives to bring hot kasha to the needy on both sides of the fighting. Their neutrality and peacefulness won the hearts of soldiers from both armies who spared their lives. The program continues to this day. Over two million meals have been served.

LATUR, India (1994) — A massive earthquake devastated this town, killing 20,000. Within hours, Food for Life volunteers from Mumbai (Bombay), were on the spot, with hot food and clothing for the survivors. 60,000 meals were served.

Wroclaw, Poland, (1997) — For two weeks tens of thousands of people have been stranded after massive floods devastated most of Poland. "There is hardly any clean drinking water available, and in some places, no gas either," explains Madhyadvipa Das, who directs Hare Krishna Food for Life in Poland and which has been the main food relief in the country. "

SAKHALIN, Russia (1995) — An earthquake measuring 7.2 flattened this small city in the far eastern peninsula of Russia. The following day, Food for Life volunteers were flown in by helicopter by the Russian Emergency Ministry, to provide hot food to survivors and rescue teams who worked around the clock to find bodies.

MAYAPURA, West Bengal (annually) — The famous Ganges river floods West Bengal every 1-2 years causing massive devastation and claiming many lives. During such floods, Food for Life volunteers prepare hot kichri (vegetarian stew), using huge 200 gallon woks, even while standing in one foot of water, and carry the food on boats to hungry and distressed villagers awaiting on rooftops. More on Mayapura.

Irkutsk, Siberia (1997) — A huge Russian military transport plane crashed into an apartment block Saturday, killing at least 23 people on board and as many as 120 civilians on the ground. The plane burst into a ball of fire, setting other nearby buildings ablaze. Local Food for Life volunteers from Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude immediately got into action, providing hot vegetarian meals cooked in their nearby kitchen. More than 800 full meals of porridge, stewed vegetables, fresh bread and tea were supplied to victims and rescue workers, who worked hard during the 25 Celsius (minus 13 Fahrenheit) frost.

Prague, Czech Republic (1997) — Devastating floods, the worst in recent history, submerged one third of the Czech Republic. Thousands of people had to be relocated as tens of thousands of homes were completely destroyed. Food for Life volunteers from Prague went out to the afflicted areas to provide hot food to the homeless. Using the kitchen of a local school they prepared vegetable stew and served thousands of people over the following weeks.

Nicaragua, Central America (1998) — Soon after the devastating hurricane "Mitch" ripped through most of the Caribean, hundreds of thousands of people found themselves homeless and without food. Relief agencies moved in to set up temporary housing, provide clothing and food. Food for Life also contributed to the massive relief efforts by providinf freshly cooked vegetarian meals to thousands daily.

Orissa, India, (1999) — A massive super cyclone crashed through coastal Orissa, bringing with it twenty-five foot tidal waves and wind speeds of up to 260 kmph, causing coconuts to fly nearly as fast as bullets! The aftermath killed more than 20,000 villagers, destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland and cattle, and left more than 1 million of Orissa’s people homeless, hungry and dazed. Food for Life was able to distribute more than one million vegetarian meals, 40,000 bottles of water, blankets, clothes, and first aid treatment to the needy.

Mozambique, February, (2000) — Torrential rains poured continuously over Mozambique causing the biggest flood in its history. The damage was severe. Entire villages were covered by water, crops destroyed and arable land rendered unusable for the next three years. Some people had to take refuge on roof tops and trees - one lady even gave birth to a child on a tree! Food for Life has been active ever since bringing vegetarian stew by boat to the villagers. More.