Posts tagged feeding people
Food for Life Japan – Week 3
May 5th
FFL volunteer serving meals in Japan (Photo: Mayumi Ishii)
May 1, Sunday (Miyagi, Japan) — A convoy of six cars carrying 32 Food for Life volunteers left the Govindas kitchen in Tokyo at 3.50am to bring a freshly cooked lunch to three relief centres in the Miyagi district. Meals were provided for 726 survivors, as well as 50 local relief volunteers. SEE: PICASA Slideshow (PHOTOS). Photos by: Mayumi Ishii
Hari-San and Manoj-San from the FFL Global affiliate, Govindas restaurant prepared the vegetarian curries for the distribution. Assisting them were Tapasvini Devi Dasi and Mrs. Akibasan who made cakes; local FFL volunteer coordinator Madhu Mangal Das who prepared a giant salad and Mrs. Purnim Shah who oversaw the making of 1100 masala paratha (flatbreads).
Japanese tsunami survivors enjoying a Food for Life lunch in their makeshift "rooms". (Photo: Mayumi Ishii)
Other noteworthy volunteers were Vishvambar Das, as well as Anup Bhai, Jayesh Narula, Suresh Ji, Fujita-San, Kubota-San, and Alina Devi Dasi who partnered with Purnima Shah to provide all the vehicles. The volunteers covered all fuel and toll charges so that 100% of the donations could be used specifically for feeding people.
The previous week, Madhu Mangala and his assistant Fujita-San took extensive notes on how best to serve the survivors and this proved invaluable on Sunday. “It made the whole planning of our distribution very easy,” explained FFL Japan director, Shrikant Shah.
“The FFL volunteers worked so hard and gave their all,” said Shah. “And it was shown by how much the people loved the food we served.”
Govindas Restaurant manager, Manoj-San consols some of the survivors (Photo: Mayumi Ishii)
The local relief volunteers told the Food for Life team that they would not waste any of the food, and whatever was left over would be used for the next meal.
“The refugees were so happy that they applauded us after serving them,” explained Shah. “They were absolutely thrilled with the cakes. I got a call from the director of the Wataricho relief centre, Mr. Suzuki-San and he told me that ‘no one had ever brought them desserts before!’”
The Food for Life volunteers returned at 11pm, after which FFL Yoga teachers, Purnim Shah and Ishigaki-San led all the volunteers through a breathing exercises and karada yoga. The team are currently preparing to visit again next Sunday.
PICASA Slideshow (PHOTOS). Photos by: Mayumi Ishii
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
An enormous effort is involved in procuring, preparing, and distributing the food. Food for Life Japan is appealing for help with shopping, packing, cutting vegetables, cooking, and cleaning, as well as donations in kind and/or cash. Local volunteer, Sanjiv Keswani made an appeal on behalf of the survivors, “Although many people have come forward to help FFL Japan, we still need a lot more support to continue. Please spread the word, but more importantly, please pray for the affected. Sincere prayers are mightier than the greatest Tsunami and will always help,” he pleaded.
WHERE CAN YOU SEND YOUR OFFERING?
Donations of produce or personal supplies may be delivered at the ISKCON Temple in Funabori, Japan.
(ISKCON New Gaya Japan)
2-23-4 Funabori, Edogawa-ku,
Tokyo – 134-0091
Phone: 03-3877-3000
Mobile: 080-5412-2528,
080-5405-8977,
080-3753-5097
ONLINE DONATIONS
- Donate directly to Food for Life Japan
- Donate through Food for Life Global – Emergency Fund (tax deductible with the USA)
Emergency Relief
Donate to the Food for Life Global emergency fund to help FFLG coordinate disaster relief when the need arises. We are currently sending all emergency donations to Japan.
Food for Life in Japan – Week 2
Apr 25th
April 24, 2011, Miyagi, Japan — Food for Life Global affiliate FFL Japan provided over 1000 kgs of fresh fruits and vegetables on Sunday to shelters in Wataricho Shiyakysho in the Miyagi-ken district. To make the food a special offering to the people of Miyagi, on Saturday, the volunteers first unloaded the produce in front of the ISKCON Cultural Centre altar and offered prayers so that the food would be blessed and purified. “We call this high energy food,” said temple president, Naganatana Das. “By doing this the food becomes nourishing for body, mind and soul, he explained.” The 1000 kgs of produce was then loaded back onto the truck in preparation for the long 5 hour drive the following morning. Mr. Fujita-san and Mr. Murata-San arose early in the morning to drive the produce to the shelters passing by the edge of the radiation zone along the way.
FFL Director for Japan, Shrikant Shah, talks about the food distribution.
FFL Volunteer Coordinator, Madhu Mangal unloads the truck
More than 1000 kgs of fresh fruits and vegetables were donated by FFL Japan
The High Energy Food is loaded on the truck
Samples of all the fruits and vegetables were prayed over in the ISKCON Cultural Centre
Week 3 Plans “We plan to provide cooked meals for 726 people at two of the shelters when we go next Sunday,” said FFL Global director for Japan, Shrikant Shah. “Our aim is to continue this effort for the next 6 weeks and hopefully beyond,” he explained. The task of acquiring so much produce, purifying it and then making the long treck to Miyagi every Sunday is a huge task for this small group of volunteers. Food for Life Japan is a very small NGO with only a handfull of fulltime volunteers. “Most of the help is coming from members of the Indian business community who are donating money and their valuable time to keep the effort going,” said Volunteer coordinator Madhu Mangala Das. “Even their children are getting involved.” Last Sundays efforts were supported by donations from Food for Life Global, as well as the following individuals and companies:
- L&T Infotech provided various miscellaneous items including: 50 Safety Goggles, 308 face masks, 600 spoons, forks, plates, as well snack bars, biscuits, and candy for children.
- Mr. Vishal Bulbule ( Kojimacho, Nishi-Kasai ) 10,000 JPY
- Mr. Sujatha Mohan ( Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, ) 10,000 PY
- Mr. Srinivas Palepu ( San Jose, USA ) 50,000 JPY
- Mr. Avinash Wagh ( Ojima ) 10,000 JPY
- Mr. Rohan Agarwal 10,000 JPY
- Mr. Anup Agarwal 10,000 JPY
- Mr. Shrikant Shah 10,000 JPY
- Mr. Junsako Nakamura-San 5,000 JPY
- Mr. Tomoko Tarumi-San 5,000 JPY
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
An enormous effort is involved in procuring, preparing, and distributing the food. Food for Life Japan is appealing for help with shopping, packing, cutting vegetables, cooking, and cleaning, as well as donations in kind and/or cash. Local volunteer, Sanjiv Keswani made an appeal on behalf of the survivors, “Although many people have come forward to help FFL Japan, we still need a lot more support to continue. Please spread the word, but more importantly, please pray for the affected. Sincere prayers are mightier than the greatest Tsunami and will always help,” he pleaded.
WHERE CAN YOU SEND YOUR OFFERING?
Donations of produce or personal supplies may be delivered at the ISKCON Temple in Funabori, Japan.
(ISKCON New Gaya Japan)
2-23-4 Funabori, Edogawa-ku,
Tokyo – 134-0091
Phone: 03-3877-3000
Mobile: 080-5412-2528,
080-5405-8977,
080-3753-5097
ONLINE DONATIONS
- Donate directly to Food for Life Japan
- Donate through Food for Life Global – Emergency Fund (tax deductible with the USA)
Emergency Relief
Donate to the Food for Life Global emergency fund to help FFLG coordinate disaster relief when the need arises. We are currently sending all emergency donations to Japan.
Bank Wire
Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Nakano-ekimae branch, Account # 1580108, Futsu (Ordinary), Kurishuna Ishiki Kokusai Kyokai
MAIL a Check
Bank Name – Youucyo Bank (English Name – Japan Post Bank ) Account # – “10050″ “22923541″ Account Name – “Food For Life – JAPAN” If you are transferring from another bank Bank Name – “008″ Bank Number is “008 ” Category – “Futsu Yokin ” Number - “2292354″ Account Name – “Food For Life – Japan ” Please email or call for further details: iskcon.new.gaya.japan@gmail.com
Mobile (in Japan):
090-1469-6129
090-5803-8971
080-3753-5097
080-5405-8977
090-8053-6321
MORE PHOTOS COMING SOON.
