Posts tagged Japan
Food for Life in Japan – Week 7 & 8
Jun 10th
Food for Life volunteers serving hot vegetable curry
May 29, Miyagi, Japan – Food for Life Japan continued to provide sumptuous vegetarian meals to survivors of Japan’s worst natural disaster. Despite the heavy rains, 34 volunteers travelled the arduous distance to the shelters to serve sandwiches, soups, pasta, cakes, chips, cookies, and orange juice, along with 1,200kg of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The latest efforts were jointly sponsored by the Indian Jewelry and Diamond association, Jatin Patel, Samir Bodhe, Jishad Abubacker, Nalnish Agarwa and Aravind Mohoanram.
The Hare Krishna Govinda’s restaurant team have been providing the hot vegetarian meals for all seven weeks.
Photos:
June 5th, Miyagi, Japan — One of the most hectic weeks for Food for Life Japan, but more than 800 people received a delicious lunch, consisting of two vegetable curries, roti, salad, juices and snacks, along with another truck load of fresh fruits and vegetables.
To date, more than 5400 people have been served a hot dinner and over 24,000 people have been served with breakfast and lunch via Food for Life Japan’s donation of fruits and vegetables.
The meals were sponsored by Navin Sonak of the Sekaiboeki company and Mr. Jaju Ji of Recon Gems.
Once again, ISKCON’s Govinda’s restaurant provided the hot meals.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
An enormous effort is required throughout the whole cycle from preparation to distribution. Food for Life Japan is seeking help for driving, transportation, shopping,cutting vegetables, cooking, packing, distribution, cleaning, and donations in kind and/or cash. If you know of someone who can help, please alert them to the opportunities available. Finally, please pray for the affected. Sincere prayers are mighty then Tsunami and will always help. We welcome your suggestions or comments to further assist in this important service.
ONLINE DONATIONS
- Donate directly to Food for Life Japan
- Donate through Food for Life Global – Emergency Fund (tax deductible with the USA)
Emergency Relief
For US Residents seeking a tax deduction, please 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.
WHERE CAN WE SEND OUR OFFERING?
1. Kind Donations may be delivered at the ISKCON Temple in Funabori.
2. ONLINE DONATIONS: (Japan residents) http://iskconjapan.com/online-donation.html
Please email or call for further details: iskcon.new.gaya.japan@gmail.com
Mobile: 090-1469-6129, 090-5803-8971,080-3753-5097, 080-5405-8977, 090-8053-6321
Food for Life in Japan – Week 5
May 17th
FFL Volunteer Madhu Mangala unloading fruits and vegetables from the FFL truck
Sunday, 15th May 2011 (Wataricho, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan) – Last Sunday was one of biggest Food For Life relief efforts since the Tohoku Mega-Disaster in Japan. A sumptuous prasadam dinner was served to 980 people at three relief-camps.
In addition, over 1000 kilograms of fruits and vegetables were provided for breakfast meals for 1,375 people over next three days.
FFL Global Director, Shrikant Shah said, “These results were possible through tireless efforts of 41 volunteers from Food for Life, Agrawal Association Japan, Hindi Sabha, and the Tokyo Maheshwari Group who worked throughout the day and drove over 800 kms in a convoy of 8 cars and one truck!”
Vege Curries, rice, flatbread, salad and a cookie
Shah, also explained that the planning and co-ordination of these services has itself been enormous. “We start planning on the following Monday for the next Sunday effort. It requires a whole week of careful coordination and planning. We are especially thankful for Akhilesh Ji for his help in this regard.”
A told of six food stalls were setup at the three shelters. The dinner consisted of two hot vegetarian curries (Chickpea masala curry and Paneer masala curry), fresh salad, home-made Thepla (Masala-flatbreads) and a wholemeal cookie. To the delight of all, a special sachet of Organic Tulsi Ginger tea (Caffeine FREE) was served.
FFL Volunteers serving dinner
“The dinner was relished by everyone and many requested for “O-kawari” (second helpings) of the curries,” explained volunteer coordinator, Madhu Mangal.
In serving these delicious meals, Food for Life volunteers try to be as sensitive to the feelings of the Japanese people, many of whom are still in a state of shock and depression. “We do our best to engage in positive conversations with them and also try to play with the children to uplift their spirits,” explained volunteer, Tapasvini Dasi.
Other volunteers included residents from Madhya Pradesh (MP), Ojima Indians, and Nishi Ojima Indians who pitched in enthusiastically to make the project a success.
Japanese children doing their homework at one of the many shelters.
Contact
Shrikant Shah, FFLG Japan director (+81-90-1469-6129 or shrikantshrigems@gmail.com)
Plan for coming weeks:
For coming weekend (May-22)
The Kofu Indian Group has pledged 14 volunteers to serve meals to 770 people at three shelters and also distribute 1000 kg fruits and vegetables.
The following week we plan serve around 1350 people, for which we will need many volunteers.
Food for Life Japan is now aiming to provide these food services on a daily basis for as long as possible. “As long as funding and volunteer support is there then we can keep this up,” said Shah.
If you are interested in helping, we urge you to come forward now and help.
Photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/101068806464452734982/May15FoodForLife#
https://picasaweb.google.com/Tarun.Mohta/MiyagiFFL20110515?feat=directlink
Fruits and Vegetables for 3-days of breakfast:
➢ ORANGE 600 PCS
➢ APPLE 600 PCS
➢ GRAPEFRUITS 600 PCS
➢ BANANA 1,000 PCS
➢ MIKAN 600 PCS
➢ KIWI 300 PCS
➢ MELON 56 PCS
➢ LETTUCE 100 PCS.
➢ CUCUMBER 30 KG
➢ SPINACH 100 PACKS
➢ TOMATO 720 PCS
➢ CAULIFLOWER 100 PCS
Food for Life in Japan – Week 4
May 10th
FFL Japan serving meals in Japan
May 8th, Sunday (Miyagi, Japan) – FFL Global in Japan once again served two delicious vegetarian curries, paratha (flatbread), salad, cakes, and hot rice to more than 550 Japanese survivors in Miyagi. The program was sponsored by IJAJ (Indian Jewelry Association of Japan).
“Our plan is to continue this effort unabated,” said FFL Director for Japan, Shrikant Shah. “Next week we plan to deliver hot meals for 700 people, along with 1,500 kgs of fresh fruits and vegetables, including Oranges (600 pieces), Apple (600 pieces), Grapefruits (600 pieces), Bananas (1,000 pieces), Mikan (600 pieces), Kiwi (300 pieces), Lettuce (100 pieces), Cucumber (30 kg), Spinach (100 packs), Cabbage (100 pieces), Tomatoes (720 pieces), and Cauliflower (100 pieces).”
“The Agarwal Group and Hindi Sabha Group have already pledged to support this large task next week,” said Shah. “However, in order to keep this momentum, we are appealing for more people to come forward and sponsor Food for Life’s work.”
Once again, Hari-san and Manoj-san from Govinda’s restaurant in Tokyo were key players in last Sundays effort, providing the curries and rice. “The curries were so tasty, that people kept coming for second helpings,” explained Shah.
The hundreds of masala paratha (flatbreads) were meticulously prepared by volunteers from the Okachimachi community. The delicious desserts and salad were prepared by FFL volunteer, Yamuna Dasi and others.
Kaori-san and Ishigaki-san once more conducted Karada yoga to help the Japanese survivors deal with stress.
Suresh, Purnima, Jatin, Mitesh, and Sachin Kalse provided vehicles for the more than 25 volunteers.
Local radio station (FM RADIO 92.5) attended the feeding and interviewed the organisers.
Other volunteers included: Sanjivji Gupta, Rashmiji, Suresh, Kaori-san, Ishigaki-san, Sachin-san, Ram-san, Reddy-san, Jatin, Manoj-san, Navneet-san, Mitesh, Brijesh, Purnima, Nilaji, Manoj-san, Julie, Joseph, Rakesh and Hetal.
FFL Volunteers serving vegetarian meals
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.
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.
PHOTOS
( May 08 )
https://picasaweb.google.com/108067341048284752343/Miyagi_Visit_08_May_2011
https://picasaweb.google.com/101068806464452734982/May8FoodForLifePhotos
( May 01 )
https://picasaweb.google.com/108067341048284752343/Miyagi_Pics_from_Mayumi_Ishii
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.
“They were so happy!” – Food for Life in Japan
Apr 18th
APRIL 17th – Miyagi prefecture, Japan — Food for Life Global affiliates ISKCON Japan and Govindas Restaurant with the generous support of international and local donors embarked on a 5 hour car ride from Tokyo to five refugee shelters in North Eastern Japan. Cooks from the Govindas restaurant in Funabori (Tokyo) began cooking around 3.30am. At 5.30am a convoy of three SUVs filled with cooked food and fresh fruits and vegetables, left Govinda’s vegetarian restaurant, finally arriving at the first of five shelters in the Miyagi prefecture around 11am Sunday morning.
Distribution took place in the towns of Iwanuma, Watari and Natori which are all located in Miyagi prefecture.
“The people were so happy to receive the meal,” explained volunteers Purnima Shah and Arati Doshi. At most of the refugee shelters around Japan a typical meal consists of rice and miso soup. Food for Life’s tasty vegan curry, salad, snack bars, and bread was a welcome change.
Along with the cooked lunch, over 800 kgs of fresh fruit and vegetables were also donated including, lettuce, ninepin, daikon radish, carrots, potatoes, Green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, green peas, negi, ko negi, ingen, chingensai, horensou, shunpike, mizuna, reckon, satsumaimo, cabbage and 20 boxes of tomatoes, 600 bananas, 300 apple, 300 oranges and 200 grapefruits.
Some of the shelters also received face masks, goggles, toiletries, and other personal products.
Donations for the relief efforts came from:
- Food for Life Global 400,000 Yen
- Anup Agrawal 200,000 Yen
- Raghupati Rapelli 10,000 Yen
- Shrikant and Purnima Shah 161,000 Yen
- Sailesh and Arati Doshi (Fruits and vegetables)
- Vaisheshika Das 58471 Yen
- Sukhada Devi 16766 Yen
- Nirmal Yoga studio: 46000 Yen
- Vancha Atita Das (Hide Azuma): 10000 Yen
FFL Volunteers from Tokyo included: Madhumangal Das, Shrikant and Purnima Shah, Bhaktavatsal Das, Sailesh and Arati Doshi, Hide San, Chihiro Mataji, Nakamura San, Kumazawa San, Endo San, Tanahashi San Miseda San and Paul Turner.
They were assisted by local Volunteers: Fuda San and Sugawara San
See: FACEBOOK ALBUM
See: FFL Youtube Channel
Food for Life Global and it’s affiliates are planning to continue the distribution of vegetable curry and fresh fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis. Please support this work.
