By Sitaram Koppaka

SewaDiwali, a charitable food drive organized by Dharmic communities across the United States,
donated over 6,000 pounds of food this year, in collaboration with 25+ community partners,
benefiting three food pantries (NNEMAP – Columbus, People in Need – Delaware, Ohio, Dublin Food
Pantry, Dublin, Ohio) across Greater Columbus.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) volunteers enthusiastically participated in this drive and coordinated the collections and donations regionally and nationally. This year’s SewaDiwali saw active and spirited participation from Hindu Temples, Linguistic organizations, Spiritual groups, Grocery Stores, National Bank, many communities, families and Individuals.

Aimed at fostering togetherness and promoting the concept of Sewa (selfless service), SewaDiwali provides a platform for Dharmic and Indic communities to organize food drives during Diwali. Starting in October to mark the celebrations of Diwali, the Dharmic Festival of Lights, the drive runs through the end of November to donate right before Thanksgiving for the needy.
Since its inception in 2018, the Sewa Diwali project has donated over 2 million pounds of food nationwide.

Sewa plays a crucial role in an individual’s life from dharmic traditions passed down the generations and taught through scriptures and sayings. For example, all dharmic communities believe in the principle ‘parōpakārārtham idam sharīram’ (Sanskrit: broadly meaning “a person lives to serve others without discrimination”).

Executive Director of PIN Delaware thanked Sewa Diwali for its generous donation. “Your gift ensures that each Delaware County Household enjoys the Holiday Season,” she said.

Roy from NNEMAP commented that this is the 14th year of Sewa Diwali donating food to needy at NNEMAP.

City official from City of Delaware, Ohio said “Thank you again for inviting me to SewaDiwali. I am truly honored to watch your community, engage in selfless acts of service”.

SewaDiwali’s National Coordinator Ganesh Ramakrishnan said, “SewaDiwali has nurtured the idea of helping others selflessly and consistently. This idea has positively impacted several hundreds of communities/neighborhoods across the US.”

SewaDiwali strives to make a difference in the lives of those suffering from food insecurity. Driven by the values of Dharma and selfless service, this noble act of giving back is a collective initiative of
organizations and individuals from Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain Communities. This initiative is
nationally coordinated by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, a non- profit voluntary service
organization.

Support the New Americans magazine to continue to serve our community with precise news that affect the new American, immigrant and refugee community. https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8LHFS78NRNJJY&source=url