By: Amolak Singh, New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, LA: On the Thanks giving’s eve, while celebrating Guru Nanak’s Birthday, Dr.Balminder Singh Mangat spearheaded the free food distribution to the needy people. With the help and encouragement from the local Sikh Community, Dr, Mangat (President of Local Gurdwara Committee) has been doing this humanitarian service for more than seven years. More than 55 families were helped. This time each and every family wrote a letter of thanks to us. From their side it was ‘Giving Thanks on Thanks Giving!’ One letter says:
To whom it may Concern
I, Lesia Burris, and family appreciate everything that was done for me and my family.
Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all things Unto God and the Father in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 6:38 “Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” I really appreciate it, and thanks come from my heart.
Love in Jesus Name: L. Burris and family, Happy Holidays!
We have not enough words to express our feeling — especially after reading more than 50 touchy letters like given above, The best we can say is: “IL is a great honor for Sikhs to help the needy people —as it is the real way to celebrate Guru Nanak’s Birthday!” On behalf of every family, St. Philip Social Center wrote a letter to the Sikh Community. For the information of our readers, the letter is printed below: Dear Sikh Community:
On behalf of the 206 families of the Desire community who received food baskets at Thanksgiving, | want to personally thank you for your loving generosity to them. The abundance of God’s good ness to you was certainly evident in the beautiful baskets that you prepared and shared with our families.
I know that when you sat down to your own Thanksgiving meal you must have thanked God for all of the many blessings you and your family experience daily. Likewise, you must have felt that you re sponged, out of love, to the “poor among us” in New Orleans who have so little of this world’s material goods, know that you brought joy into their lives!
May God bless you for participation in our annual adoption program at St. Philip’s which attempts to alleviate some of the burden that the poor experience especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas? | hope you will consider adopting other family/families next year!
Lovingly.
Sr. Mary Frances Bruns, CBJ Director
Article extracted from this publication >> December 24, 1993
