OTTAWA, Canada: As they clattered around the kitchen at the Shepherds of Good Hope soup kitchen, a group ‘of Ottawa Sikhs lived by the words of the prophet they were trying to honor.
“Guru Nanak taught to share with everybody, to keep things simple and to live off the sweat of your brow,” said Nera Singh, in reference to the founder of the Sikh Nation. To celebrate Guru Nanak’s birthday, the Ottawa Sikh Society shared its usual Sunday meal with ‘more than 200 of Ottawa’s needy at the Murray Street soup kitchen, The food was simple, even plain, First, thick lentil soup, then mixed vegetables, roti, a type of hot pita bread and rice pudding. About 15 Sikhs participated, spooning food from big stainless steel cauldrons onto empty plates. At first some of the crowd seemed hesitant to tuck into dinner which as one man remarked seemed to be all the same colour.
It didn’t take long to overcome that hesitancy.
“It’s good,” said Jean Tapp, of Ottawa.
“This is okay, even I can eat It.” one woman told her friends as she went back for more,
As part of the celebration, the Sikh Society also donated $1000 in cash and $1000 worth of food to Provisions Ottawa, a local food ‘bank.
Joel Logan, operations manager for the food bank, said “it was an unbelievable contribution”.
Most of the food was peanut butter canned meat or fish types of food that aren’t often donated.
‘We felt the need in the community and wanted to share”, said Society President, Gurdev Singh Bal.
During four other religious holidays in the new year the Society is hoping to serve more dinners and donate more to the food bank.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 12, 1986
