The Sikh community has always been at the forefront when it comes to helping people in need during emergencies. Be it the Australian bushfires, Delhi riots or the current coronavirus pandemic, the Sikh community has selflessly offer to help to the needy in whatever way they can.?
In the national capital, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has offered the 'Serai' (inn) at the Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tilla to set up isolation wards and quarantine facilities to treat those affected by outbreak.?
More recently, in New York, the Sikh Centre prepared and packed over 30,000 home-cooked meals for Americans in self-isolation.?New York's Mayor office approached the Sikh community to make the food packages that were then distributed to several federal agencies in the area.?
Strict hygiene measures were taken while the food was prepared such as maintaining social distance and use of face masks and gloves.??
"The ''Sewa'' or service provided by the Sikh volunteers is a vegetarian meal comprising of dry fruits, rice, and lentils. The meals were prepared on Sunday and were packaged and loaded for delivery. The distribution starts on Monday in the morning, by local authorities. Volunteers who prepared and packaged the meal had a medical check and have been approved by physicians and health authorities," ANI quoted Himat Singh, coordinator of the American Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee (east coast) as saying.?
The food packages were supposed to be given to the elderly who have trouble fending for themselves, specially-abled people, homeless and single parents looking after their kids who can’t go out.?
Gurudwara funds and supplies were used to make the meals. United Sikhs, an NGO based across the United States, has urged people from all walks of life to donate generously.
Reportedly 99% of the people benefiting from the meals are Americans. Only a handful of Indians who have come from oversees or are in isolation are using the meals.?
Other Sikh volunteers from the East, West Coast, and the Mid West of the United States are also geared up with an infrastructure to help agencies across the country. They are ready to provide free food, shelter at Gurudwara's and even deliver essentials and medicines for the homeless and needy.
"Once we heard people were having a problem with food when they go shopping, they can't find food in the shopping centre, then we started reaching out to people in our personal capacity in the Bay Area (San Francisco)," ANI quoted, Dr Pritpal Singh, coordinator of the American Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee (west coast) as saying.?
We laud the efforts of the Sikh community and their contributing in fight against coronavirus. #InThisTogether