In our ongoing efforts to uplift our local community, volunteer teams are making a significant impact. Here’s a summary of our recent activities:

Healthcare Assistance:
We’re providing healthcare support to multiple families in need. Ensuring access to medical services is crucial for everyone, regardless of their circumstances.
Our goal is to treat all humans as equals, recognizing their inherent dignity and worth.
Food Support and Essentials:
Families facing food insecurity receive essential supplies from our project. Nutritious meals and basic necessities are essential for well-being.
By addressing immediate needs, we empower individuals to focus on rebuilding their lives.
Langar Seva for the Homeless:
Our commitment to langar seva (community kitchen) continues at San Jose Gurdwara Sahib. We serve warm meals to those experiencing homelessness.
Thank You: We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the sangat who contribute to this cause. Together, we create a compassionate and supportive community. 🙏🏽🌟

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa,
Waheguru ji ki Fateh
 
Dasvandh week giving has started. The matching funds run out quickly, so please donate now. Dasvandh Week will run through November 19, 2023, and all donations made during the week will be doubled by Dasvandh Network (DVN) while the matching funds are available. 

The matching limit per donor is $400. If you want to donate more than $400, please split the amount with one of your friends/family members.

Your support has been critical for Helping hands project to continue making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. We look forward to your continued support this week.
 

Please follow these steps to donate
 
1. Click on the link - 

https://dvnetwork.org/projects/helping-hands-for-local-community

2. When on the DVN site, enter the donation amount and click the Donate button.

3. Log on to the DVN account or checkout as a Guest (enter your Name, email address, billing address and payment details.)

4.  There is no need to add the matching code this year.

5. DVN automatically adds 15% as the DVN fees, but it is not mandatory, and you can edit the percentage or uncheck the support dasvandh check box.

6. Click - Complete My Donation

Thank You,
Harjeet Kaur

Volunteer teams continue to help our local community  members in San Jose and Los Angeles on regular basis. Project is supporting multiple families with rent assistance, food support, tuition fees, medical needs, and other essentials. Goal of this project is to treat all humans as equal and giving everyone an opportunity and support to stand back up on their feet. Langar seva for homeless continues from San Jose Gurdwara sahib and LA on regular basis. Everyone is encouraged to donate as no amount is too small. Thanks to everyone who continue to contribute to this cause!

Team is continuing selfless seva in San Jose and Los Angeles on regular basis. Food is prepared on weekends and distributed to homeless community in San Jose and LA. Hundreds of homeless are served food and other essential products on weekly basis. Team is also supporting multiple community members who need financial support to get back up on their feet. 

Volunteer teams continue to help our local community  members in need on weekly basis. Project is supporting multiple families with rent assistance, food support and other essentials. Goal of this project is to treat all humans as equal and giving everyone an opportunity and support to stand back up on their feet. Langar seva for homeless continues from San Jose Gurdwara sahib on weekly basis. Everyone is encouraged to contribute to the project during Dasvandh Week (this week) while matching funds are still available. No amount is too small. Thanks to all the sangat who continue to contribute to this cause!

Team is continuing selfless seva in San Jose and Los Angeles on regular basis. Food is prepared on weekends and distributed to homeless community in Oakland and LA areas. Hundreds of homeless are served food and other essential products on weekly basis. Team is also supporting multiple community members who need financial support to get back up on their feet. 

With Waheguru Ji’s grace, around 15-20 Sevadars humbly join every Saturday morning with some accompanied by their entire family. This includes kids of just 5-year-old to 70+ year old grandparents. As the clock strikes 9:30 am, the corner of the langar hall turns into a U-shaped supply chain assembly line. Chanting the Naam (Waheguru, Waheguru, Waheguru…), all the “goodies” get unpacked and put in place in the order it needs to go in the bag that will be hand delivered to over 200 homeless individuals. The goodies normally include two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a bag of chips, couple of fruits (apple, banana, etc), two granola bars and a bottled water.

These finished bags are then divided across 4 different vehiclesto be taken to various homeless encampments in San Jose California. Sevadars also give lunches and water to the homeless they encounter on their routes, this could be the people we see every day on busy intersections with signs, outside laying in blankets of a strip mall (near 7-Elevens), or found nearly passed out on the sidewalks.

The seva given by the Guru Sahib didn’t stop at just food and water…when the Sevadars learned that the need existed to also to pass out blankets, sweatshirts, scarves, socks, belts, pants, beanies, and gloves periodically. Serving the community for over a year now, Sevadars were blessed to push the boundarieswhen one of the Sevadars took off his shoes and gave them to a poor man and then finished the rest of the route barefoot. There were also plenty of instances of giving up your shirts and sweatshirts during the cold months and that’s what triggered to add additional items.

Getting called names by the ignorant can’t also be ignored. Even going in pairs or team in certain areas to distribute as safety is number one priority. Having a “tough skin” is a blessing by Guru Sahib and joy of getting blessed by so many and having to see smiling faces when a homeless receives the bag of food and water bottle…which in most cases is immediately diving into to enjoy the freshly made sandwich or popping the bag of chips with joy. Just last week a humbled homeless man waited outside his tent, where food is delivered every week, with his folded hands, looking down and speaking softly he opened his hands to hand us over some cash and said please take this as I see you helping us every week. The Sevadars refused and with almost tears rolling out they thanked the man for his so kind gesture.

Who would have imagined an idea given by Guru Sahib of serving 20-30 folks from your garage for fun on a weekend with few families would have led to this? Who says Guru Sahib is not with us?

Nanak Naam Chadi Kala Tere Bhanai Sarbat Da Bhala

Team has been doing selfless seva in San Jose and LA skid row on weekly basis. Team has also supported community members who have lost jobs with rent assistance for last few months as well. Work is going on to help them get back on their feet.