CCS receives food and water from Sikh community during Parliament of the World's Religions

Friday, Nov. 06, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — Catholic Community Services’ St. Vincent de Paul dining hall was the recipient of food and water from the Sikh community, which also served lunch during the Parliament of the World’s Religions held at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center Oct. 15-19.

Saint Vincent de Paul dining hall serves more than 1,200 meals each day to those in need.

World Food Day was Oct. 16, and emeritus trustee Dr. Solomon Katz committed the Parliament to donate excess food to feed the hungry. 

Katz is chairman of the Task Force on World Food Problems for the American Anthropological Association, and for the past two years has focused on the world food crisis.

The Sikh community donated over 3,800 pounds of food during the five days; they ordered extra food specifically to feed the homeless, said JB Singh, a religious leader in the Sikh community and a board member of the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable. 

“We gave them uncooked food, leftover food and pallets of water; we knew they could not afford to buy a ticket to come to the Parliament and we wanted them to share in the Sikh langar,” said Singh, referring to the free meal. “Everyone is welcome at our Sikh langar lunches.” 

“We are very grateful that the Sikh community donated several pallets of water that our clients can use, and we were able to serve the food they brought over for the evening meals,” said Dennis Kelsch, CCS Homeless Services director, who oversees the dining hall. “It was a great cooperative effort with the religious gathering at the Salt Palace and their willingness to outreach to the homeless clients.”

The Parliament’s “whole focus was bringing everyone together, learning about each other and peace, and I really thought it was wonderful that at the end their focus was serving others in need,” said Danielle Stamos, CCS public relations director. “I think that everyone sees that as a commonality no matter where you are in the world, there are always people in need and service brings us all together and gives us a common goal.”

The international Sikh community hosted 7,000 participants each day for a langar lunch during the Parliament of the World’s Religions. 

Langar means common kitchen in Sikh temples, where food is served for free to all visitors. 

Before dining, visitors were asked to remove their shoes, cover their heads and wash their hands because the food was prepared for a sacred celebration, before taking a seat on a carpet on the floor as a symbol of equality. For those who were unable to sit on the floor, tables and chairs were offered. 

Guests were served a vegetarian meal that commonly included rice, curry vegetables and naan, an oven-baked flatbread, and a juice. As guests departed, they were served coffee and tea.

The thousands of pounds of food was prepared at two Sikh temples in Salt Lake County and trucked to the Salt Palace Convention Center for the Parliament. 

“Sewa, (service to the community) is essential to Sikh life and food is a big part of that,” said Singh, also vice chairman for the langar committee. “In the Sikh religion, anywhere in the world there is a Sikh temple, there will be langar. Our Golden Temple, in Amritsar, Punjab, India, serves langar to 100,000 people every day.”  

The first Sikh prophet Guru Nanak started the langar about 500 years ago, said Singh.

The Sikh temple at 4897 S. Redwood Road serves a langar lunch every Sunday at 1 p.m., which is attended by University of Utah students, interfaith board members and community leaders, Singh said.