Dear Prabhus:
Please accept my respects. Jaya Sri Gurudeva!
In response to my post looking to find a bona-fide organization helping the poor widows in Vrndavana, one devotee recommended the Ramakrishna Mission.
I contacted them and indeed they claim that they are distributing an entire month's worth of food to 125 aged widows over 80 years old. They are also distributing 12-14 day rations to over 900 widow mothers.
Even though I hold different religious views than this organization, it seems they are really helping these unfortunate women.
Do anyone know if they are actually providing this service in Vrndavana? I have heard of some devotees using their hospital in Vrndavana, so I think that part of their mission is legitimate.
Hare Krsna!
Your servant,
Prayag das
Replies
hare Krishna
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.280799322036967.64481.2039...
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.203957419721158.43554.2039...
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.214297872020446.45697.2039...
Hare Krishna dear Devotees!
please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila prabhupada!
Interesting, how can IDT Devotees can help in this?! The main office is in Mumbai but we need someone who is there in Vrindavan Dham for this service. IDT can only connect people through media, inform, announce... but food for life is another project.
i know only one Temple in Mumbai which is Juhu Temple which offers 24 hour food for life to anyone no matter who is the person is.
For this the project needs many servants who make such like huge amount of Prasadam cutting, washing...and big amount of regular charity. So it is a whole big project.
But i heard about grihastha couples Devotees from Africa, New Ziland ...who distribute Prasadam and earn money for Prasadam. Just husband and wife do job, earn money, cook food offer to Krishna then go out and distribute to people. Some do it daily, some 2-3 times a week. So in this way if we do not trust to some organisation grihasthas can do it by their own.
We do as much as we can and we should remember that Krishna is maintainer, provider not we are.
In Vrindavan few years back was opened a vanaprastha ashram for Matajis. But it was requested that Matajis would be serious in their spiritual practice. So such like small thing is there.
Your servant,
Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Desire to help others is very nice. And styles of help may be different. And reaction to such like acts are also according.
So if we want to go back Home to Goloka Vrindavan we have to feed those Matajis with Krishna's Prasadam nothing else: food from nayavadis or something like that.
But if our desire is to help to their body only then we can help by giving bhoga but even that will be a sin. Because food which is not offered to Krishna is full for sins.
And it says that it is better to feed one brahmana Vaishnava very nicely (for example, for 200 Rs) Rather than feeding 4-5 Brahmana Vaishnavas for total 200 Rs. Better is quality not quantity.
So if You have desire to help them Prabhuji then You can use Your money to help few of them, Your money won't be enough to help to all widows, isn't it?!
For example, You can contact some of widows somehow and provide them with salary or charity monthly. Maybe using bank services.
This system is there even for taking care of Mother cows all around the world in ISKCON. One Devotee takes responsibility of providing lakshmi for food to a particular cow.
i think it is better idea. You can use Your 1000$ once feeding one day many Matajis but also You can use that amount to maintain the whole life of 3-4 Matajis.
Such like thing was even in our Temple. We requested Gihastha Devotees to take care of particular full time Devotees so it worked.
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We should be afraid of even pious reactions, because of that better to make donation to help them to come to God not only help them to survive.
Your servant,
Hare Krishna prabhuji,
Ramkrishna Mission provides food items and some other items for widows for their basic need.
and at the time of their annual functions they helps 1200 widows every year. As Rahul prji said for Ramkrishna mission sevashrama 'Service to man is service to God'. They sincerely helps widow matajis, poor & needy people & children. Their hospital in vrindavan is also serves poor & needy people.
Haribol