Grassroots Giving Fights Food Insecurity
KPC Buddhist Relief was born in the days of catastrophe and profound suffering that followed Hurricane Katrina . Learning of the magnitude of damage and loss in the wake of the hurricane , Spiritual Director of Kunzang Palyul Chöling Buddhist Temple ( KPC ), Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo , asked her students to travel from the suburbs of Maryland and Sedona , Arizona , to the stormravaged parishes of New Orleans to bring direct relief .
Students brought food and clothing they had collected in the DC metro area and offered emotional support to meet the needs of residents where they were . KPC Buddhist Relief rescued more than 130 dogs from the destruction in Louisiana , re-homing those that could be and creating Tara ’ s Babies Animal Rescue in Arizona for those that couldn ’ t . There they lived out the rest of their lives , loved and cared for by the KPC community .
For years , KPC Buddhist Relief continued its humanitarian outreach in the local DC area .
with donations and used by anyone in need without question . n KPC Buddhist Relief partnered with a Montgomery County employment center that received many visitors experiencing unstable housing and work . Several times a week , volunteers made sandwiches and packaged them in lunch bags along with drinks , fruit and snacks . For some , those lunches were the only meal they had for the day . n KPC hosted a weekly potluck lunch to feed everyone who visited the temple . Every Sunday , long tables were filled with salads , pasta , meat dishes , vegetarian dishes , bread , appetizers , fruit , cheeses , dessert , most of which were homemade . It was also a great time of community and camaraderie . n The potluck lunches expanded to provide cooked meals to KPC community members who were struggling with medical issues and families that needed the extra support .
And then it all came to a screeching halt . Like every other place of service , the COVID-19 pandemic forced KPC to shut everything down . No more potluck lunches , no more sandwiches , no more pantry . But , that didn ’ t stop Jetsunma from making sure no one was going hungry .
When reports of long lines at food distribution events reached Jetsunma , she began making donations of healthy food to local relief organizations . One extra large plastic bin at a time , every day , Jetsunma sent the kind of food relief pantries and kitchens aren ’ t used to : fresh produce , organic meat , condiments , plus a few fun treats for kids , whose needs can be overlooked in food donations .
But a box a day wasn ’ t enough . Jetsunma encouraged her students to get involved , to expand her efforts n A small pantry in the KPC temple community room was stocked
For more than a year , Jetsunma prepared a box of food for the hungry every day . And sometimes the food she was buying spilled into two !
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