Woodbridge, Edison, Rahway Students Collect 13,000 Pounds Of Food

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — This year, the Sewa Diwali Food Drive saw impressive participation from five school districts in Central Jersey, including Woodbridge.

Students and their families from the Woodbridge school district, Lincoln Elementary School in Edison, Emma Arleth Elementary School in Sayreville, Bayberry Elementary and Valley View Middle School in Watchung, Rahway High School and Alternative Center of Education in Rahway all donated and collected food.

Through the efforts of all of these participating schools, the students collected a remarkable 13,000 pounds of food. All will be given to local food banks in Middlesex County.

"Service to Humanity is the Service to Divinity" is one of the teachings of the Hindu festival of Diwali. While families celebrate this joyful festival with their loved ones, 'Daan'(donation) or 'Sewa' (selfless service) is a vital aspect of Diwali.

The collected food was donated to We Feed Woodbridge, Food for Friends in Rahway, Replenish food bank and the Middlesex Community College pantry.

Peter Barcellona, chairman of We Feed Woodbridge, thanked the efforts of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh on behalf of the 1,400 local Woodbridge families this food pantry serves.

Latoyah Kirkland, director for the Food for Friends pantry in Rahway, also thanked the kids and organizers of the Sewa Diwali Food Drive.

At Lincoln Elementary in Edison, two teenagers, Saanvi and Amishi, took the lead in coordinating the efforts for the Sewa Diwali Food Drive. They worked closely with the school coordinator and came up with the creative idea of conducting a competition among all the classrooms. The winning class was rewarded with a free period and a movie, adding a fun twist to the act of giving.

SewaDiwali is an initiative by Dharmic communities, individuals and organizations like yoga, spiritual, Hindu/Buddhist/Sikh/Jain centers, Temples, Gurudwaras, Linguistic and Indian socio-cultural organizations who believe in the Sewa Dharma, i.e. Service to Humanity is Service to Divinity. Sewadiwali's mission is to foster togetherness and Sewa (selfless giving) for the welfare of society, by promoting the festive and enlightening spirit of Diwali.

"Selfless service in education is valuable because it fosters a sense of community, cultivates empathy and responsibility in students, encourages leadership development, and ultimately prepares them to be positive contributors to society by prioritizing the needs of others over personal gain, " said Sugandha Ganesh from Hindu Education Foundation, a project of HSS to engage with schools and educators.

Learn more: www.sewadiwali.org

https://hindueducation.org/