Oklahomans “give back” with SewaDiwali to mark the festival of lights

Many Oklahomans of Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist faiths will be celebrating Diwali – the festival of lights this coming weekend and into the next week. Some are also participating in “SewaDiwali”, a food donation drive organized by Dharmic organizations, communities, and individuals. It marks the traditional celebration of Diwali with the spirit of Sewa, which means selfless service to society. This program, now in its third consecutive year in the Oklahoma City area, is coordinated nationally by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA, in partnership with local community organizations, such as Yoga groups, Hindu Temple, etc.

Official Video of SewaDiwali

Many Americans are facing economic hardship after the pandemic due to record inflation and rising prices. Food prices have soared higher than ever, exacerbating the problem of food insecurity. SewaDiwali attempts to combat this by collecting non-perishable food items and donating them to local food banks, pantries, community kitchens, and needy individuals. Last year, SewaDiwali food collections were organized in 200 cities across 32 states. A little under 600,000 pounds of food items were collectively donated to 376 food banks throughout the country. Oklahomans donated worth over 2,500 lb of food to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. This year, they hope to collect and donate more.

Each year, the festival of Diwali is celebrated across the globe to mark the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and light over spiritual darkness. As part of the celebrations, homes are deep cleaned, illuminated with lights, and decorated with colorful rangolis, flowers, and other festive art. Friends and family gather, share meals, and exchange sweet treats and gifts. Many also use this occasion for Daana (charitable giving) and Sewa (selfless service).

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. It aims to accomplish this by creating a shared values platform for Dharmic/Indic communities and individuals to organize food collection and other donation drives around the festival of Diwali.

We appeal to all Oklahomans to celebrate Diwali, and to support and generously contribute to the SewaDiwali food drive between now and Nov 6th, 2022. Please find us on www.sewadiwali.org, or Facebook or Instagram.