With roots in Indian culture, Food for Life Global is a modern day revival of the ancient Vedic culture of spiritual hospitality. Since the beginning of recorded time, sharing of food has been a fundamental part of the civilized world and in India, such hospitality was based on the understanding of the spiritual equality of all beings.
The Early Days
Emergency Relief
When an earthquake devastated Latur, India, in 1993, FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers drove 300 kilometers to be on the scene within hours, supplying 52,000 meals, clothing, and medical supplies to distressed villagers. FOOD FOR LIFE’s most valiant efforts in war-torn Grozny, Chechnya were noted in a New York Times article (December 12, 1995) that stated:
“Here, [FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers] have a reputation like the one Mother Teresa has in Calcutta: it’s not hard finding people to swear they are saints.” – NEW YORK TIMES –
FOOD FOR LIFE was the first food relief agency to respond to the tsunami disaster of December 2004. Volunteers in Sri Lanka and India provided more than 350,000 freshly cooked meals during the months immediately following the tsunami, along with medical care, water, clothing, and shelter.
Pure Food
The World’s Largest
By 2017, Food for Life Global affiliates had reached a milestone of serving over four billion meals since its humble beginnings in West Bengal.
Food for Life Annamrita
The premier Food for Life project is based in Mumbai, India with branches in most major cities. Annamrita literally translates as “Food Nectar” and by the look on faces on the millions of children that receive a hot lunch every day, the food certainly is nectar. Pictured above is a typical set up at one of the Annamrita kitchens where high-pressure steam is used to cook tons of food daily. A kitchen like this one can make enough food to feed 65,000 children daily. The hot meals are then stored in stainless steel containers and shipped to hundreds of schools. To learn more about Food for Life Annamrita go to https://ffl.org/about-us/project/annamrita-food-for-life/