Serving Love with Good Ol’ Fashioned Mac and Cheese

Our monthly soup kitchen service activity has been carried out since 2001 at the Community Dining Room in Branford, Connecticut. The project involves cooking and serving meals to 50 to 70 guests who range from retired seniors to the unemployed or disabled individuals, all with a need for meals. We assemble about 10.00 am to prepare a menu of macaroni and cheese, salad, garlic bread, pulao rice, mixed vegetables, and dessert. One of the most meaningful aspects of the soup kitchen is the interaction with the guests as we serve them meals and tend to their needs.

The pace is often brisk and busy but always enjoyable, and we leave at the end of the day, fully satisfied and happy for a day well spent. The soup kitchen ends with all Sai devotees sitting down together for a meal of the same food we served our guests. It has been a wonderful bonding experience for the Center as we “break bread” together. As always, there is clean up, so that we leave the place spic and span for the next group to arrive for their turn to serve. We try to honor the universal teaching, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”

Guests of the soup kitchen call us “the Sai Baba people.” They are always happy to see us because they feel that we are different from other volunteer groups, and that we serve not just a sumptuous buffet but also LOVE to those who partake of the meals.

“SAI BABA is back!”

A couple of years ago, the dining room coordinator decided to switch the Sai Baba group from Saturday lunches to Sunday breakfasts. The dining hall guests, however, were sorely disappointed not to receive the monthly vegetarian lunch (a change from their staple of meat), especially the macaroni and cheese, which they joyfully claimed was “the best in the state of Connecticut!” After a couple of breakfasts, we noticed the number of participants dwindling. The guests told us how they missed our sumptuous lunches, and we shared this feedback with the dining room coordinator. The Lord must have heard the pleas of the diners, because the coordinator decided to re-establish our lunch service at its original time, the fourth Saturday of each month. The word got out to the dining room community that “Sai Baba” was coming back to serve Saturday lunches. Sure enough, we had a great turnout at the dining room the Saturday we returned to serve lunch. The joy in their eyes and the happy exclamations of “SAI BABA is back!” did wonders for us, and how proud and humbled we felt being identified by name of the Avatar, and for the gift of being instruments of love. It reminds us that God is the ultimate doer of every action we perform, that we are mere tools in His hands, and that we are grateful for this gift of service that brings such immense satisfaction. We, in return, feel such love for the participants of the dining room and a sense of connectedness with all present, both server and served, all bound by love.

 “Uncle Lal” Spreads Love and Inspiration

One of the nicest experiences has been the involvement of our Sai  “uncle,” 86-year-old, P.B. Lal, who loves attending the soup kitchen and thanks us profusely for the chance to be involved. He exudes love to us all by reminding us always to appreciate this wonderful opportunity to serve. Uncle Lal always brings a picture of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and places it by the windowsill. He further adds charm and beauty to the diners’ experience by visiting each table and reading short inspirational quotes from the Daily Word publication of the Unity Organization in Missouri, or from Sai Baba’s discourses.

He also sings to the diners as they eat. One of his favorite songs is “Love is the way, love is the only way.” Though we felt apprehensive initially about how his singing would be received, Uncle Lal, fearlessly and with enthusiasm, carries out his routine, and the diners in return respond sweetly as a silent hush comes over the noisy dining hall as he sings and reads. At the end, the guests clap cheerfully, and the whole dining room resonates with bliss and love. Uncle Lal showers his love by giving the guests pats on the shoulder, hugs, blessings, a few encouraging words – touching everyone (including us) with his sweetness. His singular example reminds us of the attitude – and gratitude for the opportunity – we must bring to any of our service endeavors.

Such has been the power of this service project that it helped keep our North Haven Center together, despite a challenging period when the Center could not function and meetings were not well attended due to personal crises and transitions in the lives of the members. During that period of about two years, attendance at weekly Center meetings fell, but all would turn up for the monthly soup kitchen. With divine grace, the Center is slowly flourishing now, but the service activity continues to be a cornerstone that brings us all together. No matter what challenges we all experience, all is forgotten while we are at the soup kitchen, as we are engrossed in joyfully experiencing, first-hand, Sai Baba’s dictum to “Love All, Serve All.”

In April 2011, the Center was recognized for its 10 years of service at the Branford soup kitchen, on the very day of our beloved Sai Baba’s leaving of the physical form. We felt that even as he passed on, our beloved example and teacher had gifted us a beautiful symbol of his legacy of loving service. It was an emotionally poignant moment as we dedicated this honor to his loving and sweet memory and resolved to continue living his message of loving service to all, with ever more fervent devotion. We earnestly pray that we will all continue to be transformed and that our understanding be deepened of Sai Baba’s message, “Love All, Serve All,” as we continue our monthly soup kitchen service activity.

Additional Info

For other articles by members of the North Haven Sai Center, please see:

DISASTER RELIEF COUNSELING IN HAITI

To learn more about or join this service project, you may go to: http://us.sathyasai.org/index.html and click on the state or city in which the Sai Center project takes place. Click on “Email us for information about these Centers.” A local contact will respond to your email.

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