Seva · First Friday, monthly
Narayana Seva
Serving God in the form of man. It is not charity — it is a spiritual practice, and a way to teach our children by example.
We serve a home-cooked vegetarian meal at the Austin Street Centre for the homeless, near downtown Dallas, on the first Friday of the month. With Swami’s grace, we have been doing this since 1985.
It is not charity — it is Narayan Seva, service to God in the form of man. It is a spiritual practice: learning to share what God has given us. It is also a good opportunity to teach our children “by example” to be grateful for all we have been blessed with, and to instil the value of service from a young age.
When
First Friday of the month
Sign-up sheets for cooking, buying food and serving in person are available at the Bal Vikas front desk the previous Sunday.
Three ways to take part
How you can help
Volunteers may cook the food and drop it off at the location, cook and come to the shelter to serve, or simply come and serve the food at the shelter. Since this is a regular project, if you cannot make it this month you can always take part the next.
The number of volunteers who can physically come and serve is limited, so volunteers need to sign up. To take part, or to be added to the NDSAI seva mailing list, write tonarayanseva@ndsai.org.
| Contribution | Needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main dishThe dish varies each month — check for details. | 7 volunteers | The dish varies each month — check for details. |
| Salad & dressingCheck for details on quantities. | 6 volunteers | Check for details on quantities. |
| Bread15 sticks of French bread each. | 2 volunteers | 15 sticks of French bread each. |
| SpreadOne large tub. | 1 volunteer | One large tub. |
| MilkTwo gallons of milk each. | 7 volunteers | Two gallons of milk each. |
| Serving in personPlaces at the shelter are limited. | Sign up the previous week | Places at the shelter are limited. |
Main dishes in rotation
- Spaghetti & Sauce
- Cheesy Garden Casserole
- Macaroni Bean Bake
- Rice & Vegetarian Chilli
For volunteers
How the salad is cut
A reference for anyone preparing salad for the first time — this is the size and style we use.
Lettuce
Cabbage
Cucumber
Carrot
Green pepper
Tomatoes