JVB Preksha Meditation Center Participates in Diwali Food Drive Initiated By Hindus of Greater Houston

By Seema Jain

HOUSTON: Beautiful things happen when communities come together to take hunger off of the Houston area map. Under the auspicious guidance of Samani Parimal Pragyaji and Samani Maryada Pragyaji, JVB Preksha Meditation Center participated in the 30-day Diwali Food Drive from Nov.6 – Dec.6. This was a great example of community working together to shine a light on the issue of hunger and what is being done to solve it. It also highlighted  a sense of sharing our blessings and a little of our abundance with the less fortunate ones. The donations from the communitywide Food Drive of Hindus of greater Houston made this the largest Diwali food drive the South Asian Indian Community has ever had.

Sometimes People who need food are not those who we traditionally think of as the poor. Today, most people in need of assistance are formerly working, middle class families who lost their jobs or are underemployed. This Diwali food drive was a huge effort on the part of fellow organizations such as Arya Samaj, Sewa International, VPSS Haveli, Guruvauyurappan Temple, Ashtalakshmi Temple, Meenakshi Temple and many other Greater Houston Area South Asian Indian Organizations to work in unison to make a real difference in their lives. Several Indian Grocery Stores also participated in the drive this year too.

These efforts certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of JVB’s Gyanshala families & kindhearted Patrons. I am especially very proud of our three young Gyanshala students, Adi Bora, Tanvi Jain & Siddhi  Jain, who went door to door with a handmade poster to raise the awareness of sharing hopes in the form of a meal and successfully raised a significant amount of Vegetarian food Items and cash donation from this drive.

Thanks to a very successful food drive and many helping hands, the food boxes are ready to be delivered to the doorsteps of the Food Bank where the final amount of food and cash donations will be tabulated. On behalf of JVB Preksha Center, I would like to convey my special thanks to Anshuman Desai, President of HGH for his generous and thoughtful efforts to bring the South Asian Indian communities together for a great cause.

We are proud of our Preksha Meditation Center, it’s beautiful surroundings, a unique pyramid shape meditation hall, and a very peaceful ambiance. It is located at 14102 Schiller Rd, Houston, TX 77082.  On the first and third Sunday of each month there are pravachans by Samani Ji. The theme of the pravachans this year has been: Guide yourself in choosing the path- Detailed meaning of 18 Paap. Apart from the regular activities mentioned above Samani Ji’s also offer individual or one on one counseling confidentially to those who are in need of such help.

Apart from the offsite camps, or fund raising events like plays etc., most of our programs are offered free of charge. To cover the costs of running the center on a day to day basis, we accept donations. As a charitable 501c corporation, the donations are tax deductible. Please take advantage of this beautiful facility by joining us in the programs we offer. Our center is open to all irrespective of their religious beliefs. Upcoming events include Special New Year Jaap & Jainism Quiz from 10AM-12PM on January 3rd,2016.

For more information about the Center and the current programs visit www.JVBHouston.org or call 281-596-9642.