Sai Narayana Seva in New York (USA).

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Loving Sai Ram!

Today I am sharing with you a beautiful report about Sai Narayana Seva in New York (USA).

Sai Karen

Prasanthi Nilayam

“I swear Sai Baba had come to Cuba and many people had seen Him walking on the main streets of Havana,” said onewhile another said that Baba was a frequent visitor to Sao Paulo in Brazil. Third person said, “I am from Puerto Rico andhave read a book about Sai Baba, written in Spanish and I know that he ‘passed away’ a couple of years ago." When he said so, a man next to him, disputed this saying that Sai Baba is still living in India. Another man concluded thediscussions saying that, “He is everywhere and at all times”.

These were from the conversation among the men in winter coats standing at the corner of 1^st Avenue and 29^th Street ofManhattan in New York, on a freezing February afternoon with sub-zero temperature. It was a ‘mini-satsangh’ on Swami by this group who were corroborating the Omnipresence of Baba, perhaps unknowingly!

Their eyes were fixed on the stream of the one-way traffic moving towards uptown, looking for the green color van carrying delicious ‘prasad’ from Swami’s Mission, that Saturday afternoon. These are the homeless people of New York, some of them living in the nearby shelter funded by the City of New York.

(Shelter that houses about 300 and odd homeless people.
The Narayana Seva activity takes place in front of this building)

Mohan Ramaswami joins Hugo and Victoria in saying that this seva gives them immense happiness and it is their main activity during the weekends.

Hugo drives the van, exclusively used for this seva and it is filled with food and other accessories like tables, camping stoves to heat the food, bottles of mineral water etc. - very well equipped to serve the guests.

All these means so much of efforts and planning and Huge and Victoria are doing this tirelessly for years – all because Swami told them once: ‘Do Seva, Seva and Seva’.

Started in a small scale, they are now able to serve food to even 300 persons during the weekends. Many Swami devoteesand non-devotees volunteer to join this noble ‘Seva’.

They start the Seva with prayer to Swami and ‘Brahmarpanam’ .

They bring with them the Prasad from Swami, comprising of Hot Soup, Pasta, delicious Sandwiches, spicy Vegetable Fried Rice with Indian Curry in gravy, Garden Salad, Fruits and tea in hotpot. All these are contributions from the households of devotees of Swami, and from few restaurants in New York, collected by Hugo and Victoria.

(Victoria lending a helping hand)

Started in the year 1999 by Sai Brother Hugo and Victoria to serve food to the homeless is a ‘Narayana Seva’ activity. This is nicknamed as ‘Riverside Seva’ , since this is taking place on the 1^st Avenue, that is on the banks of East River of New York city. This place is just 15 blocks away from the United Nations head quarters.

Devotees of New York are also regularly supplying food for the homeless every week in another place, Bowery in the Downtown of Manhattan for over 30 years!