Members of the local Sikh community donated and delivered over $5,000 worth of materials to flood victims in Baton Rouge within the first week of relief efforts, according to United Sikhs Aid Director Gurvinder Singh.
The southeast Lake Charles gurdwara that normally serves as a Sikh place of worship was transformed into a disaster relief center shortly after flooding devastated the state, Singh said.
He said the response that the international humanitarian agency United Sikhs has received from members of the Lake Charles community has been “truly remarkable.”
“A lot of community members have come out to help acquire the materials and help deliver the materials in Lake Charles,” Singh said.
He said Lake Charles residents have partnered with United Sikhs to deliver hot meals on street corners and at strip malls in the Baton Rouge area. He said volunteers were able to witness the “immense need” firsthand.
“We’ve been to the community in Sorrento and Gonzales, where people are literally lining up in the streets for hot meals,” Singh said.
He said that although the Lake Charles gurdwara was founded only five years ago, United Sikhs worked with the Lake Charles community after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as well.
“Whenever there has been a beacon or call to provide relief the community has always stepped up,” Singh said.
He said many of the local volunteers who helped in Katrina were non-Sikhs. Since the Sikh religion has no hierarchy, Singh said, everyone is welcome to assist.
United Sikhs has one other base in Louisiana, at a gurdwara in New Orleans. Singh said these two sites have turned into “base camps” for collecting supplies and gathering volunteers.
He said the organization is also sending aid relief to Italy following the recent earthquake, and that it has provided aid in over 30 disasters so far.
Singh said members of the Sikh community have an obligation to alleviate pain in their communities and to serve people of all faiths. He said service is an essential part of the Sikh faith and that 99 percent of the people helped by United Sikhs are non-Sikhs.
“We see any human suffering as our own,” he said.
Singh said Sikh worship centers like the one in Lake Charles will provide a hot meal or a place to stay at any time to any member of the community — regardless of their creed or religion.
He said those looking to volunteer can visit www.unitedsikhs.org, contact the Lake Charles gurdwara or call him at 469-222-6288.
The local gurdwara is at 1803 Merganser St. Singh said it holds worship services 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays and on Friday evenings.
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