Vimutti Dhamma Community: Community Kitchen

Roshan Perera, Founder, Community Kitchen

 
In April of 2023, I met with the chief monk  at the Temple of Enlightenment, a Buddhist shrine in the Bronx. We  discussed my remorse for bad choices that harmed people I care about. To  begin making amends, the monk suggested I find  ways to serve others.

Some of the temple’s neighbors struggle  with lack of resources and hunger. So, the monk and I agreed to launch a  community kitchen program. I collected donations of grains, vegetables,  and other ingredients from my friends in Queens.  Then, a volunteer chef and I prepared meals at the temple to distribute  to needy individuals nearby. 

On our first day, June 4th, we made  vegetable fried rice at the temple kitchen. We added boiled eggs, cooked  lentils, sautéed onions and potatoes along with a fried chicken my  friend bought from a nearby shop. We packed the nutritious  meals then went out into the neighborhood with the head monk, Rev.  Subodha. 

We continue this weekly service of  distributing meals to our neighbors in the Bronx. Meals include rice,  chicken, lentils, potatoes, water, sodas, and utensils. Volunteers are  welcome to eat as well as our guests.

Your food donations and financial support will allow us to continue our mission and serve more people in need. With  your help, I will launch the community kitchen program in all five  boroughs of New York City and build a compassionate network of  volunteers.