gratiTUBE: Meals on Wheels, Pune

A friend of mine recently made this video on Meals on Wheels, Pune and sent to a few of us to have the first look. I opened and I was amazed by the love the volunteers put in cooking and serving meals to the homeless on the streets of Pune. What was also beautiful to see was how the volunteers came together. Honouring a friend’s wish to celebrate his birthday serving community, a few friends planned to cook food for the homeless. It was meant for one day, for those few hours. They have been doing this for years now.

It is more joyful to share the food cooked by your own self.

After cooking the meal, the volunteers sit in silence and seek blessings from the world. The “youngest” member of the team is an energetic 86-year-old volunteer. Truly, there is no age for volunteering! An amazing learning that Vinit shares in the video is how they once approached a homeless guy, dressed in rags and asked if he wanted some food. He refused saying he just ate. They further asked, do you want to keep some for the night? “No, I will see about night at night. Give it someone else,” was his reply.

If there is no one to receive your offering, no matter how much food you carry, you won’t be able to share it.

Is it an act of giving or an act of receiving? Is it the giver of food who is giving or is it the receiver who is giving him/her the opportunity to serve?