01/07/98-1475

Food For Life Helps Plane Crash

Siberia (VNN) - The crash of the military transport plane in Irkutsk, Siberia, which killed more than 150 people, became one of the most tragic events at the last week. The largest news agencies had told yet a lot about it during these days. But people at a crash site need not only a condolences from the world community. Many of them have no food to eat.

In this difficult situation there is a very important help from a local branch of the "Hare Krishna Food for Life", international nonprofit charitable organization serving vegetarian meals in 63 countries. This charity had got a world recognition for it's help at places of disasters and military conflict zones, such as Bosnia, Abkhazia and Chechnya.

The Food for Life volunteers from Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude (Republic of Buryatia), extended considerably a quantity of a daily preparated food at their kitchen, which is near the crash site. During two days they served 800 hot meals (porridge, stewed vegetables, bread and drink) to the firefighters and rescue soldiers, who worked hard at a siberian frost and for relatives of the dead people. The Russian Red Cross Committee and citizens of Irkutk provided winter clothing for survivors.

The Food for Life is ready to supply free meals for the dozens of survivors. The deputy chairman of the Siberian branch of the charity, Peter Strokov explained:

"In its activity the Food for Life is based on an ancient Vedic culture of hospitality with more than 5000 years history. Our organization was established to bring peace and prosperity to the world through the liberal distribution of sanctified vegetarian meals. We are serving karma-free meals, prepared without cruelty. We ask all goodwill people to help us by supplying food, by favourable reports from our well-wishers and also by financial donations. We will be very grateful to anybody for any useful help."

Addresses of siberian branches of "Food for Life":

Peter Strokov
Krymskaya 6A, Irkutsk, Russia
e-mail: iosk@iosk.irkutsk.ru

Leonid Tougutov
Prirechnaya 23, Ulan Ude, 670013, Russia
e-mail: bpchk@burnet.siberia.ru

Another contact address:

Paul Turner
Food for Life Global Director
10310 Oaklyn Drive,
Potomac, MD 20854 USA
Ph: (301) 983 6826
Fax: (301) 299-5025
Priya.ffl@com.bbt.se

Web site
http://www.ffl.org