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WORLD  Used Van Needed For Orissa Food Relief Program BY JAHNAVA NITAI DAS  INDIA, Jul 15 (VNN) — Dear devotees, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!The Bhaktivedanta Ashram needs help in purchasing a used van for use in the food relief program in Orissa, India. At present the distribution of prasadam to needy children is done four times a month (on Sundays), but we have plans to make it a daily distribution within one or two months. The main limiting problem is the amount of work the volunteers have to do to setup in the villages. They have to transport all of the pots, grains, etc., 10 to 15 km by bicycle push cart, then stand in the hot sun next to a huge wood fire to cook the food (prasadam). Then after serving, in the evening, they have to clean up the entire area (without any lights, since these villages have no electricity), and finally bring all pots back, 10 to 15 km by bicycle push-cart. The entire procedure is very difficult and tiring for them, making it impossible for them to do it except on Sundays (most of the volunteers work 6 days a week in regular jobs as well). This month we are trying to buy a small used van, which will remove around 70% of the difficulty involved, and subsequently enable us to conduct the distribution daily instead of just on Sundays. We will cook all of the food at our ashram (instead of at the village), transport it by van, distribute it, and return by van. The clean up can then be done at our ashram by other volunteers. Since the work involved will be much less, it will be possible to conduct the prasadam distribution daily. We have located a used van which will cost us $2,600 USD (Rs. 125,000). If you would like to help sponsor, please visit the following URL. All donations are 501(c)(3) tax deductable. http://www.foodrelief.org/van.htm You will certainly receive the blessings of Lord Krishna and all the children whom you will be helping. Your servant, Jahnava Nitai Das, Bhaktivedanta Ashram & Bhaktivedanta International Charities http://www.foodrelief.org Contact VNN about this story  Send this story to a friend
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