30-05-2025
Sikhs are back in town: warming tummies and hearts during flood crisis
They were there for the community during the Black Summer bushfires in 2019 and again in the March 2021 floods.
And the Sikhs are back again to help a flood-stricken NSW region recover from the worst flooding disaster in its history - even though they hail from cities far away.
On hearing about the flooding crisis in the Manning Valley on the mid-north coast, head of Sikh Volunteers Australia Jaswinder Singh, mobilised a team of volunteers and a fleet of vehicles, including a very big food truck and one small campervan, to drive the nearly 1200 kilometres from Melbourne to Taree.
They've been here more than a week already and say they will stay until they aren't needed anymore.
Every day, the crew has been providing up to 2000 vegetarian meals a day. Some of those meals they give out at their base at the Bunnings Car Park in Taree. The rest they distribute to outlying flood affected areas: Wingham, Croki, Cundletown, Manning Point, Oxley Island and even Kempsey with two vans.
"On our Facebook page every morning at around 7.30am or 8am, we put our schedule of where we will be," Jaswinder said.
As if that is enough time spent driving, most of the volunteers are staying in Newcastle with a family that is giving them free accommodation. They drive up every morning, and back every evening.
"They are looking after us very well with a very loving and caring attitude and they are a very nice family," Jaswinder said.
Sikh Volunteers Australia is not the only Sikh volunteer organisation up here helping our communities.
Khalsa Aid Australia has been working with the Taree Lions Club. They have brought multiple trucks up from Sydney with pallets of water, cleaning and sanitation supplies, and essential supplies.
Yet another Sikh volunteer organisation, Turbans 4 Australia, is also in the area, helping out with organising pantry items for the Lions Club, pallets of water, fodder supplies for farmers, tools, generators and all manner of items.
For Sikhs, giving generously to the community, 'langar' (Punjabi language), is deeply ingrained in their spiritual life.
It is probably best explained by the words on the Sikh Volunteers Australia food truck.
"The concept of 'langar' was initiated by the first Sikh Guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Guru Amardass Ji, the third Sikh Guru, institutionalised this concept of sharing and caring.
"It is a process where everyone shares their honest earnings to provide food for everyone - it was designed to uphold the principle of equality between all people regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed age, gender or social status.
"In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind."
They were there for the community during the Black Summer bushfires in 2019 and again in the March 2021 floods.
And the Sikhs are back again to help a flood-stricken NSW region recover from the worst flooding disaster in its history - even though they hail from cities far away.
On hearing about the flooding crisis in the Manning Valley on the mid-north coast, head of Sikh Volunteers Australia Jaswinder Singh, mobilised a team of volunteers and a fleet of vehicles, including a very big food truck and one small campervan, to drive the nearly 1200 kilometres from Melbourne to Taree.
They've been here more than a week already and say they will stay until they aren't needed anymore.
Every day, the crew has been providing up to 2000 vegetarian meals a day. Some of those meals they give out at their base at the Bunnings Car Park in Taree. The rest they distribute to outlying flood affected areas: Wingham, Croki, Cundletown, Manning Point, Oxley Island and even Kempsey with two vans.
"On our Facebook page every morning at around 7.30am or 8am, we put our schedule of where we will be," Jaswinder said.
As if that is enough time spent driving, most of the volunteers are staying in Newcastle with a family that is giving them free accommodation. They drive up every morning, and back every evening.
"They are looking after us very well with a very loving and caring attitude and they are a very nice family," Jaswinder said.
Sikh Volunteers Australia is not the only Sikh volunteer organisation up here helping our communities.
Khalsa Aid Australia has been working with the Taree Lions Club. They have brought multiple trucks up from Sydney with pallets of water, cleaning and sanitation supplies, and essential supplies.
Yet another Sikh volunteer organisation, Turbans 4 Australia, is also in the area, helping out with organising pantry items for the Lions Club, pallets of water, fodder supplies for farmers, tools, generators and all manner of items.
For Sikhs, giving generously to the community, 'langar' (Punjabi language), is deeply ingrained in their spiritual life.
It is probably best explained by the words on the Sikh Volunteers Australia food truck.
"The concept of 'langar' was initiated by the first Sikh Guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Guru Amardass Ji, the third Sikh Guru, institutionalised this concept of sharing and caring.
"It is a process where everyone shares their honest earnings to provide food for everyone - it was designed to uphold the principle of equality between all people regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed age, gender or social status.
"In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind."
They were there for the community during the Black Summer bushfires in 2019 and again in the March 2021 floods.
And the Sikhs are back again to help a flood-stricken NSW region recover from the worst flooding disaster in its history - even though they hail from cities far away.
On hearing about the flooding crisis in the Manning Valley on the mid-north coast, head of Sikh Volunteers Australia Jaswinder Singh, mobilised a team of volunteers and a fleet of vehicles, including a very big food truck and one small campervan, to drive the nearly 1200 kilometres from Melbourne to Taree.
They've been here more than a week already and say they will stay until they aren't needed anymore.
Every day, the crew has been providing up to 2000 vegetarian meals a day. Some of those meals they give out at their base at the Bunnings Car Park in Taree. The rest they distribute to outlying flood affected areas: Wingham, Croki, Cundletown, Manning Point, Oxley Island and even Kempsey with two vans.
"On our Facebook page every morning at around 7.30am or 8am, we put our schedule of where we will be," Jaswinder said.
As if that is enough time spent driving, most of the volunteers are staying in Newcastle with a family that is giving them free accommodation. They drive up every morning, and back every evening.
"They are looking after us very well with a very loving and caring attitude and they are a very nice family," Jaswinder said.
Sikh Volunteers Australia is not the only Sikh volunteer organisation up here helping our communities.
Khalsa Aid Australia has been working with the Taree Lions Club. They have brought multiple trucks up from Sydney with pallets of water, cleaning and sanitation supplies, and essential supplies.
Yet another Sikh volunteer organisation, Turbans 4 Australia, is also in the area, helping out with organising pantry items for the Lions Club, pallets of water, fodder supplies for farmers, tools, generators and all manner of items.
For Sikhs, giving generously to the community, 'langar' (Punjabi language), is deeply ingrained in their spiritual life.
It is probably best explained by the words on the Sikh Volunteers Australia food truck.
"The concept of 'langar' was initiated by the first Sikh Guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Guru Amardass Ji, the third Sikh Guru, institutionalised this concept of sharing and caring.
"It is a process where everyone shares their honest earnings to provide food for everyone - it was designed to uphold the principle of equality between all people regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed age, gender or social status.
"In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind."
They were there for the community during the Black Summer bushfires in 2019 and again in the March 2021 floods.
And the Sikhs are back again to help a flood-stricken NSW region recover from the worst flooding disaster in its history - even though they hail from cities far away.
On hearing about the flooding crisis in the Manning Valley on the mid-north coast, head of Sikh Volunteers Australia Jaswinder Singh, mobilised a team of volunteers and a fleet of vehicles, including a very big food truck and one small campervan, to drive the nearly 1200 kilometres from Melbourne to Taree.
They've been here more than a week already and say they will stay until they aren't needed anymore.
Every day, the crew has been providing up to 2000 vegetarian meals a day. Some of those meals they give out at their base at the Bunnings Car Park in Taree. The rest they distribute to outlying flood affected areas: Wingham, Croki, Cundletown, Manning Point, Oxley Island and even Kempsey with two vans.
"On our Facebook page every morning at around 7.30am or 8am, we put our schedule of where we will be," Jaswinder said.
As if that is enough time spent driving, most of the volunteers are staying in Newcastle with a family that is giving them free accommodation. They drive up every morning, and back every evening.
"They are looking after us very well with a very loving and caring attitude and they are a very nice family," Jaswinder said.
Sikh Volunteers Australia is not the only Sikh volunteer organisation up here helping our communities.
Khalsa Aid Australia has been working with the Taree Lions Club. They have brought multiple trucks up from Sydney with pallets of water, cleaning and sanitation supplies, and essential supplies.
Yet another Sikh volunteer organisation, Turbans 4 Australia, is also in the area, helping out with organising pantry items for the Lions Club, pallets of water, fodder supplies for farmers, tools, generators and all manner of items.
For Sikhs, giving generously to the community, 'langar' (Punjabi language), is deeply ingrained in their spiritual life.
It is probably best explained by the words on the Sikh Volunteers Australia food truck.
"The concept of 'langar' was initiated by the first Sikh Guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Guru Amardass Ji, the third Sikh Guru, institutionalised this concept of sharing and caring.
"It is a process where everyone shares their honest earnings to provide food for everyone - it was designed to uphold the principle of equality between all people regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed age, gender or social status.
"In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind."
