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Sept. 2, 2005
Project offers food and hope
Two faiths work together to help feed the hungry in Vancouver.
BAILA LAZARUS
On a sunny Sunday morning in August, while crowds of people head
to Vancouver's beaches, a group of Jewish and Muslim volunteers
are sweating away in a kitchen on the Downtown Eastside. Outside,
more than 100 people, anxious for a nutritious meal, jostle for
a space, not wanting to lose their place in line.
At noon, the doors to the First United Church open and members of
the Muslim community of the Masjid ul-Haqq Mosque and the Jewish
community of Ahavat Olam Synagogue move into action. They man tables
for juice or coffee, seat people at tables and hand out plates of
food and, within a matter of minutes, the program Feed the Hungry
has served 100 people; more are waiting outside.
Now in its fifth month of operation, Feed the Hungry seems to run
like clockwork. Once a month, about 20 volunteers, under the co-ordination
of Melanie Yearow and Sandy Goldman, meet on a Sunday at 9 a.m.
and prepare plates of egg salad or cheese sandwiches with fresh
fruit and a brownie. Not a meal fit for a king, but at least one
that will stop the grumbling stomachs for a while.
Yearow said she finds working on the Downtown Eastside "very
fulfilling."
Formerly a clothing and jewelry designer, she is re-examining her
life to look at ways she can contribute.
"I ran my own business for 10 years, but it wasn't fulfilling
me on a spiritual level at all," said Yearow, who has worked
in the fashion industry since the age of 16. She will soon be 40
and wanted to look at her priorities in life. "As I got older,
I really looked at what was important. Was the mighty dollar important,
or making a difference?"
The idea for Feed the Hungry came out of one of several discussion
groups that began more than a year ago between members of the Masjid
ul-Haqq Mosque and Congregation Ahavat Olam, along with representatives
of other faiths. A small cluster of local Muslims and Jews wanted
to come together to build bridges across the faiths that held mutual
distrust and suspicion.
Shiraz Dindar, a Muslim, said his experience with the Muslim-Jewish
group has been "incredible."
"Before I started working in the Muslim-Jewish group, I was
frustrated," said the 33-year-old tech-support worker. "But
now I've come to see the Jewish concerns in the Middle East, whereas
before, I just felt victimized."
Yearow agreed. "We're feeding these people, which is great,
we're taking care of them; but we're also building great relations
with the Muslim community," she said.
Yearow added that, although providing a meal is the immediate goal
of Feed the Hungry, there are other ways that clients can be helped.
She hopes that talking to people about her own past could lead them
in the right direction.
"If I share my story, it might not get someone into detox the
next day, but maybe it will make a difference in their lives,"
she said. "That's why it's so special for me. It's carrying
a message that there is hope."
Donations to Feed the Hungry can be made out to Ahavat Olam and
mailed to Lechem Fund, c/o Ahavat Olam, Box 19569, Vancouver, B.C.,
V5T 4E7. For more information or to volunteer, contact Yearow at
karmicangel@ shaw.ca.
Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer, photographer and
illustrator living in Vancouver.
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