Diwali is widely celebrated—it’s an important religious festival for Hindus, but is also observed among Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists—that it has no single origin story. But, while each religion has its own historical narrative behind the holiday, they all ultimately represent the victory of good over evil. Diwali is observed on the 15th day of the Kartik month as per the Hindu Lunar calendar.
This year the festival of Deepavali started on Thursday, November 4, 2021 and lasted for 5 days. For Indians, Diwali is a celebration of togetherness and faith. By lighting Diyas (lamps), they pray to eliminate darkness from our lives and welcome positivity, prosperity, wealth and good luck for the future. However, Diwali is not just about lighting Diyas. It’s an opportunity to open hearts and assist the less fortunate in society.
In 2019, Blue Hen Bounty (BHB) was fortunate to receive a large donation from a high school student who did a food collection as part of their celebration. They did so with with the support of Diwali Food Drive. This year, another two high school students reached out, through the same organization, wanting to support BHB: Tejasvi Pathipati and Arin Nukiranti.
These youths, and their fathers and siblings came on Wednesday morning with a SUV full of non-perishables. They were very interested in knowing what was on the patrons’ wish list, and learning more about how the bounty is publicized. They enjoyed the experience and will be doing more service like this in the future. The relationship between BHB and Diwali Food Drive will continue.
It’s of note that since the last Diwali Food Drive donation in 2019, both their organization and the Blue Hen Bounty have grown despite a global pandemic that has slowed down almost everything else. BHB has literally doubled in size, as has the number of universities that Diwali Food Drive works with. The number of people experiencing food insecurity has also grown during this crazy time, and it is amazing that with all of the volunteer restrictions and social distancing, both groups have boldly stepped up to give comfort and dignity to their neighbors in need.