Thousands of Santa Clara County residents celebrate Diwali every fall by creating colorful rangoli designs and eating traditional dishes with family. One local group takes the holiday spirit a step further by collecting thousands of pounds of food for those who need it most.
The Bay Area chapter of Sewa Diwali, part of national nonprofit Sewa International, is gathering nonperishable food donations until Nov. 10 for local food banks. The food drive is part of an annual tradition more than 100 volunteers participate in countywide to fight hunger near Diwali. The celebration, recently recognized by Gov. Gavin Newsom as a state holiday, is observed for five days by people practicing Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. It falls between Oct. 18 and 23 this year, during Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month.
Sewa Diwali promotes selfless service during Diwali as a Hindu tenet. Last year, it collected and donated 37,500 pounds of food to pantries in cities in the Central Valley and Bay Area where many South Asian residents live, including Santa Clara, San Jose, Sunnyvale and Cupertino. Organizers and volunteers said the effort gives back to the community while strengthening cultural pride.
Mahadesha Swamy, who leads the Bay Area teams as a national coordinator, said he participates for a reason — he knew what hunger was growing up and went without meals…