Food For Life (Vegan Hunger-Relief Charity)

FOOD FOR LIFE GLOBAL
Media Kit
Food for Life Global was founded in 1995 in Washington DC to serve as the headquarters and coordinating
office for Food for Life projects worldwide.
Mailing: P.O. Box 471, Riverdale, NY 10471 USA

Director: Paul Rodney Turner
Email: contact@ffl.org
Ph: 301 987 5883
© 2010 Food for Life Global. All rights reserved. Current as of November 2010
Food for Life Global was founded in 1995 in Washington DC to serve as the headquarters and coordinating office.
Background Headquarters
FOOD FOR LIFE is a nonprofit organization, bringing 10310 Oaklyn Drive, Potomac, MD 20854 USA
food and life to the needy of the world through the liberal Mailing: P.O. Box 59037, Potomac, MD 20859 USA
distribution of pure plant-based meals. The project started
in 1974 when an elderly Indian swami, Srila Prabhupada, Board of Directors
implored his yoga students not to allow anyone within a Paul Rodney Turner
ten mile radius of his ashram to go hungry. The program Michael Grant
grew quickly, and today Food for Life is active in over 50 Wendy Walker
countries worldwide.
Our Goals
Over 1,500,000 meals served daily!
• To provide vegan meals to the disadvantaged,
Volunteers serve more than 1,500,000 free meals daily to malnourished and victims of disaster (natural or
schools for the poor, orphanages; on the streets of major manmade), wherever there is a need in the world.
cities, and to disaster areas, making FOOD FOR LIFE the • To establish Food for Life Education centers
largest vegan food relief in the world. throughout the world. These centers will provide
free or inexpensive vegan meals, counseling, yoga,
Community Based and survival skills training.
Food for Life Global volunteers represent a wide cross- • To establish Rural Academies for Youth (“Food for
section of society. Food for Life Global is a non-sectarian Life R.A.Y. of Hope"), whereby youth are trained in
organization and so everyone is welcome to participate in sustainable agriculture centered on spiritual values.
our community projects. • To produce promotional and training materials for
the development of Food for Life projects
Facts about Food for Life worldwide.
• More than 900 million plant-based meals served • To represent Food for Life to the government,
since 1974 media and public through public lectures,
• Projects in more than 50 countries newspaper articles, the Internet, and through mail.
• Services include: food relief, schooling, nutrition • To promote a food culture of hospitality based on
education, animal sanctuaries, orphanages, spiritual equality
medical care, organic farming, housing and • To raise funds on behalf of Food for Life projects
disaster response. worldwide and to support them with small grants
• Meals served by Food for Life projects cost on • To coordinate and sponsor emergency relief efforts
average: 15 – 20 cents each conducted by Food for Life volunteers
• No meat, fish, or eggs are used in any meals.
• Majority of staff are volunteers NELSON MANDELA: “Another important building block
for new democracy is the love and goodwill we show to
each other. That is the spirit of Masakhane, of bringing one
another together. It is also the spirit of Food for Life.”
TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OR TO VOLUNTEER GO TO: WWW.FOODFORLIFE.ORG

Call: 301-987-5883 or Email: secretary@ffl.org Tax id: 52-195-2901
Mid-Day Meal Program provides daily hot meals for school children throughout India. Recognizing the
relationship between two of India’s most pressing problems—hunger and education—the service seeks to
disrupt the vicious cycle that emerges: education is the long-term solution to poverty and hunger, but
education is lost on starving children. Currently serving more than 1,000,000 school-aged children in a well
organized, strategic program, the program has received numerous accolades from the media and government.
Gokulam-Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home is a refuge for orphaned children in Sri Lanka, providing physical,
spiritual, and emotional nurturing and education in an atmosphere of hope and healing. With the care they
receive at Gokulam, destitute children gain the self confidence, determination, and integrity to enter adulthood
as productive and successful world citizens. In response to a never-ending need exacerbated by the
devastating tsunami of December 2004, plans are underway to expand Gokulam’s capacity (currently 120
children) to accommodate 250 children in the near future.
Working Villages International is building a Gandian village in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which by
its completion will provide nearly all of the daily necessities for its projected population of 5,000 to 7,000
inhabitants. This village will operate under the varnashrama social structure. The project plans to build a self-
sufficient agrarian community following a Gandian Social model. The project has already demonstrable
success and is currently the largest rice producer in the entire country.
Food for Life Vrindavan (FFLV) is a humanitarian association officially recognized by the Indian government.
For the last ten years, FFLV has provided basic needs and essential services to the poorest of the poor through
a variety of social programs, including food and clothing distribution, basic medical assistance, and training
for women, water delivery, environmental projects, and education.
Care for Cows in Vrindavan (India), a branch of Food for Life Vrindavan, supports abandoned cows, bulls,
retired oxen, and orphaned calves. International volunteers provide stray cows with hay, flour, fresh grass,
medical attention, and a place where they can recuperate from injuries. Because of limited resources, Care for
Cows presently hosts a herd of 90, although there are 300 to 400 cows in need of support.
COTTAGE (Children Of The Tsunami—Arts, Gifts, and Education) is a visionary project developed to
support the expansion of the Children’s Home through the marketing of artwork created by the children of
Gokulam. Art as therapy provides a creative outlet for overwhelming emotions that are often hard to
verbalize. The artwork of the Gokulam orphans offers a brilliant look into the poignant experiences endured
by these children. By marketing the children’s artwork in greeting cards produced by COTTAGE, Gokulam
hopes to raise $250,000 in 2006 to pay for land, new dormitories and a new school building.
Nelson Mandela
“Another important building block for new democracy is the love and goodwill we show to each other. That is
the spirit of Masakhane, of bringing one another together. It is also the spirit of today’s festival organized by
FOOD FOR LIFE.”
Salambek Hadjiev (Former Prime Minister of Chechnya)

“I pray that your FOOD FOR LIFE program will expand to bring about a peaceful world.”
Arlen Specter (United States Senate)

“I congratulate you for your fine achievements on behalf of the homeless . . . FOOD FOR LIFE’s success in
providing housing, food, and social services has long attracted the attention of this office.”
Susan Tydings Frushour (Red Cross)

“Many people were in tears to see the efforts of the FFL volunteers. Many of those who received it commented
that it was the "best food they have had in a long time, even before the hurricane hit!"
Bob Carr (Premier, New South Wales, Australia)

“The commitment of FOOD FOR LIFE goes beyond the need for the basic necessities of life; it is a commitment to
improve the quality of life.”
Thabo Mbeki (Former President of South Africa)

“FOOD FOR LIFE is the real Reconstruction and Development Programme. The understanding that if I have a
plate of food, let me share it with my neighbour . . . let those who are feeling sad come together with us, and
together we can share this burden. This understanding should be taken from FOOD FOR LIFE and transmitted to
the entire country.”
Zola Dowell (Program Coordinator OXFAM, Belgrade Serbia)

“As one of FOOD FOR LIFE’s supporters, OXFAM has witnessed firsthand the organization's activities and its
ability to reach vulnerable groups in a caring and respectful manner.”
Leland Montell (Country Director of the International Rescue Committee)

“On behalf of the IRC, I would like to compliment the efforts of FOOD FOR LIFE in providing fresh fruit,
vegetables, and prepared meals to some of the most vulnerable groups in Serbia.”
Hayley Mills (British actress)

“I am sure that in every city where there is a FOOD FOR LIFE program, the people would be very grateful for the
help they give—feeding hundreds and hundreds of people, that would otherwise cost the city a great deal.
And all the support, friendship, and counseling—it's hard to put a value on something like that.”
The New York Times
“...here they have a reputation like the one Mother Teresa has in Calcutta: it is not hard finding
someone to swear they are saints.”
Vegetarian Times
“... though it may not get top mention on the nightly news, FOOD FOR LIFE is among the world's most
intrepid relief organizations, in at least one case delivering food to a war-torn region after the Red
Cross and other agencies gave up.”
Financial Express India
“In Bangalore, Jaipur and other cities, Akshaya Patra (FOOD FOR LIFE) meals are cooked in the most
modern kitchens and good quality food is delivered to schools. Corporate bodies should also be
involved in this process by creating public-private partnerships like Akshaya Patra.” – Comments by
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Financial Times of London
“...while the Kremlin has been willing to spend trillions of rubles on its soldiers, only one Russian civic
organization has come to Chechnya to provide emergency aid for its often homeless and sometimes
starving compatriots – the Russian branch of FOOD FOR LIFE.”
The Indian Express
“Akshay Patra, which has support from Infosys, has taken MGR’s idea and made it into something that
could transform India in the next ten years if we could implement it nationwide.”
Police Gazette (Australia)
“The fact the police and the Food for Life organization are looking to work together ...... represents very
positive policing.”
Moscow Tribune
“The Food for Life cooks have established themselves as the chief emergency feeding program in war-
torn Chechnya.”
FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers, universally recognized for their selfless dedication, compassion, and bravery, can
be found wherever people are suffering, bringing hope and relief to the needy. The following is a partial, brief
list of the many relief efforts undertaken by FOOD FOR LIFE around the globe.
Chennai, India/Colombo, Sri Lanka – FOOD FOR LIFE, the first food relief agency to respond to the tsunami
disaster of December 2004, provided more than 350,000 freshly cooked meals, along with medical care, water,
clothing, and shelter.
Texas, USA – Food for Life was a first responder to survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, serving hot,
organic, vegan meals in Mississippi and throughout Texas.
Grozny, Chechnya — Regarding FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers in this war-torn country in 1995, a New York
Times reporter wrote, “... here they have a reputation like the one Mother Teresa has in Calcutta: it's not hard
finding someone to swear they are saint.”
Gujarat, India — After a devastating earthquake in 2001, more than 130 FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers, including
50 doctors and nurses, set up a temporary hospital and food distribution camps in the most devastated areas.
Nicaragua, Central America — After Hurricane Mitch in 1998, FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers provided freshly
cooked vegetarian meals daily to thousands of survivors.
Orissa, India — Following a disastrous cyclone in 1999 that left more than 1 million people homeless, FOOD
FOR LIFE brought food, water, blankets, clothes, and first aid to the needy.
Mozambique — In 2000, the biggest flood in Mozambique’s history left horrifying destruction in its wake,
with many stranded on rooftops and in trees. Food for Life was on the scene, bringing vegan stew by boat to
the villagers.
Prague, Czech Republic — Following the floods of 2002, FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers prepared vegetable stew in
the kitchen of a local school, serving hot meals to thousands of homeless people in the devastated area.
Wroclaw, Poland – In 1997, FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers served tens of thousands of people who were stranded
for two weeks after massive floods devastated most of Poland.
Mayapura, West Bengal —During the frequent floods in this region, FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers prepare hot
kichri (vegetable stew) in huge 200 gallon woks, and carry the food by boat to hungry and distressed villagers
waiting on rooftops.
Irkutsk, Siberia — When a huge Russian military transport plane crashed into an apartment block, FOOD FOR
LIFE volunteers provided more than 800 meals of porridge, stewed vegetables, fresh bread, and tea to victims
and rescue workers.
UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
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At the 2000 United Nations Millennium Summit, world leaders from 189 nations signed the Millennium
Declaration, a visionary document containing eight specific goals designed to end extreme poverty throughout
the world by the year 2015. Sharing the commitment of these nations to the Millennium Development Goals,
Food for Life and its affiliate programs are working hard to “free our fellow men, women and children from
the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty…” (Millennium Declaration)
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Every day, 800 million people go to bed hungry and 28,000 children die from poverty-related causes. Worldwide, 1.2
billion people live on less than $1 per day.
Food for Life has served more than 900 million hot, nutritious meals in more than 50 countries since its
inception. Every day, Food for Life affiliates distribute more than 1,500,000 free meals daily to needy people
worldwide.
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Around the world, 115 million school-aged children—56% of them girls and 94% of them in developing countries—
do not attend school.
Education provides the key to solving the root causes of hunger by empowering individuals to participate in a
society’s economy, but learning is virtually impossible when the pain of hunger is demanding attention. Food
for Life and its affiliate programs support education by providing not only schools and teachers, but also
nutritious meals to give the body and the mind the fuel to learn. FFL’s Midday Meal Programs in India, for
example, feeds more than 1,000,000 children every day in India.
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Two-thirds of illiterate people are women. Half of the 40 million HIV-positive people in the world are women, and
that proportion is growing. Women held only 15% of legislative seats national assemblies in 2003.
Food for Life recognizes the devastating effects of poverty on women. While women in developing countries
are traditionally responsible for food production, nutrition, family planning, health, and education, resources
are allocated primarily to men. Food for Life programs seek to lead women out of poverty and into self-
sufficiency by providing training and skills, as well as small business loans and cooperative savings programs.
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Over 11 million children under the age of five die each year, mostly from preventable diseases.
Food for Life cares for children not only by offering hot, nutritious meals through its direct food relief
programs, but also through projects such as the Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home (Gokulam). This refuge
provides food, shelter, medical care, and a full education for 130 orphaned and destitute children in a family
atmosphere. Gokulam has begun an expansion campaign to increase its capacity to accommodate 250 children.
The Millennium Development Goals (Continued)
Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Each year, over 500,000 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, and over 50 million suffer from
serious pregnancy-related illness and disability.
Food for Life’s distribution of balanced, nutritious vegan meals to needy women in developing countries helps
to improve maternal health by combating common nutritional deficiencies, such as anemia and Vitamin A
deficiency.
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Worldwide, 3.1 million people (including 510,000 children) died of AIDS in 2004, as well as 2 million from
tuberculosis and 1 million from malaria.
Nutritional support, health education, and medical services are all part of Food for Life’s efforts to fight
disease and promote health around the world through programs such as the Bhaktivedenta Hospital in India,
and Project Future Hope that is saving the lives of orphans in Kenya.
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Over 2.4 billion people lack access to proper sanitation facilities and one billion lack access to drinkable water. Some
two million children—6,000 a day—die every year from preventable infections spread by dirty water or improper
sanitation facilities.
Food for Life promotes environmental stewardship through education and action programs such as Trees for
Life, planting tree saplings in school playgrounds and teaching the school children the importance of
protecting and maintaining the environment. Furthermore, all of Food for Life’s food programs are completely
plant-based, providing a sustainable alternative to the environmental devastation caused by the meat industry.
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Many developing countries spend more on debt service than on social services. Monumental debt compounded by
high interest rates creates burdens from which these countries will never be free without aid and debt relief from
wealthy nations.
In addition to food distribution, Food for Life and its affiliate programs ease the burden by providing services
such as education, vocational training, and health care, building the skills and resources necessary to allow
people to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty. Contributions from generous donors allow
Food for Life to provide services at low cost or no cost to people in need.
The idea for Working Villages International (WVI) came about in 2004, when FFL volunteer, Alexander
Petroff, was studying economic development in rural east Africa, as part of a college study abroad program.
During an internship at the Namalu Ox Hire and Ox Training center in eastern Uganda, he took the
opportunity to visit nearby development projects in the area and study their varying effectiveness in helping
local people. In a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo in March of that year, Alexander fell in love with
the Ruzizi Valley in the eastern part of that country.
Working with Congolese friends he had met in Uganda, Alexander quickly saw Congo was an area of great
need, practically untouched by international aid efforts. In addition he felt that the Ruzizi Valley, specifically,
was the ideal location to implement Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of self-sufficient, sustainable development. A
village founded on Gandhian principles would be an important step forward.
There are very few places on Earth like the Ruzizi Valley. The average temperature remains around 80 degrees
Fahrenheit all year round. There is plentiful water, rich soil and four growing seasons. Ten years of brutal civil
war destroyed all this. The people of the Ruzizi Valley, in partnership with WVI have begun implementing an
innovative yet practical economic model of sustainable village development. They are literally building a
model village that will have full employment, private ownership of small farms and businesses, zero carbon
footprint, zero hunger, and 100% recycling. This project is a practical demonstration that it’s possible to
profoundly increase living standards in rural Africa without hampering local culture and ingenuity.
Since the project started in spring 2006, the once-abandoned land of Itarah is now full of productive activity
and lush crops. The enthusiastic WVI staff, led by expert agronomist and former UN officer, Fiston Malago,
have cultivated a large area, growing over 90 different varieties of crops.
In addition to the new headquarters, food storage facilities, a gazebo, kitchen buildings, showers and toilets
have been constructed. All of these buildings have been built in the traditional manner, using local materials
and local expertise. In preparation for the Ruzizi Valley’s short dry season, the workers completed an
irrigation network to supply water for thirsty crops. The harvests have been flourishing, and WVI’s goal of
food self-sufficiency is nearly complete. The fertile soil of Ruzizi has helped make the organic harvests of WVI
spectacular: corn 14 feet high, sunflowers three times the size of a man’s head, 12 pound cabbages, sweet and
delicious melons, a wide variety of other delicious vegetables and fruits. By the end of 2008, WVI produced
enough rice to feed 400,000 people!
GOKULAM-BHAKTIVEDANTA CHILDREN’S HOME
An Affiliate Project of FOOD FOR LIFE Global
In 1999, heartsick at the plight of the orphaned and destitute children of Sri Lanka, Nandarani Devi resolved to
do what she could to alleviate their suffering. She began by taking in 23 children and providing them with
food, clothing, and medical care. Soon, many generous donors came forward with contributions of land,
money, and labor to build a suitable children’s home with dormitories, classrooms, a large kitchen, gardens,
and play areas to accommodate 130 children. Thus, Nandarani’s humble vision grew into what is known today
as Gokulam-Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home.
HOLISTIC CARE
Beyond providing basic necessities, Gokulam’s dedicated staff help the children achieve the self confidence,
determination, and integrity to grow into adulthood as productive and successful world citizens.
• Physical Health – Children receive three full, balanced meals every day—a vegetarian diet prepared
according to strict nutritional and hygienic guidelines. Physical activities and regular exercise also
promote good health, along with the watchful care of medical professionals.
• Spiritual Health – The children of Gokulam learn to see each other, and all humans, as brothers and
sisters, regardless of background, ethnicity, or history. Gokulam’s non-sectarian approach teaches
universal spiritual values such as love, faith, unity, and respect for all religions.
• Emotional Health – The children who find refuge at Gokulam either have no family, or they have seen
their families devastated by civil war, poverty, and natural disasters. Here they receive unconditional love
and acceptance in a warm and welcoming family atmosphere.
• Education – The well rounded, progressive education offered at Gokulam includes technical/ vocational
training, recreation, and the arts, as well as academics. Courses, which are taught in three languages,
include both theoretical and experiential learning opportunities tailored to individual needs.
SUPPORT
The tsunami that struck Sri Lanka in December 2004 left many new orphans in its wake, compounding an
already desperate situation. In response to this growing need, Gokulam resolved to construct additional
buildings, with a goal of one day providing shelter for 250 children. To accomplish this ambitious expansion,
Gokulam-Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home relies on the generous contributions of donors like you. Perhaps
you will consider sponsoring a child. Your contribution of just a little more than a dollar a day will provide an
orphan with complete health care, a full education, nutritious meals, and a new “family” offering moral
guidance, emotional support, and unconditional love. Moreover, you will be sending a powerful message of
personal caring from you to your sponsored child. For more information visit www.gokulam.org .
COTTAGE: Children Of The Tsunami—Arts, Gifts, and Education
Background
Gokulam–Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home was established in 1999 to provide shelter, food, and clothing to the
orphaned and destitute children of Sri Lanka. After the devastating tsunami that struck Sri Lanka December
2004 left many new orphans in its wake, Gokulam began working feverishly to expand its facilities to
accommodate these children, with a goal increasing capacity from 75 to 250 children.
COTTAGE, which stands for Children of the Tsunami—Arts, Gifts, and Education, is a visionary project
developed to support the expansion of the Children’s Home through the marketing of artwork created by the
children of Gokulam.
How Does COTTAGE Help?

Art as therapy provides a creative outlet for overwhelming emotions that are often hard to verbalize. The
artwork of the Gokulam orphans provides a brilliant look into the poignant experiences endured by these
children. By marketing the children’s artwork through greeting cards produced by COTTAGE, Gokulam
hopes to raise $250,000 in 2006 to pay for land, new dormitories and a new school building.
With the funding generated by COTTAGE, Gokulam’s program can serve more children, promoting the
healing and self confidence that will enable them to become happy, healthy adults. In addition, the generous
individuals who support Gokulam by purchasing the orphans’ creations will enjoy a wonderful gift of
beautiful art, as well as the knowledge that they have made a meaningful contribution to the lives of
disadvantaged children by providing resources that will be used for education, nutrition, and health care.
Where Can I Find COTTAGE Cards?

COTTAGE cards are currently only available online. For more information about COTTAGE and how to order
sets, please visit www.cottageyouth.org
BHAKTIVEDANTA HOSPITAL
SERVING THE NEEDS OF BODY, MIND AND SOUL

In 1986, a group of doctors shared a dream: to bring quality health care at an affordable cost to impoverished
patients who would otherwise be denied medical treatment. From this collective vision, the Bhaktivedanta
Hospital was born. The seeds of the dream—traveling medical camps serving the area in and around
Maharashtra—initially took root as the seven-bed Sri Chaitanya Clinic, and eventually flowered into a state-of-
the-art, 130-bed hospital.
Today, Bhaktivedanta Hospital provides holistic health care to 1.5 million people, combining ultra-modern
medical practice with ancient alternative therapies. With a motto of “Serving in Devotion,” a board of trustees,
460 staff members and 100 consulting specialists are the driving force behind the hospital’s mission, offering a
wide variety of health services.
• 24-hour Emergency Medical Services, including professional EMS team, lifesaving equipment and an
intensive care ambulance.
• Free health check-ups, including screenings for cardiac risk, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cataract screening.
• A Department of Spiritual and Emotional Care to treat minds and souls along with bodies.
• A facility designed with wide-open space, good ventilation and effective use of natural light to facilitate
healing.
• Fully computerized, certified 24-hour pathology laboratory with a blood bank and component separation
unit.
• Computerized Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) to secure patient data and make critical
patient information available at all times.
• Five state-of-the-art surgical theaters.
• Sanctified, lacto-vegetarian diet served to patients and staff.
• 24-hour pharmacy serving the hospital as well as the medical emergencies of the surrounding community.
• Health Awareness lecture series.
Providing medical care is expensive. Bhaktivedanta Hospital relies on the generosity of donors like you to
continue its mission. For more information or to make a contribution, please visit:
www.bhaktivedantahospital.com
CARE FOR COWS IN VRINDAVAN
Care for Cows in Vrindavan (India), a branch of Food for Life Vrindavan, supports abandoned cows, bulls,
retired oxen, and orphaned calves. International volunteers offer their talents and resources to tend to the
neglected cows living in Krishna's holy land, providing stray cows with hay, flour, fresh grass, medical
attention, and a place where they can recuperate from injuries. At present, Care for Cows hosts a herd of 90.
The philosophy behind Care for Cows is simple. Cows and all other animals have souls and are dear to God,
and thus should be protected from slaughter and other violence at the hands of humans. Cows are also
respected as mothers because of their life-giving milk, which nurtures us.
Because a cow can give milk only after she has birthed a calf and because half of all calves are bulls, breeding
cows solely for milk production results in bovine overpopulation, which is expensive for the farmer and leads
to the slaughter of bulls for meat. Care for Cows advocates breeding cows to serve as farm oxen, laboring and
eating in the fields and providing natural fertilization.
There are approximately 300 to 400 abandoned cows in Vrindavan requiring accommodation. Unless they are
protected, they are destined to subsist on refuse, plagued by various debilitating and often terminal diseases,
and vulnerable to injury by careless motorists. Of even greater concern is the danger that the cows will be
abducted for slaughter by cattle rustlers. The present facility is full, and the need is urgent to acquire more
land for cow protection.
Care for Cows exists because of generous gifts from donors like you. Donations are used to acquire land, build
facilities, and feed and maintain the cows. For more information or to make a contribution, please visit
www.careforcows.org
JUST SOME OF THE MANY REASONS
Health
• A vegan diet has been shown to lower the risk for many chronic diseases, such as obesity, coronary artery disease,
high blood pressure, and diabetes, as well as cancer of the colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung and esophagus. A
plant-based diet eases symptoms of menopause and provides relief from several digestive ailments.
• According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 76 million people are affected by food-borne illness each year.
Although it’s possible for any food to be contaminated, the most frequent and severe cases of food-borne illness come
from meat and other animal products.
• Studies at Yale University and elsewhere have shown that anywhere from 5% to 30% of people diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s actually had Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), the human form of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
(BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease). While no smoking gun has yet been found to link Alzheimer’s to mad
cow disease, there is ample evidence that Alzheimer’s, CJD and BSE are similar in their origins and in progression.
Furthermore, according to Dr. Lawrence Broxmeyer of Med-America research, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is
three times greater for meat eaters than for those on a plant-based diet.
Environment
• Raising animals for meat consumes massive quantities of water. According to the article “How Our Food Choices can
Help Save the Environment,” by Steve Boyan, PhD (www.earthsave.org), eliminating just one pound of beef from
one’s diet can save as much water as one would save by avoiding showers entirely for six months!
• Runoff from factory farms containing chemicals and animal waste—one of the greatest threats to water quality
today—has polluted more than 173,000 miles of rivers and streams in the US (Environmental Protection Agency).
World Hunger
• Meat production is an expensive and inefficient use of food resources. According to John Robbins in Diet for a New
America, the grain required to feed livestock in America for one day is enough to provide very person on earth with
two loaves of bread.
Spirituality
• Switching to a plant-based diet is good for the soul as well as the body. In making the change, we forego our selfish
consumption of scarce resources in an effort to feed the world, and we condemn the cruel and inhumane practice of
raising animals in abhorrent conditions to feed our taste for meat.
It’s Easy
Nothing could be simpler than fresh fruits and vegetables from the earth’s bounty. And as we become more aware of the
negative impacts of a meat-based diet on the environment, personal health, and world hunger, vegan alternatives are
becoming more visible and widely available in the marketplace.
Food for Life Vrindavan (FFLV) is a humanitarian association officially recognized by the Indian government. For the last
ten years, FFLV has provided basic needs and essential services to the poorest of the poor in the area around Vrindavan.
Education
FFLV offers free education, meals and medical care for 800 of India’s poorest children at their Sandipani Muni School in
Vrindavan. The project has received numerous accolades from the Indian Government.
Basic medical assistance

Seven days a week, FFLV doctors provide free medical treatment to
approximately 200 people (mainly women and children) who otherwise have no
access to medical assistance.
Training courses for women

Although women are traditionally responsible for food production, nutrition,
family planning, health, and education, men are the primary recipients of
resources; women are exploited, illiterate, poverty stricken, and living in the most
unsanitary conditions. Providing women with training in skills that will lead to
self-sufficiency is FFLV’s highest priority.
Drilling for drinking water and constructing water tanks

For the past five decades, the water in the villages around Vrindavan has been contaminated with water so salty, even the
animals couldn’t drink it. Villagers were constantly ill. FFLV has brought sweet drinking water to 40,000 people in six
villages, and delivery to additional villages is in progress.
Assistance to the elderly and the disabled

The elderly and disabled are most susceptible to the suffering caused by extreme poverty, and widows are especially
vulnerable in a society where women have virtually no rights. FFLV takes special care of the defenseless.
Distribution of clothes
The Sandipani Muni School provides school uniforms and seasonally appropriate clothing to every child.
Environmental projects and education

FFLV maintains a tree nursery and an organic farm, distributing tree saplings, to villagers. FFLV plants tree saplings—
more than 3,000 to date!—in villages, school yards, and playgrounds, educating children about the importance of
protecting and maintaining the environment.
Providing primary school education for disadvantaged children

An educated child grows to become an integral part of the social fabric; his learning and skills shape the Nation. The
Sandipani Muni School provides children from the age of nine months with the tools and confidence they will need to
grow into adulthood as productive members of society
For more informationvisit: www.fflvrindavan.org
FOOD FOR LIFE MISSION, AIMS & OBJECTIVES
Food for Life's overall mission is: To bring about peace and prosperity in the world through the liberal
distribution of pure food prepared with love.
Food for Life projects span the globe and all have unique local aims and objectives. However, all Food for
Life projects will have the following underlying aims and objectives as part of their overall strategy.
Welfare: To provide pure vegan meals to the disadvantaged, malnourished and victims of disaster (natural
or manmade), wherever there is a need in the world.
Education: To establish Food for Life Education centers throughout the world. These centers will provide
free or inexpensive meals, counseling, yoga classes, and living skills training as taught in the Vedic tradition.
Youth Development: To establish Rural Academies for Youth (“Food for Life R.A.Y. of Hope"), whereby
people from the ages of 16-25 are trained in sustainable agriculture, yoga, cow protection and personal
wellness.
Non-Violence: To reduce the amount of animals slaughtered for food, by giving as many people as possible
the higher taste of pure vegan food.
Hospitality: To revive the ancient Vedic culture of hospitality, and to teach people by example, that there is
spiritual equality among all beings.
THE CULTURE OF HOSPITALITY
Is there anybody hungry? Please come to my home, my wife has prepared a meal. We have enough to feed 20 hungry men.
She has prepared the finest rice, curry, and puris (fried bread). I will not take my meal until I know that every man,
woman, and child is fed.
Such selfless gestures of hospitality were common in the village life of ancient India. The religious
householders of the Vedic times saw themselves as providers for all living beings, including the animals. No
creature was allowed to go without food during the pinnacle of Vedic civilization in India. This is the fertile
ground in which the seeds of Food for Life’s philosophy were sown.
THE MEANING OF HOSPITALITY
According to the Oxford Dictionary, hospitality is "a friendly and generous reception of guests or strangers." To
be hospitable, therefore, means to care and show respect for another being. It is a sincere expression of
appreciation, love, and humility. A person whose heart is filled with gratitude, magnanimity, and spirituality
is naturally hospitable.
It’s important to note that hospitality is not the same as entertaining, which is, unfortunately, the more common
approach today. When we entertain, we put all of our effort into the event—the appearance of the home, the
rich, high-calorie/low-nutrient food and refreshments, and seating and table settings. We judge the success or
failure of the event by such unimportant details as whether or not the soufflé fell or the ice ran out. In contrast,
hospitality focuses on the comfort and wellbeing of our guests, and our desire to freely share our home, the
nutritious, life-giving food we have prepared, and above all, us.
Some hosts put so much energy into preparations for entertaining that they have little left for their guests. By
the time the guests leave, the host is exhausted. Hospitality, on the other hand, is physically and spiritually
refreshing and nourishing. Simply put, entertaining comes from pride; hospitality comes from humility.
Hospitality does not distinguish based on species, race, caste, creed, or color; these differences are meaningless
from a spiritual perspective. Rather, hospitality welcomes all with loving warmth. For an example of profound
hospitality, see the story of King Rantideva on the Food for Life website (www.ffl.org ).
With roots in Indian culture, the Food for Life project is a modern day revival of the ancient Vedic culture of
hospitality. Since the beginning of recorded time, sharing of food has been a fundamental part of the civilized
world and in India, such hospitality was based on the understanding of the equality of all beings.
In 1974, an elderly Indian swami, Srila Prabhupada, shocked and saddened upon seeing a group of village
children fighting with street dogs over scraps of food, told his yoga students: “No one within ten miles of a
temple should go hungry . . . I want you to immediately begin serving food.” Hearkening to the swami’s plea,
Krishna devotees around the world were inspired to expand that original effort into a global network of free
food kitchens, cafes, vans, and mobile services, establishing daily delivery routes in many large cities around
the world.
FOOD FOR LIFE also provides food relief in times of natural and man-made disasters:
• In the war zone of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzagovina, FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers visited orphanages, homes for
the elderly, hospitals, institutes for handicapped children, and basement shelters on a daily basis
throughout the three-year conflict; an estimated 20 tons of food have been distributed since 1992.
• When an earthquake devastated Latur, India, in 1993, FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers drove 300 kilometers to
be on the scene within hours, supplying 52,000 meals, clothing, and medical supplies to distressed
villagers.
• FOOD FOR LIFE’s most valiant efforts in war-torn Grozny, Chechnya were noted in a New York Times article
(December 12, 1995) that stated: “Here, [FOOD FOR LIFE volunteers] have a reputation like the one Mother
Teresa has in Calcutta: it’s not hard finding people to swear they are saints.”
FOOD FOR LIFE was the first food relief agency to respond to the tsunami disaster of December 2004.
• Volunteers in Sri Lanka and India provided more than 350,000 freshly cooked meals during the months
immediately following the tsunami, along with medical care, water, clothing, and shelter.
All food prepared and distributed by FOOD FOR LIFE is sanctified, a term rooted in Hindu tradition. People of all
faiths, however, are familiar with the spiritual practices of thanksgiving and offering to God the first of the
earth’s yield. The meals provided by Food for Life thus nourish both body and soul.
Today, Food for Life has emerged as the world’s largest vegan food relief program with thousands of
volunteers in over 50 countries providing hundreds of millions of free meals since 1974. For more information,
please visit www.ffl.org

Food For Life (Vegan Hunger-Relief Charity)

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FOOD FOR LIFE GLOBAL

Mailing: P.O. Box 471, Riverdale, NY 10471 USA

TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OR TO VOLUNTEER GO TO: WWW.FOODFORLIFE.ORG

Salambek Hadjiev (Former Prime Minister of Chechnya)

Arlen Specter (United States Senate)

Susan Tydings Frushour (Red Cross)

Bob Carr (Premier, New South Wales, Australia)

Thabo Mbeki (Former President of South Africa)

Zola Dowell (Program Coordinator OXFAM, Belgrade Serbia)

Leland Montell (Country Director of the International Rescue Committee)

Hayley Mills (British actress)

Financial Express India

Financial Times of London

The Indian Express

Police Gazette (Australia)

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

How Does COTTAGE Help?

Where Can I Find COTTAGE Cards?

SERVING THE NEEDS OF BODY, MIND AND SOUL

Basic medical assistance

Training courses for women

Drilling for drinking water and constructing water tanks

Assistance to the elderly and the disabled

Environmental projects and education

Providing primary school education for disadvantaged children

For more informationvisit: www.fflvrindavan.org

THE MEANING OF HOSPITALITY

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