Food for Life, a humanitarian organization run by devotees of Krishna, has so far provided tens of thousands of meals to people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

At first, we provided meals for thousands of Indian college students, and then our focus shifted to the elderly, mothers, and young children fleeing eastern and central Ukraine. Often, only the female members of the family and their children under the age of 18 are able to cross the Hungarian border; although aid organizations and the government provide comprehensive support for them, they still feel as though they are arriving in a state of uncertainty and a void, since they’ve had to leave behind a lifetime’s work. Their children’s education and care remain uncertain for now; they can barely obtain their medications or the foods they’re accustomed to, and every comfort in their lives has been lost. The new arrivals share painful, tear-filled stories with us; they are worried not so much about the hardships awaiting them, but rather about the safety of the family members and friends they left behind in Ukraine. By early March, more than 2 million refugees had fled Ukraine.

We are currently distributing food at refugee reception centers that were previously used for other purposes—yoga studios, child welfare facilities, nursing homes, dormitories, hotels, or even parish halls. They are now providing shelter to families passing through for a few nights. Our food distribution along the border is a key focus, carried out primarily by our office in Eger, which provides 300 hot meals daily; however, from time to time, our kitchen in Budapest also serves the needs of those arriving at border crossings.

In addition to our daily food assistance program, which provides more than 2,000 meals and supplementary items each day to Hungarians in need, we also prepare an additional 500–2,000 meals a day for refugees, depending on demand. Every afternoon, we welcome those arriving in Budapest by train with hot meals at both the Keleti and Nyugati train stations. A bowl of hot food warms the tired bodies and spirits of those who have been traveling for days. These days, the early-morning frosts make the journey particularly difficult, as do the hours-long waits—whether at the border, during registration, or while purchasing tickets. These are trying situations, and a bowl of warm, easily digestible, hot vegetable stew gives people the strength they need.

Over the past two weeks, we have visited Tiszabecs and Záhony on several occasions; we have delivered food to Transcarpathia and met the specific needs of several shelters in Budapest and Debrecen, including requests regarding the menu.

In the coming weeks, we will be working to deliver large quantities of food supplies to Ukrainian Krishna devotees—while maintaining our current program—who are also helping the local population in need by organizing food distributions at shelters, hospitals, underpasses, and train stations.

At the same time, Ukrainian refugees who are also members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and practitioners of the nonviolent philosophy of life known as Vaishnavism have arrived in our country. So far, a total of 90 Ukrainian Krishna devotees have traveled through our country; currently, 60 are staying with us, and we expect more than 30 additional refugees in the near future, We are providing lodging and full support at our temple centers and in the homes of our congregation members.

Here's how you can support our work:
Food for Life Foundation
Bank account number: MKB 10300002-10631840-49020019
www.eteltazeletert.hu

Account holder: Food for Life Foundation
IBAN HU55 1030 0002 1063 1840 4902 0019
BIC/SWIFT code: MKKB HU HB
Online Help www.fflhungary.com