...[T]he Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church of Saratoga Springs, Temple Sinai, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Rotterdam Junction — are serving up their second annual interfaith dinner featuring Indian/Pakistani and American food.
Source/Credit: Times Union
By Staff report | May 17, 2012
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Finding common ground is a worthwhile strategy for just about any effort.
It's doubly so for people of different faiths and international disaster relief efforts.
To do it by tapping into people's love of good food is a surefire crowd pleaser that makes the process that much smoother.
A case in point is the uniting of local Christians, Jews and Muslims to raise funds for ShelterBox USA, which delivers emergency shelter supplies to people devastated by disasters around the world.
On Sunday, three local congregations — the Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church of Saratoga Springs, Temple Sinai, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Rotterdam Junction — are serving up their second annual interfaith dinner featuring Indian/Pakistani and American food.
The main courses, served with rice and vegetables, are chicken tikka masala (grilled tandoori chicken in curry sauce) and chicken divine (also chicken in curry sauce, but more suited to an American palate). Sweet treats include mango lassi (a yogurt smoothie) and assortment of homemade cookies, including oatmeal-raisin-nut, chocolate chip, gluten-free and nut-free selections.
Those pastries are the literal manifestation of the metaphor for interfaith understanding.
"Breaking bread together makes all the difference," said Samin Khan of Albany, one of the organizers of the event and other programs throughout the year, such as one of Ramadan and fasting and a blood drive called Muslims for Life, which will take place again this year in September.
"When we come together, we get rid of stereotypes. The walls come down," said Khan. Born in Pakistan, she grew up in Norway, came to Buffalo with her husband shortly after 9/11, moved to Watertown and settled in Albany in 2007.
ShelterBoxes contain supplies for an extended family of up to 10 people for six months, providing them with a tent, blankets, water purifier, cooking and heating stove, eating and cooking utensils and tools. Each box costs $1,000.
Last year we were able to purchase three ShelterBoxes," said Linda Letendre of Saratoga Spring, another organizer, who noted that the international organization lets donors track their boxes. She knows that the local contribution wound up in a place that clearly needs all the aid it can get.
'Ours went to Somalia," she said.
Diet for a small planet
- What: Interfaith fundraising dinner
- Where: Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church, 24 Circular St., Saratoga Springs
- When: 5-7 p.m. Sunday, May 20
- Cost: $10; $7 for children and $30 for a family (2 adults and up to 4 children). Seating is continuous for dine in and take out is available.
- Tickets: Can be purchased by calling Linda Letendre @ 584-0902 or Samin Khan 542-5801.
Information: www.shelterboxusa.org
Read original post here: Save the Date: Interfaith meals give shelter
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