The Telegraph on March 7, 2008 reported that Mrs Michele Obama, The First Lady surprised diners by serving up lunch at Miriam’s Kitchen in Washington DC (a few blocks away from White House) which has been serving warm meals to the homeless for 26 years.
”There is a moment in time when each and every one of us needs a helping hand,” she said after leaving the serving station. ”Miriam’s Kitchen has become a place where so many people have been able to find that helping hand.”
I was personally touched by her gesture which is more Gandhian in nature. In fact the fruits and vegetables for the Lunch came from White-house garden. I was remembering the days when volunteers from Vivekananda Kendra (led by Mr Anil Batra) in Delhi used to serve food in many orphanages near Delhi with vegetables grown in President’s Estate during the tenure of former President Mr. R Venkataraman; the then First Lady Mrs Janaki Venkataraman used to take personal interest in the activity.
With people in power directly “connecting” to the men & women on the street, particularly the needy ones, the positive energy generated could have a sobering effect particularly in bad times (like the current economic turmoil in USA)
One more feather in the cap of President Obama
One hopes that other world leaders get inspired by Mrs Obama
Tags: President Obama, Mrs. Michelle Obama, USA, First Lady, serving food to the poor, Miriam's kitchen, First Lady in India, Mrs Venkataraman, President R Venkataraman
