Guru Nanak Free Kitchen Serves Christmas Meal To Iraqi Refugees

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SURREY – Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen (GNFK) delivered Christmas meals to the Chaldean Christian community, mostly refugees from war torn Iraq, were recipients of over 500 hot meals and drinks as well as 400 Christmas toys.

The Chaldean Christian Community is a ethnic community primarily from Iraq, most have arrived via the Canadian Government’s Humanitarian Programme due to its severe persecution in Iraq.

The communal meal (Guru ka Langar) was cooked at Sukh Sagar Gurdwara New Westminster during the day.  Volunteers of all faiths took part, in a local veteran run Aboriginal group.

GNFK Cooking Coordinator, Kiran Toor was surprised with the turnout:  “this is what multi-culturism in Canada is all about, everyone pitched in, from cutting onions, carrots to washing huge cooking pots.”

Another core volunteer, Sarabjit Singh commented:  “to have a federal minister cooking for more than 2 hours with GNFK is unheard of.  Many thanks to Minister Jason Kenney, whose arrival at the kitchen was a surprise, and even more surprising was his cooking skills, he must be a cook as his second job.”

At the dinner event, hosted by St Matthews Church 16079 88th Avenue, Surrey, it was great to see communities embracing and dancing together.

Organisers of GNFK hope to make this an annual event.

Navneet Bains, GNFK Volunteer commented, “our primary focus is to feed those in need, which we do every Sunday in Downtown Eastside and Whalley Surrey as well as the First United Church on Hastings St Vancouver, but we have expanded so much recently we have added more events due to mainly the generosity of the volunteers.  We don’t ask for financial donations but merely certain food items.  The Chaldean Christian community has suffered so much in Iraq, but this is what matters Canada great, we can all pull together to help those in need.” Another volunteer, Gurpreet Chana added: “I love serving with GNFK at these kind of events, we have no hidden agendas, we just love to serve Guru Nanak’s way.”