Whenever the building is open, the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple on the southern edge of Spanish Fork has a buffet available for anyone who needs a meal.
"That's basically our policy worldwide, that no one within 10 miles of our temple should go hungry," said temple vice president Caru Das.
That policy is the reason the Hare Krishna Food for Life program distributes meals to people who need it. While the organization brings meals to people every day of the year, the number of Hurricane Katrina victims needing food has caused an surge in the services. Das said the temple in Spanish Fork is raising money to send to the national organization and will match every dollar it receives until the Festival of India Sept. 17.
"What inspires us to do what we do is not only feelings of humanitarianism, but the food that we give to people is consecrated in our temple," he said, adding Krishnas believe that by doing this, they are nourishing the soul as well as the body.
About $500 have been raised since Monday, when the program was started. Das hopes to raise several thousand dollars, which is about what they raised for the tsunami in Southeast Asia last year and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City.
www.newutah.com
