Serving at the Ronald McDonald House: Houston, TX
We began our Sai service in Hershey, PA, by hosting devotional sessions at home, providing a warm and caring space for everyone. The sessions filled our house with devotional music while food was served that was consecrated by prayers. Every session brought us closer to each other and refreshed us with the profound realization that we are inter-connected and part of a larger whole. But we yearned to follow Sathya Sai’s directives to go beyond our circle of devotees to serve those in the community who were in need.
In 2013, we realized the fulfillment of our wishes; our prayers were answered in the form of a meaningful service project with the Ronald McDonald House of Charities (RMHC), a project that became very close to our hearts. Each month, the Sai group began to cook fresh food and serve about 80-100 guests.
In 2021, we moved to Houston and based on our previous experience with Sai devotees in Hershey, we understood the importance of developing connections and support within Sai community members in order to develop meaningful impactful service.
When we first arrived in Houston, we were eager to connect with the Ronald McDonald House of Charities (RMHC) but faced continued challenges due to the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, RMHC open the doors to possible service opportunities. With love and determination, our family began preparing and serving a nourishing dinner to about 80-100 individuals, much-needed relief in times of health crises. The experiences revitalized our energies and reaffirmed our resolve to share these service opportunities with a larger group of Sai devotees in Houston. The mission of the Ronald McDonald House of Charities eloquently resonates with Sai Baba's call to "Love All, Serve All." Their mission statement below further motivated us to serve:
"To provide lifeline services that bridge the gaps, serve families, and heal when children need medical attention. We are fiercely dedicated to a world where all families have access to the resources necessary to achieve the best possible healthcare outcomes for their children."
With renewed determination, we offered fresh-cooked food and began to coordinate support from the Sai community so that the spirit of service might expand in Houston. With this mission, we approached the Sai Center President, and described our vision of serving RMHC as a cooperative endeavor. With the assistance of committed volunteers, our project to cook for the house guests at RMHC picked up pace. The outcome was truly more than we could have imagined. Our volunteer roster swelled over time. Sai devotees flocked to our aid in large numbers to contribute fresh groceries and help with preparation, serving, and cleaning whenever we were fortunate to serve guests at RMHC.
The devotees serving the meals embraced their roles wholeheartedly, relishing the time spent with guests and their families. This shared experience reemphasized the joy of giving and taught lessons in empathy, humility, and community spirit. It opened new channels of compassion that touched the volunteers profoundly, and brought a sense of gratification and a commitment to serving others.
For both of us (Raj and I), reaching out to those in need was a profound transformation from self-centeredness to selfless service. Now, we find immense joy in expanding these opportunities for our Sai families to engage in service, helping expand its impact tenfold. The small acts of kindness, with the expansion of volunteers, have grown in magnitude and impact over time, easing the burden of those in crisis, while bringing meaningful joy to those who serve. We are grateful to Sathya Sai Baba for leading us to this meaningful project and given us this opportunity to experience the joy of expansion of service through collaboration and support of the Sai community.