Feeding the Homeless in Brazil: TPRF Grants in Action

Photo of smiling volunteer in new kitchen that feeds the homeless in Brazil and was built with a grant from The Prem Rawat Foundation

Cultural Center Now Nourishing Bodies and Minds

Can you imagine making 1,000 lunch boxes a day?

That’s what Bibli-ASPA did on Day 3 of opening their kitchen after vital funding to feed the homeless and hungry from The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF).

TPRF staff and volunteers are proactive in reaching out to communities around the world that are in serious and urgent need of aid. Conversely, those communities may also reach out to TPRF. After assessing the possibility of partnering with a vetted organization in that community, TPRF may provide funding in the form of a humanitarian aid grant.

Bibli-ASPA Cultural Center in São Paulo Brazil is a recipient of such humanitarian aid grants and has received $26,000 to date. TPRF earmarked the funds for building a new kitchen to serve more meals to those in need in its community.

Watch the 5-minute video below to hear from some of the locals behind the success of this project!

TPRF: Helping Other Nonprofits Help More

Bibli–ASPA, a nonprofit that originally provided a language center and library for refugees, started offering free food to feed the homeless and those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, it realized the huge demand for meal services. Consequently, the nonprofit sought help in expanding such services.

With the grant from TPRF it built a new kitchen that has been able to feed far more people and has been able to serve 1,000 meals a day. In addition to offering those meals at the kitchen facility, it distributes them and provides support to refugees, those without homes and people without employment.

Here are some photos of the kitchen from construction to full swing!

Photo of the construction of a kitchen to feed the homeless in Brazil that was funded by a grant from The Prem Rawat Foundation

Construction of the Kitchen in its Early Stage

A vision becoming a reality

A photo of a man painting the outside of a new kitchen to feed the homeless in Brazil that was funded by The Prem Rawat Foundation

Painter Works on the Kitchen Exterior Wall

Paint this bright and white shines lots of light!

Photo the completed new kitchen that was built with TPRF grant to help feed homeless in Brazil

Interior of Kitchen

Shiny, new and ready to serve!

Photo of the completed kitchen to feed the homeless in Brazil as it appears from the lovely courtyard

Courtyard and Front Exterior of the Kitchen

Eat and greet in a courtyard of caring

Photo of people learning to cook in the new kitchen in Brazil that was built with a grant from The Prem Rawat Foundation

Kitchen Staff Training Session

Taste testing – a must for quality control!

Photo of a happy cook showing a tray of bread rolls he made in a new kitchen built from a grant by The Prem Rawat Foundation

A Cook Shows His Baking Skill

Happy cook is on a roll…

This wonderful project termed “Solidarity Kitchen School,” was set up initially to provide culinary job training to participants while it fed the hungry. Surprisingly, the kitchen has now also become a source of employment for those who have received the meals.

This funnel of opportunity is described in the video above by Stela Spozino, president of Bibli-ASPA.

“The people who were on the street are the ones who cook, the ones who work with us,” says Stela.

Militino Souza who is the head of the kitchen, shares his enthusiasm for his work as he explains how the organization’s imperative has evolved.

“Our mission here is not just cooking. Our mission is to educate people,” confirms Souza.

A Powerful Cycle: Receiving – Giving – Receiving Again

Eliana Costa originally came to the kitchen to receive food. After being given meals from Bibli-ASPA, Eliana says she had the feeling of “Wow, I wish I was doing more.”

Eliana now works as a cook in the kitchen and feels the satisfaction of helping others.

Photo of nutritious food for the homeless in Brazil made possible by grants from The Prem Rawat Foundation

The Prem Rawat Foundation – Serving The Food for People Program Since 2006

TPRF opened its inaugural Food for People facility in Ranchi, India in 2006, going on to expand the program with facilities in Nepal and Ghana. To date, over 5.2 million meals have been distributed to disadvantaged communities in these countries, and the program has grown to include computer training and other educational opportunities that help people break the cycle of poverty. Health has improved, school enrollment and achievement have skyrocketed, crime has dropped, and local economies have started to bloom.

TPRF also provides grants for humanitarian aid as a response to natural disasters and emergencies. Recent grants that have been given include $400,000 to relieve some of the suffering of Ukrainian refugees and civilians still in Ukraine. This amount was dispersed between the humanitarian organizations Cesvi and World Central Kitchen. Other TPRF grants have provided a total of $375,000 in food, shelter, medical care and other necessities to help victims of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

Thank you to the generous donors and their kind support. With your vital help TPRF is able to have a huge, meaningful and timely impact on people in need around the world.