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'For the community, by the community': Regina's Sikh community helping fight food insecurity

Volunteers from the Guru Nanak Free Kitchen in Regina unloading food for those in need. The organization, courtesy of Regina's Sikh community, has been providing food to those in need for the past seven years. (Hallee Mandryk/CTV News) Volunteers from the Guru Nanak Free Kitchen in Regina unloading food for those in need. The organization, courtesy of Regina's Sikh community, has been providing food to those in need for the past seven years. (Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)
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Regina's Sikh community has been helping feed those less fortunate in Regina for over seven years.

The Guru Nanak Free Kitchen hands out food on the corner of Dewdney Avenue and Angus Street frequently throughout the year.

According to Guru Nanak's director and spokesperson, Ham Juttla, the group has enough food to serve up to 8,000 people.

"It's amazing, people are just people are so appreciative that they [say] thank you. They say this, that and the other because there's no limit. You can take all you want," Juttla said.

"So, they are very happy. I mean, we as a community, we are very happy."

The group is made up of volunteers in Regina's Sikh community, but the team serves everyone.

"They can take whatever they want to take. So once again, I would like to emphasize that all human beings belong to one race. We do not talk about our religion here. We talk about food." Juttla said.

The Guru Nanak Free Kitchen operates year-round, no matter the weather or temperature.

Organizers say that they’ve noticed demand for food increasing in recent years.

The rising demand makes the dedication of the kitchen’s volunteers even more important – as without them – the program would not be possible.

"Last Sunday we had a line up, for almost a kilometer and a half, about 3,000 people," Juttla recalled.

"Even today ... we have fed a lot of people here and they will still be coming ... The backbone of our operation is volunteers. Volunteers from our community. We totally believe that this project is for the community and by the community."

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