Dear ones,

Sharing wishes for 2025 to all !

You are invited to a Sunday morning of kindness, connection and reflection, where we experiment and experience kindness and connection.

Date : Jan 4th, 2025, Sunday
Time : 9.45 am to 11.45 am
Venue : Ghatkopar East (Detailed venue given at the end of this email)

Google Maps https://goo.gl/maps/g89wKehnBriL3kFU6?coh=178573&entry=tt  
RSVP :  https://pod.servicespace.org/circle/16479/join or just whatsapp msg +91 98202 56689 or +91 97687 74007 and we shall send the location et al details.

Usually we make some food preparation (non-gas based cooking) along with some lemonade and then walk out to the streets to offer the dish to passersby, making a conversation with the people, we otherwise refer to as "strangers." It is our excuse to reach out to those we usually tend to blur out of our routine lives, share a smile and seed a thought of kindness in their hearts. It may also involve some other ways to engaging in kind acts. 

This circle is open for all, including and especially for kids of all age. You do not need to carry anything in particular. Food will be arranged at the venue.

Looking forward to creating some kindness masti together :)

Mumbai Awakin Community
 
***

A short account of what a volunteer shared on one such Acts of Kindness drives :

"Usually we make groups of 3-4 people to distribute whatever we have made (nimboo paani, chutney sandwich, cut fruits etc). On on a volunteer's suggestion, this time we made groups of 2 so we could engage in deeper conversations with the people whom we met. In reflection circle, stories stumbled out :) Participants shared how just in 45 min, hitherto unknown faces now had names, and stories.. those whom we spoke to invited us to visit their homes - from Pratapgarh in UP to a grand parent couple who invited our 6 year olds to their home as they were missing their 5-year old grandson based in the US. Amongst us we met daily wage workers, municipal street cleaners, cake shop workers, security guards, mandap decorator labourers, to business men, grand moms visiting their dear ones et al. One volunteer shared that he passes by this particular tailor shop for a decade+ . A month or two back, he approached this tailor on one of the Acts of Kindness drives and offered some nimboo paani - and now almost every few days he passes the shop, they exchange a friendly wave at each other :) - an everyday, ordinary yet "touch of god" ripple. So, such small stories, connecting to each other in a tendril weave. It was beautiful"

It would be interesting to understand how our hearts process this experiment and share our reflections before we get back to our Sunday routines.