Section 4: LIVING WITH GOODNESS - EXAMPLES
CARING FOR OTHERS
Nourishing Those in Need
Most of us worry more about what have or are going to receive than about how we can share what we have with others. This example reminds us which of these two alternatives in the most important.
My mother taught us if we have a little bit extra,
we must share and care for others.
Kazi Mannan
Becoming a Problem Solver
Today, people in the United States—and in dozens of countries around the world—face challenges to survive. There is hunger, poverty, and needs for better home conditions. Many people lack the resources to even maintain a basic lifestyle. But despite the magnitude of these circumstances, you and I can still do something to help. And even doing so in a small way brings hope to people in need.
In this real-life example, Kazi Mannan shows us how he used his resources—and his heart—to care for others and help them meet some of their daily needs.
Kazi Mannan grew up in poverty in Pakistan. Even though his family lived with few resources, he was taught to see the needs of others and do what he could to help. Mannan's mother would always provide food and shelter for people in need, even when the family themselves had very little.
When he arrived in the United States in 1996, Mannan had five dollars to his name. But that didn’t stop him from dreaming about what he could do. When he got a job working in a gas station in Washington, D.C., he saw homeless people searching through the dumpsters and nearby garbage cans for food—anything at all that would help keep them going. He told himself that if he ever realized his dream of opening a restaurant, he would try to make sure that he would help care for the people who were hungry.
Mannan stayed true to that personal promise. He eventually saved enough money to start a very small restaurant just blocks away from the White House. He renovated the space and opened his doors to the public in 2013. On that very same day, he also invited all of the homeless people he could find in for a free meal. He told them they could return any time they needed food. Now he has many homeless people that are regular guests—and are now his friends also.
His restaurant looks like your typical restaurant filled with paying customers at lunchtime. He serves an all-you-can-eat buffet of authentic Pakistani Indian food. Some people never realize that homeless people are also being served free of charge. In 2018, the restaurant served 16,000 free meals on top of the meals they served to paying customers.
When he first opened the restaurant, Kazi worried that his business wouldn’t be sustainable if he kept giving away food. But years later, he’s still going strong. And his caring is making a difference in helping people get back on their feet. He remembers the days when he didn’t have money to buy something good to eat, and he uses what he remembers to help motivate him to make a difference for others today.
We Can Find a Way to Show We Care
Caring comes in many forms. We may not have the resources to feed as many people as Kazi is doing. But we all have something we can do to show others that we care. We can make sandwiches at the church’s weekly dinner for those in need. We can volunteer at a food bank or a shelter to help in some way. We can mentor someone or tutor a friend or younger child. Alone, we can’t solve all of the world’s problems. But if we each of us does our share, our caring can go a long way in making life better for many people. And, doing so will make your life better as well.
This is my home, and I feel that I should participate in the community.
Sharing my food with others is a joy.
Kazi Mannan
Questions/Discussion Points
1.
Who do you know that shows they care for others in some special way?
What specifically do they do for others?
2.
How have you incorporated caring for others into your long-term plans?
3.
What are some ways that you can care for others right now—with the resources you already have?