For the past four years, Jesbir Kaur Dhaliwal and her friends have dropped by the homeless encampments near downtown Fresno once a month to distribute food. They started off with Indian dishes, but have since expanded their selection to spaghetti, cakes, cookies and turkey soup.
On Sunday, for the first time, Dhaliwal and about two dozen people from the Sikh community distributed about 450 blankets that she had purchased with some $4,000 in donations.
"If we can share, why not?" Dhaliwal asked as she stood near the corner of G and Santa Clara streets outside the Poverello House.
Dhaliwal was joined by about five other families. Many brought their children, including 8-year-old Shan Deep Singh Dhillon, a third-grader at Fremont Elementary School in Fresno. He said he enjoyed distributing food and blankets because it was a way to "put in some community service."
Dhaliwal said she usually is able to serve about 200 to 300 people each month.
Recently, however, she decided that it was important to provide the homeless with more than just food -- especially during the winter cold. So during the past few months, she went to various Sikh temples asking for donations.
She collected enough money to buy 500 blankets and gave away most of them Sunday.
"If I can share something, I am happy," Dhaliwal said.
