FOUNDER
The various chapters of the Food for the Hungry Foundation was established by Grand Master Choa Kok Sui (the modern founder of Pranic Healing and Arhatic Yoga).
Originally, the paucity of medical assistance in the Philippines spurred Master Choa to research and modernise the ancient art and science of Pranic Healing. His aim was to provide techniques to create a healer in every household so that poor Filipinos would be empowered to deal with some of their physical ailments as medical aid was scarce. He is known in the Philippines for His sustained support of the downtrodden via His generous financial contributions to religious and secular bodies involved in the task of caring for the disadvantaged.
For those interested in spiritual development, Master Choa formatted a multi-level course, called Arhatic Yoga. Arhatic Yoga is the synthesis of different Yogic practices to provide a safe method to accelerate spiritual growth.
The intent of Pranic Healing and Arhatic Yoga provide “food for the soul”, but before we do that we have to feed the body. Master Choa Kok Sui is also distinguished for His driving philanthropic force and concern for those who are financially disadvantaged.
He established the MCKS Charitable Foundation to sponsor several humanitarian projects initiated by around the world including projects to feed the hungry and rehabilitate the homeless. In 2001 (during the 51st commemoration of International Human Rights Day), Master Choa established the Freedom Foundation in the Philippines. This organization is a humanitarian legal assistance foundation which seeks to put an end to the phenomenon of unjust and inhumane detention, especially of women and children, wherever it is found, by means of direct legal action and intervention. In many parts of Asia (particularly in the Phillipines), due to a congested court system, many children are in jail for years, waiting for their trial. Very often, the number of years they have been in jail is more than the maximum penalty they could have been awarded. Besides this, they are often living in very unhygienic conditions, with insufficient place for everyone. The prisoners often sleep in shifts, as there is not enough place for all of them to lie down at one time!
 In the US he started the Feed Your Soul charity in 2001 after seeing the sad state of hundreds of homeless people in Santa Monica, California. Out of compassion for the condition of these unfortunate street dwellers, Master Choa bought 100 burgers and had requested some students to hand them out. Shortly thereafter, a regular feeding program was started in Santa Monica. Since then, Feed Your Soul has distributed meals in Santa Monica, the Metropolitan Los Angeles area, surrounding areas of Riverside, Orange County, Fresno, as well as other states including Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, and Kansas City, Missouri.
The Friends in Need Foundation was started in 2002 with the purpose of helping the less fortunate by providing food, clothing, and wellness programs. They also work together with other organizations dedicated to ending or minimizing hunger and hardship in Manhattan and in other New York City boroughs. Now regular programs are conducted in New York, New Jersey, Florida and Philadelphia.
In 2003 Master Choa Founded Pao Nosso - a charitable organization that helps poverty-stricken people in the favatas of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Around 180 families are given a Basic Food Kit (including soap) every month. Approximately 250 malnutritioned children are also given milk every month. Bakery kits are also distributed monthly to each community. He also founded the Fundacion Niños sin Hambre charity in Columbia.
In India Master Choa has established the MCKS Food for Hungry Foundation in 2004, which is a non-profit volunteer-led charitable organization with a purpose of helping the less fortunate people. In India, some of the charitable work supported over the past few years includes:
- Providing food, clothing and blankets to the poor
- Helping with the rehabilitation of street children
- Constructing Schools and Educating children in rural areas
- Covering the cost of medicines or hospital expenses for the poor
- Supporting ashrams and charitable organisations that do social service in rural areas
- Livelihood programmes that provide vocational training to participants to help them become self reliant.
Besides these regular activities, during times of disasters, money was immediately assigned by Master Choa to help people. Relief work was carried out by these various organizations to provide food, shelter and rehabilitation to people effected by calamities such as Hurricane Ivan (2004), Indonesian Tsunami (2004), Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the earthquake In India And Pakistan (2006). Relief work has also been provided in areas affected by the recent floods in Maharashtra.
Master Choa Kok Sui passed from his earthly existence by attaining Maha Samadhi on Monday 19 March 2007, at approximately 8.50 pm Manila time. Master Choa Kok Sui had single handedly supported these charities and foundations in the early stages, and has been one of the largest donors to these charities till date.
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