Golden Magnolia Sanctuary in Fairfield to host pair of benefit lunches March 11, 18

FAIRFIELD – A group of charities has come together to organize a couple of benefit lunches on March 11 and March 18.

The lunches will be prepared by Vaju Moorthy and served at Golden Magnolia Sanctuary in Fairfield from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Money raised at the March 11 meal will go toward Amma Fairfield’s programs, and that group will be donating at least half the proceeds to Golden Magnolia. Money raised at the March 18 meal will go toward Divine Star Lunches, and that group has promised to donate 100 percent of the proceeds toward Jefferson County Little Free Pantries.

The price of each lunch is $15, which can be paid with cash or check, and RSVPs are required two days before the lunch by emailing divinestarlunches@gmail.com.

Bhavia Wagner and Upasana Giglia are frequent volunteers at Golden Magnolia Sanctuary’s soup kitchen, which serves a free meal three nights a week. Just recently, the two were visiting Amma’s Ashram in India, where they met up with Moorthy.

“Vaju is famous there because she teaches these cooking classes,” Wagner said. “We heard that she was coming back to Fairfield, so we came up with this idea of doing benefit dinners. She’s got quite a following from doing other meals in the past. People enjoyed coming to those, so this is a continuation of that.”

Moorthy made a name for herself in Fairfield by hosting benefit lunches through Divine Star Charities that raised money for several local causes, including for the Fairfield Community School District’s lunch fund when it was thousands of dollars in the red years ago.

“I attended Vaju’s cooking classes in India, and her food is delicious, healthy and wonderful,” Wagner said. “She’s doing all the food because she wants it to be perfect.”

Both lunches are vegetarian, and a vegan meal will be available if requested in advance. The menu for the March 11 lunch includes Veggie Kurma, Yellow Split Mung Dal, Samosa, Green Peas Ghee Rice, Tamarind Sauce, Cilantro Chutney, Pomegranate Raita, Pappadam, Protein Dosa, Carrot Halwa, Masala Chai. The menu for the March 18 lunch includes Saag Paneer, Masala Dosa, Mix Vegetable Sambar, Lemon Rice, Coconut Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Medu Vada, Pappadam, Burfi, Masala Chai.

Wagner said that volunteers for the two lunches are welcome, and that she expects there will be plenty of work to do with food prep, serving, and other odd jobs.

Wagner said she has gotten involved in local charities that raise money for food insecure people because it breaks her heart to think of “children who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or even if they’re going to have dinner.”

“How can children concentrate on their studies when they have those worries at home, where they’re dealing with something as basic as getting enough food to eat?” she said.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com