Pangat before status
Everyone sits and eats on the same level. That is not a slogan, it is how the room is arranged.
About the society
A new society with an old idea.
Abbotsford Nishkam Seva Society is a non profit society incorporated in British Columbia in 2026. We are volunteers. Nobody here does this for a living.
Why we started
Abbotsford has a large Sikh community and a great deal of quiet seva already happening in it, done by families out of their own kitchens and their own pockets. What that arrangement cannot easily do is hold a date, book a hall, insure the people helping, or keep going through a month when the usual organisers are away.
Registering as a society was a way of giving that work a backbone. A society can sign an agreement with a venue, keep an account, be accountable to its members, and put a date on a calendar that people can rely on.
We are new. We are not pretending otherwise. What we have is a clear set of purposes, a small group of people willing to do the work, and a preference for doing a few things properly over announcing a great many.
What we hold to
Honest answers
If somebody asks about the Sikh faith we answer plainly, including the parts that are debated, and we say when we do not know.
Dignity over publicity
We do not photograph people receiving help, and nobody has to explain their circumstances to be fed.
Open to everybody
Our gatherings, our langar and our talks are open to people of every faith and of none. There is no conversion here.
What we do and do not take on
Being clear about this protects the people who come to us more than it protects us.
We can
- Organise prayer gatherings, path and kirtan
- Run talks, workshops and question sessions about Sikh history and teachings
- Prepare and serve langar at an arranged venue
- Teach Punjabi language, music and traditional arts as we build those programmes
- Sit with somebody while they read a letter or a form, and point them to the right service
We cannot
- Give legal, medical or immigration advice
- Provide housing, shelter beds or emergency accommodation
- Act as a reference, sponsor or guarantor for anybody
- Hold money, documents or property on anyone's behalf
- Issue tax receipts, because we are not yet a registered charity
How the society is run
The society is directed by a volunteer board. Board members are not paid for serving on the board.
The society may employ or contract people for specific roles where the work genuinely needs it, for example a granthi, a teacher or a kirtan instructor. Where that happens it is approved by the board and recorded in the society's accounts.
We are incorporated under the Societies Act of British Columbia. Our members can see our filings and our accounts. If you have supported us and you want to know what your money went to, ask and we will tell you.
Come and look before you commit.
You are welcome at a gathering without joining anything and without knowing any of the prayers. Heads are covered and shoes come off in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, and we keep clean scarves at the door for anybody who needs one. Just tell us you are coming.