Who We Are and
Why We Need Your Help

The Hare Krishnas first arrived in Gainesville in 1970. By 1971 students from the University of Florida had established the city’s first ISKCON center. Srila Prabhupada personally visited Gainesville in July of that year, further inspiring his students to distribute prasadam (karma-free food) and perform kirtan (musical mantra meditation) at the university. Since then, Krishna Lunch has continued on UF campus without interruption

“So do something wonderful there in Gainesville. Wonderful means you simply chant loudly and distribute prasadam. That is not very difficult. It is very easy. Simply if you do it enthusiastically and sincerely, then success will be there.”
–Srila Prabhupada, June 29, 1971

In 1989 Rtadhvaja Swami arranged the purchase of a former fraternity house with an adjoining duplex three blocks from campus to serve as ‘Krishna House,’ a permanent center for practicing and teaching Krishna consciousness. In time Krishna House expanded to include two adjoining lots with residences for more students.

In 2008 Krishna House leaders established the Bhakti Academy, a live-in school for students wanting to learn and practice bhakti-yoga, in many cases while completing their academic degrees. Since then, more than 500 students have participated in the Bhakti Academy. Around 350 have made a life-long commitment to spiritual life. Many have graduated from college with honors and gone on to start successful careers. Many are working actively part- or full-time, to spread the Krishna consciousness movement in America, South America, Europe, and South and East Asia.

Krishna House serves thousands of plates of vegetarian prasadam each year at low-cost to the UF students. Along with the prasadam distribution, there is Harinam Sankirtan daily, and Bhakti Academy participants engage with the UF students to fulfill Krishna Lunches’ vision: “Enriching lives with sustainable insight and joy.” Krishna Lunch strives to make a positive difference in the students’ lives. UF alumni remember fondly eating Krishna lunch years ago.

Krishna House also started a charity during COVID called Krishna CARES, which distributes over 15,000 plates of free meals per year to those in need, be they homeless, elderly, disabled, victims of domestic abuse, single mothers struggling, those unable to cook for themselves, families at Ronald McDonald House who have kids at UF Shands Hospital – and many more people who really appreciate not just a nice meal but also knowing someone cares about them. All of these meals are distributed for free.

Krishna House goes above and beyond distributing prasadam to live their mission: “To share the spiritual values and practices of Krishna Consciousness.” Krishna House lives by the spiritual values of equal vision, choice, without harm, teaching by example, humility, and affection. This is the heart of Krishna House and its Bhakti Academy: the residents are a family and invite everyone to join the family. The ashram includes a lively and enthusiastic morning program, service together as a team with kindness and compassion, and a spirit of making Krishna Consciousness fun with ashram trips, outings, and games. Everyone who comes to Krishna House experiences a positive transformation that leaves an impact for a lifetime.

Krishna House holds programs twice a week for students and the community to share the teachings of meditation, music meditation, and bhakti yoga in a way that is relevant and accessible to all with the intention to help the community’s mental health, happiness, stress-relief, and to give opportunities for increased purpose and meaning in life. Countless students have gone from situations where they were struggling either physically or emotionally, or even in difficult life situations, and have turned their lives around after becoming part of the Krishna House family.

Krishna House does have to pay for the ingredients to cook Krishna Lunch and does not get their groceries for free, and still over the years they have been able to meet their expenses and provide accommodation for those serving in full-time positions to bring Krishna Lunch to UF campus by the proceeds from Krishna Lunch. With increased food and utility costs after the 2020 pandemic, Krishna House has been struggling to maintain the Krishna lunch program. Krishna House has been in financial loss since 2023. At the same time, we really want and strive to keep Krishna lunch affordable for all the UF students especially those going through food insecurity. It is our cherished mission given to us by our Spiritual teacher Srila Prabhupada and we want to be there for the UF students and community by providing healthy, vegetarian, affordable and uplifting lunches daily.

Krishna House needs your help in order to be able to continue offering the Ashram program and Bhakti Academy. And after many years of not being able to perform necessary building maintenance on an over 100 year building to meet health and safety requirements, Krishna House needs your help to raise the money to maintain and improve our buildings and temple. Once we are financially stable, we will need to build new facilities to continue the project. This project is so dear to Srila Prabhupada as this is what he said he wanted, and being inspired by the mood of 26 2nd Avenue in New York City where Prabhupada started the movement, Kalakantha Das has created a mood at Krishna House that has attracted hundreds of youth to take up the practice of Krishna Consciousness.

Not only has Krishna House at Gainesville done this, but now the Krishna House movement is spreading all around North America due to the efforts of Kalakantha Das. There have now been a total of 6 Krishna Houses opened in North America with the same mood and vision to bring the youth to bhakti, and the goal is to gradually open many more.

But the original Krishna House, where it all started, must continue.

Your financial contribution will help us do:

• Help the Krishna Lunch meal distribution continue forever

• Sponsor Krishna CARES meals for elderly, disabled, homeless, homebound, and anyone struggling with food insecurity in the Alachua county (including some Prabhupada disciples)

• Continue to offer the Bhakti Academy Ashram program & accommodation, introduce and cultivate students in Krishna Consciousness, and help our entire community go deeper in their spiritual lives

• Maintain and renovate our facilities and buildings to bring them to safety and health standards, and at the same time getting ourselves to a place of stability to prepare for building new facilities (new Krishna House temple, up to capacity Krishna Lunch kitchen, and Bhakti Academy Ashram for students). Our buildings are more than 100 years old, and once we are financially stable we will need to build new facilities to be able to continue.

• Price Breakdown of how the funds will be used:

  100K for Krishna Lunch

  • Food and Labor Expenses

  70K for Krishna CARES

  • Food and Labor Expenses

  190K Property maintenance:

  • New Mens Ashram Back staircase 10K

  • Office Stair Case 7.5K

  • Mens Ashram re-modeling and bathrooms 25K

  • Womens Ashram Kitchen re-model upstairs & downstairs 18K

  • Bhakti House Bathroom 20K

  • Bhakti House Kitchen 20K

  • Ashram Bathroom re-modeling 15K

  • 50-year old roof replacement 30K

  • Ashram roof replacement 18K

  • Bhakti House roof replacement 20K

  • Ashram main line plumbing repair 7K

We believe, by Prabhupada’s desire, our goal can be met. And it is by your kind contribution from your heart, that this will come to pass.

Krishna says in BG 9.26; “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.”

Krishna accepts our offering and reciprocates according to how we approach Him.

One time Srila Prabhupada told one man who was building rooms for the devotees; “because you are building rooms for the devotees, Krishna is building your home in the spiritual world.”

• Every $2 you give helps us feed 1 Krishna Lunch to a food insecure student

• Your donation of $1,000 will subsidize 500 Krishna Lunches at the University of Florida

• Your donation of $500 will subsidize 250 Krishna Lunches at the University of Florida

• Your donation of $250 will subsidize 125 Krishna Lunches at the Unviversity of Florida

Every $30 dollars you give completes the renovation of 1 square foot of Krishna House

Or sign up for $1 per day ($30 per month) means that you sponsor the renovation 1 square foot of Krishna House every month!

https://krishnalunch.com/donate/

Contact Us

Reach out for inquiries about our programs and fundraising efforts.