E - Newsletter 25: March 2004

SHIPMENT TO INDIA

Thanks to everyone who donated for the shipment to India. We packaged and sent more than 30 boxes last month! Items included 3 wheelchairs; 4 walkers; a hand ergometer; yoga mats; physiotherapy boards; exercise bands; computer CPU’s, monitors and accessories; and children’s board games, books and toys. Once again, thanks to everybody for their generosity and allowed this campaign to be a big success!

WEBSITE UPDATED!!!

Several pages on our website were recently updated. All the new sponsors to our Adopt A Child and Meal For A Day schemes have been added to the site. Please visit the following pages to view our newest donors:

Adopt A Child Sponsor List

Meal For A Day Donor List

URGENT NEED FOR SPONSORING YOUTH

Amar Seva Sangam has enrolled several new youth into their youth training programs. The good news is that the previous students have now moved on from their studies. You can see pictures and profiles on what the youth are doing today. Visit our SUCCESS STORIES page.

However, this means, that there are new youth to be sponsored for studies. If you, or anyone you know, are interested in sponsoring a youth for their studies, please visit our URGENT NEED section and donate to those youth awaiting sponsorship today!

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FUNDRAISER IN THE WORKS

To all those who attended and had a great time at our Fundraising Dinner last May, mark your calendars now. The Fundraising committee is planning another night of dinner, dance, and donations! This time the event will take place at the Bombay Palace banquet hall on October 2, 2004.

Mark this date down now. More information will be sent out as our committee plans further. If you would like to volunteer, please email hci@rogers.com.

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NEW BOARD FOR 2004

HCI has elected a new board as of Jan. 2004. The new office bearers and board members are:

Raja Ramanathan – President

Sulo Krishnamurthy – Vice President

Sundra Rajan – Treasurer

B. Srinivasan – Secretary

Directors

Arun Luthra

Latha Sukumar

Meena Suppiah

P. Sankaran

Sathish Subramanian

BOARD MEMBERS VISIT INDIA

Our board members visit India periodically to see the impact of Handi-Care International’s work. Currently, Gita and Sankaran are visiting India, while Latha Sukumar recently returned from a life-changing trip. She was there visiting some of Handi-Care’s donee organizations, including Nesam and Maithri. Here are some of her words:

“I have come back from India completely reinvigorated and excited about Handi-Care's potential. I met with Sankara Raman from ASSA, always an inspiration, spoke to Ramakrishnan on the phone (his strong voice belies his very frail and ailing body), visited Nesam in Arcot (one of the most moving experiences of my life), met with Sridhar and Sowmya from Maithri and with Varadarajan from Rural Aid.

I also had the privilege of going to a dance drama, based on Bharathiyar songs called "Jaya Jagatha Janani", hosted by RASA (Ramana Sunirtya Aalaya, a school for the mentally disabled in Chennai) in which 200 mentally and physically disabled children performed. There was not a dry eye in the audience and I was so moved that I sobbed copiously out of sheer joy.”

I could see for myself whether with Maithri, Nesam, Rural Aid or RASA how vulnerable populations can benefit from the monies raised. I was not able to stay for long and that is my only regret. Every child there is special.”