Through friendly competition and generous hearts, the tournament raised $2,000 for our Educate 2 Success (E2S) initiative, funds that will directly support educational resources for children in underprivileged communities.

Excellence On and Off the Court

The tournament showcased amazing talent, with K4K leaders Saisha Varaiya and Khrish Shah advancing to the final round. Share & Care President Saumil Parikh and partner Ravi Munver ultimately claimed the championship title. But excellence went far beyond the tennis matches themselves. Beyond this friendly competition, the event fostered meaningful connections as participants and spectators alike gathered between matches, creating an atmosphere of community and shared purpose.

The Power of Kids4Kids

The Kids4Kids initiative truly stands as a cornerstone program of the Share & Care Foundation, one we’re always excited to share with our community. 

Through various fundraising events – from sports tournaments to charitable initiatives – K4K volunteers develop essential leadership skills while making tangible differences in others’ lives. 

Their efforts directly support our Educate 2 Success Program, providing vital resources including scholarships, tutoring, and even educational materials to students in rural India.

A Big Thank You to Our Dedicated Supporters

Events like this one succeed through collective effort – we really couldn’t do it without our supporters, a community that continues to give. We extend our sincere appreciation to everyone who contributed – from players and spectators to donors and sponsors. Your support creates a ripple effect of seriously positive change, transforming individual lives and entire communities through education.

Join Us in Changing Even More Lives

While we celebrate this success and others this year so far, our mission continues. The need for educational support remains ever-important, and every contribution brings us closer to our goal of empowering more children through education.

Your involvement makes a difference. Whether through donations, sponsorships, and even event participation, you help creates opportunities for children to build brighter futures here and abroad.

Join us in this vital work. Together, we can continue transforming lives through education.

The post Learn How a Community Came Together For Our Kids4Kids Tennis Fundraiser appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

Discovering Strength in Chadotar

During our visit to Palanpur and Chadotar, Dr. Ketki Shah, our Women Empowerment Chair, and Sharad Shah, one of our dedicated Board of Trustees members, met an incredible young girl named Zalak and her family. Zalak, along with her three younger sisters and their father, who works hard as an auto driver, have faced unimaginable hardship after losing their mother to cancer. Despite the sadness in her eyes, Zalak greeted us with a warm smile and a spirit that just wouldn’t quit. It was genuinely moving.

Recognizing Zalak’s potential and the challenges her family faced, Share & Care stepped in to help her attend Parikshitlal Ashramshala. Since starting mid-term, she’s settled in and thriving, both in her studies and as a person. 

It’s amazing to see what a nurturing environment can do.

Zalak’s Journey: A Beacon of Hope

Zalak’s story is a powerful reminder of what can happen when you combine resilience with the right support. Thanks to Share & Care’s help, she’s found a place to focus on her education and grow as an individual. Her journey is a testament to the incredible things that can happen when we empower young women with love, care, and education.

A Deeply Moving Visit 

The trip continued with a visit to the Sabarmati Ashram, a project supported by the Share & Care Women Empowerment Signature Program. “As we stepped into the campus, we were struck by the simplicity of the surroundings and an atmosphere filled with enthusiasm, smiles, and determination,” Dr. Ketki Shah shared. “The students greeted us with bright smiles and songs of friendship and devotion.”

“Visiting Sabarmati students was a deeply moving and humbling experience.”

Supporting Sustainable Change in Women’s Empowerment

Zalak’s story, along with all the young women supported at Sabarmati, perfectly illustrates how Share & Care is making a real difference in the lives of women and girls through education and comprehensive support. Learn more about our Women Empowerment program and consider donating today to help us continue making a profound difference in the lives of those who need it most.

The post Empowering Futures: A Story of Resilience and Hope in Rural India appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

Talented artist and Kids4Kids committee member Aarav Gandhi has created an award-winning piece that serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy, generosity, and addressing the needs of others. In this spirit of the artwork, Aarav generously donated the piece to Share & Care for a donation campaign.

“Money Hungry” by Aarav Gandhi

Medium: Mixed media printed on paper
Size: 22” x 27”

“Money Hungry” is a captivating painting that juxtaposes the concepts of life and death, symbolized by hands, with the allure and influence of money. The painting raises important questions about the impact of materialism and the pursuit of wealth on our society, highlighting the potential consequences of prioritizing monetary gain over compassionate care.

In the context of the Share and Care Foundation, the artwork serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy, generosity, and addressing the needs of others. It prompts us to reflect on the values that underpin our actions and encourages us to consider how we can use our resources — including financial means — to make a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate.

— Aarav Gandhi

In addition to “Money Hungry”, Aarav’s other artwork also provides an insightful look into the human experience.

“Alter Ego”

This piece is called “Alter Ego.” It symbolizes the fractured state of the human conscience. The human is always at war within itself, conflicting the expectations of the mind versus that of the heart. The elephants falling depict the initial state of our consciousness, where we are falling as well. Furthermore, the elephant is made out of wood to illustrate our core nature at heart to be organic instead of mechanical. This piece was made using a variety of media: traditional as well as digital. The traditional aspect included myself drawing specific aspects of the elephant, while the digital aspects included the merging of the elephants and the ripple effect added to the background.

“Chained Hearts”

This piece is named “Chained Hearts” because it depicts two hearts linked together, but in a more figurative sense, it illustrates the imbalance between the two hearts. Although both of the hearts are perfectly symmetrical, the fact that one of them is filled with hue, emphasizes the state of disequilibrium. This inequality in the hearts can be representative of changes in nature as well as the difference between organic and mechanical mechanisms. Overall, the change in the color of the hearts is really just dependent on the viewer’s perspective. This piece was made using more traditional mediums: where the hearts were drawn with paint and pen, the background was made with paint, and the actual base of the painting was cardboard. This piece, however, does utilize digital techniques of Photoshop and slight editing of the lighting.

The post Kids4Kids Artist Connects Work To SCF Mission appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

Over 100,000 individuals — men, women, and children — have received vital aid through your generosity thus far in 2022! Just imagine: By the end of this year, Share and Care will have distributed more than $80 million of aid in our 40 year history through your invaluable contributions! This momentous milestone deserves a heartfelt celebration, and we look forward to commemorating our 40 years of achievements together with YOU, our patrons, in 2023.

We are ensuring that every dollar we distribute in 2022 reaches one more family. As Covid relief has given way to a renewed focus on our core projects, our work is more urgently needed than ever. The cost of living has dramatically increased, driving more families below the poverty line. Since the pandemic, our impact has been felt across 15 states of India, and with your support, we can continue to penetrate India’s most rural areas. This year, your Foundation has been hard at work addressing this fast-changing environment through our core pillars of support: Women Empowerment, Healthcare to Unreached, Educate to Success, Educate to Graduate, and Village Upliftment.

With all of these accomplishments, one might assume that our combined journey of sharing and caring has reached its pinnacle. However, with the waves of calls for action still knocking at our door, we must endeavor together with compassion. YOUR hand and heart are crucial for us to fulfill this aim.

Our target is to impact 150,000 lives in 2022. Please give generously so together we can reach our goal. As we approach this season of thanks, we are grateful for the Caring community that we Share — an ever-growing network of more than 12,000 donors and volunteers across generations — that is mindful of others.

Help us reach our goal of empowering the lives of 150,000 beneficiaries in need!

DONATE TO MAKE AN IMPACT

With gratitude and best wishes for the holiday season, Your Share & Care Foundation Family

The post Let’s Impact 150,000 Lives appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

Every year we set goals to better serve those in need, and 2020 was no different. We started 2020 with a plan to help 94,920 people through our lifesaving signature programs. We knew it was a big challenge, but we were up for the task.

But then, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, and we had to shift many of our plans to focus on addressing the most urgent needs facing our beneficiaries in the U.S. and India. Although 2020 was a difficult year for all of us, we are proud of what we accomplished.

In 2020 our grants of 1.5 million dollars in cash and kind helped approximately 110,000 people in our Disaster Relief, Women Empowerment, Education, Healthcare, and Village Upliftment programs.

38th Annual Gala: Over Half a Million in Funds Raised

The theme of our 38th Annual Gala — “Rising Together” — recognized the changes and challenges presented by the pandemic and honored the bonds of humanity and hope that connect communities around the world. Due to COVID-19 this was our first-ever virtual gala in which all could participate.

The evening included a short film outlining our COVID-19 disaster relief efforts and our ongoing Signature Programs. There was an outpouring of support including warm wishes from Padma Shri Ashaji Parekh and from Congressman Frank Pallone, who recalled a trip to India and thanked Share & Care for the organization’s extensive COVID-19 disaster relief efforts.

“COVID has been a big issue in India. Lots of people have died, especially poor people, because all of them cannot afford to be in the hospital. I think Share & Care has picked up this issue and I am very happy that they are doing such good work for India at this time.” — Padma Shri Ashaji Parekh

“I’ve been associated with Share & Care over the years and like the fact that it also encourages a strong partnership in its mission to bring together India and the United States. One of the unique and particularly admirable aspects of Share & Care Foundation is the grassroots effort it supports in promoting development in India.” — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.

Our first-ever virtual gala, curated by global performer Parthiv Gohil (left), also featured entertainment from Manasi Parekh-Gohil, Sudesh Bhosle, Bhoomi Trivedi, and Jahnvi Shrimankar.

Sari Collection Drive Benefits More than 12,000 Families Per Year

In early 2020, we began collecting saris and matching blouses to create 10 sari banks in Gujarat for underprivileged women. Operating like libraries, these banks allow women to borrow garments at no cost for special occasions, then return the items after dry cleaning. In total, we received more than 4,800 items valued at over $320,900.

As humans, the way we look and the clothes we wear deeply influence our self-confidence. We are honored to provide this dignity for our beneficiaries in marginalized communities. Our special thanks to all the donors for this project.

COVID-19 Disaster Relief: Turning Compassion Into Action

When the pandemic took hold, our Disaster Relief Committee jumped to action. By July 30, 2020, we had already allocated $300,000 in disaster relief funding and partnered with 16 NGOs to reach thousands of people in the U.S and India — including more than 7,500 struggling families. We distributed grocery kits to families in need, served hot meals to families and daily wage earners, distributed healthcare items such as soap and masks, and served thousands of meals to local healthcare heroes. In December 2020, we also worked with Livingston Lions Club to provide more than 5,000 food boxes for local New Jersey citizens affected by food insecurity and economic instability. In 2021, we are remaining committed to providing relief and rehabilitation to those affected by the pandemic.

Creating Opportunities Through Women Empowerment

We exceeded a pledge, made during our 37th Annual Gala in 2019, to empower 20,200 women in 2020. By November, even during difficult times, we had empowered 24,192 women through our programs which provide safety and self-defense training, gender equality education, livelihood skills, character building, and leadership workshops for marginalized women. A donation of $500 to our Women Empowerment program empowers five marginalized female students with safe lodging, education, and training for personal growth.

Village Upliftment Proves that Real Change Comes From Within

Our Village Upliftment program is empowering about 50,000 people by placing trained Lok Mitras (“friends of the people”) in 12 villages throughout India. Living alongside the people they serve, Lok Mitras provide moral support while also applying their training to create sustainable, positive change within their villages.

In response to COVID-19, they have helped to educate villagers about the virus, organized efforts to implement social distancing, set up sanitation stations, and handed out “Grocery Kits of Gratitude” to more than 1,000 families when food became scarce. A donation of $5,000 empowers one village and up to 5,000 individual villagers.

Healthcare 2 Unreached Expands Access for Remote and Underserved Communities

Share & Care continues the fight toward reversing the healthcare challenges facing today’s marginalized poor.

Key achievements in 2020 include: delivering life-saving nutrients and raising awareness to benefit 5,000 women and children in Rajasthan; addressing a shortage of health professionals and poor local governance in Gujarat; bringing a comprehensive community health program to 25 villages in Maharashtra; and helping 100 women in Tamil Nadu through a program addressing the socio-demographic factors affecting pregnancy. Lastly, in five Manipur villages, we provided ongoing essential health services to children and women. A donation of $100 to our H2U program empowers one mother and her child with pre- and post-natal care.

Women “adopted” through our H2U Pregnancy and Maternal Care project receive medical and nutritional support.

With Educate 2 Success, Learning Is Not on Lockdown

As part of our 2020 goals, we aimed to reach 4,050 students across nine village schools in Gujarat through a program designed to create an educational pathway to current and future job markets for secondary and high school students. As the coronavirus took hold, we adjusted our support, enabling our partners to identify and act on solutions to fit with the world’s challenges. To accommodate social distancing and other safety guidelines, teachers shifted to a virtual learning model, incorporating conference calls with students and home “visits” via telephone or video. A donation of $130 empowers one at-risk child under age 13 with a secondary education.

In some regions, E2S sessions were conducted effectively in their respective villages while practicing all safety norms like social distancing, wearing masks, and using sanitizer.

Young Professional Committee

The Young Professional Committee (YPC) is a group with a mission to volunteer and fundraise for the causes Share & Care supports while fostering a community of young professionals to connect.

Kids4Kids

Kids4Kids (K4K) is a committee hosted for students by students (ages 13-18), with a vision to help underprivileged children in India receive the education they deserve. Before the pandemic started, each member recruited three new members, which increased the total funds raised. These funds provided an additional 23 students in India with tuition and school supplies and raised the total number of children educated to 255. They also raised $2,900 to benefit COVID-19 relief, and pivoted their events to be social-distance friendly, hosting activities such as a virtual yoga class and a walking challenge to raise funds for those in need.

Educate 2 Graduate Continues Blazing New Beginnings for Impoverished Families

Our Educate to Graduate program fosters secure futures for brilliant students from low-income families. Seventy-three students were enrolled in the 2019-2020 school year. Although there were some delays in college opening due to COVID-19, the admission process began smoothly with several colleges now operating on a digital platform.

We are putting increased emphasis on supplementary skill development to improve job prospects upon graduation. Of the 1,614 E2G beneficiaries so far, more than 850 graduates are already employed in well-paying jobs. A donation of $1,000 empowers one bright, low-income student with a college scholarship.

Your donation makes a brighter future possible for families who come from generational cycles of poverty. They can do it, and we can help!

There Are Far, Far Better Things Ahead Than Any We Leave Behind

2020 was tough, but Share & Care made a way. We served:

• The widow with no means or education to provide for her family.
• The young girl living with sexual abuse as part of a traditional and still-tolerated patriarchal structure.
• The teen hungry for knowledge but forced into manual labor because his family knows no other path.
• The newborn at high risk of dying before her fifth birthday because of who she is and where she was born.
• Entire villages living with cultural norms that promote inequality.
• Entire families at risk of disability or death from treatable diseases due to poverty, malnutrition, and poor sanitation.
• Migrant laborers who need economic relief and rehabilitation due to COVID-19.

Our wide-ranging programs continue to thrive thanks to the support of our generous Share & Care community. If you have been inspired by our efforts and would like to create positive, lasting change for marginalized people in the U.S. and India, we encourage you to make a contribution today. Every gift is appreciated, and every dollar makes a difference.

SEND A GIFT

The post Changes Amid Challenges: ‘Share & Care 2020 Year in Review’ Featured in News India Times appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

Last year, Share & Care hosted a Sari Collection Drive to support multiple “sari libraries,” pioneered by our partner NGO Gramshree Trust (located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat), to provide saris for women with limited finances. The sari is a traditional Indian garment that is worn and admired throughout India; however, due to financial limitations, many cannot purchase saris for special occasions such as festivals and weddings. Through this unique program, women are able to borrow gently used saris and blouses at no cost! We only ask that garments are dry-cleaned before being returned to the libraries.

When we launched these efforts, we aimed to support six sari libraries in Lilapur, Punadra, Narshinpura (Viramgam), Kada, Chadotar, and Rahpura. This month, we are pleased to announce the inauguration of a seventh library, located at Vahjipura Cluster in Punadra Village. Six additional libraries are scheduled to open in 2021.

Sari Collection Drive: More Than 4,200 Saris Donated in 2020

Although 2020 was a challenging year, we were still able to accomplish many milestones within this program — including our overall goal to collect 2,020 saris before 2021. In fact, on October 15, 2020, we exceeded our goal with a total of 4,289 saris donated by our incredible community of Share & Care supporters! We also received 413 blouses, 101 Chaniya Choli sets, 38 petticoats, and six shawls and other accessories in addition to the saris.

We are grateful to those who donated to the sari drive last year. The drive was valued over $320,900! Although we do not have another sari drive planned in 2021, please subscribe to our email updates to receive information on many of our other programs that could use your generosity. We look forward to continuously serving those in need. Thank you for your help!

READ MORE FROM OUR PARTNERS IN THE FIELD

The post Sari Drive Success: More Than 4,200 Donations for ‘Sari Libraries’ Will Help Indian Women With Limited Finances appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

Editor’s Note: In this article, we refer to classrooms and labs for students involved in the experiential learning program we’re working on with our NGO partner Gujarat Vidyapith. While the current coronavirus pandemic has made classroom learning impossible, the concepts discussed hold true.

But concepts are abstract. The real world calls for action, and we’ve answered that call.

As the coronavirus took hold, we adjusted our support, which enabled Gujarat Vidyapith to identify and act on a solution to fit with the world’s current challenges.

As you’ll read below, the heart of this program is students learning by doing, in other words: experiential learning. Beginning April 26, students will be using kits and newly created online videos of the experiments so they can follow along. They’ll also have live teacher interactions.

Extending the Reach: Over the 60 days following the release of videos in Gujarati, additional versions will be made available for Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and English, with the objective of serving remote, rural India.

Internet Access: While the most recent data tells us that only 41% of the population of India (560 million) has internet access, Gujarat Vidyapith estimates that more than 80% of the students they’re working with have the tools necessary to utilize their program (which will run on any device), and they’re doing what they can to grow that number. We’ll keep you posted.

We hope you’ll take the time to read about this important and amazing program.

Share & Care has a long, passionate history of promoting education as a means to uplift underprivileged children of India by cultivating a lifelong passion for learning.

Through our signature Educate 2 Success (E2S) program, we have provided hundreds of students at risk of failing or dropping out of school with the opportunity to grow up and thrive as productive, compassionate, and confident members of society.

Gujarat Vidyapith and the NBG System of Experiential Learning

As part of our 2020 goals, we are striving to reach 4,050 students across nine village schools in Gujarat through a program designed to create an educational pathway to current — and future — job markets for secondary and high school students. Working with NGO Gujarat Vidyapith, the program — Experiential Science & Technology Learning for Village Schoolchildren — brings experiential learning into rural village classrooms by utilizing the NBG (Narmada Bal Ghar) System of Experiential Learning.

“The best teacher today is experiential learning. We need to give students the platform to learn in unique methods, breaking the boundaries of classrooms.”

—Dr. Monica Khanna, Director and Professor of Marketing,
K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research,
Mumbai, India [Source]

Share & Care chose to work with Gujarat Vidyapith because they are changing the way children and teachers approach the future. Founded in 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi (the same year he launched his Non-Cooperation Movement), Gujarat Vidyapith is dedicated to a nursery-to-doctorate integrated system of education to address the need for rural upliftment, all in accordance with the ideals given by Gandhi:

• Adherence to truth and non-violence.
• Participation in productive work with a sense of dignity of labor.
• Acceptance of equality of religions.
• Priority for the need of village dwellers in all curricula.
• Use of mother-tongue as a medium of instruction.

Gujarat Vidyapith believes India has only a few short years to help India’s youngest generations prepare for the new “science ecosystem” by involving parents and community leaders, and providing paths to recognition (e.g., school and community contests).

The new science ecosystem means traditional jobs are being rapidly replaced and new jobs will require a strong background in science and technology, making it crucial to challenge traditional teaching methods that rely mainly on memorization — as opposed to truly understanding the concepts behind the words.

Current Educational Challenges

• Memory-Based: Creativity is suppressed as students are encouraged to memorize words, but don’t understand the concepts behind the words.
• Learning Straightjacket: Everything is standardized, from lesson plans to testing to labeling.
• Lack of Aids: A lack of tools and resources hinders effective teaching.
• No Skills Development: Without hands-on learning, skills can’t develop beyond basics.
• Real Life and Arising Technologies: Currently, students are learning only biology, physics, and chemistry. Emerging technologies are not taught.
• Societal Challenges: Society continues to focus on current jobs and ignores the need for continuous relearning.
• Girl Child Handicaps: Female children continue to be held back from school and an education.*

*Our programs are never about just one piece of our mission. Invariably, they all include education and they all include gender equity. This program is no different, and addresses the girl-child handicap so prevalent among India’s remote villages, an issue we also address as part of our ongoing Women Empowerment programs.

Experiential Learning: Learning Through Reflection on Doing

The NBG System directly addresses the challenges of traditional teaching methods as India — and the world — continues its transition from an industrial- to a knowledge-based economy.

If rote (or didactic) learning is passive, experiential learning is active. The literal meaning of experiential learning is: learning through reflection on doing. The bottom line is experiential learning gives students real-world experiences, improves school (and later, job) performance, and promotes creativity by learning the important concept that — in the real world — there is always more than one solution to a problem.

Experiential Learning Kits
At the core of the NBG System of Experiential Learning are science and technology kits that were created in collaboration with top scientists in India. These kits enable interactive learning of computer coding, 3D printing, drone piloting, and artificial intelligence (among other topics, see below) through hands-on experimentation.

As part of the project, teacher training is conducted by Gujarat Vidyapith and subject matter experts from Narmada Bal Ghar. Teachers are then taught how to use the kits in a classroom lab setting. (Each teacher goes on to teach 200 students.) Under teacher guidance, students are encouraged to immerse themselves into the experience, and to reflect using analytic skills — asking questions, discussion, observation — rather than taking notes. These skills help students to think about what they are experiencing and to wonder why it’s happening and how it can or already applies to real life.

Program Curriculum Topics

These are just a sampling of the science and technology topics taught using experiential learning.

Computer Coding: Every child needs to know computer coding. The system uses the child-compatible Blockley language as an entry to computer coding for students beginning at age six.

Communication: To connect with someone in society today, you can send them a message on social media, text them, video chat, email, or phone.

Artificial Intelligence: A true artificially intelligent system is one that can learn on its own. We’re talking about neural networks from the likes of Google’s Deep Mind, which can make connections and reach meanings without relying on predefined behavioral algorithms.

Internet of Things: The latest Internet technology isn’t always accessible on screens, and it’s called the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of Things allows everyday objects, such as security systems, cars, appliances, alarm clocks, and speakers to be synced up to the internet through wi-fi.

3D Printing: 3D printers follow the same principle as 2D printers, but they print objects (not ink on paper) by superimposing thin layers of materials such as plastic, clay, or resin. The possibilities are potentially endless, with the only constraints being the size of the printer and the imagination of the user.

Drones: Drones can be used wherever movement is required, and opportunities include drone assembly, piloting, video by drone, and more.

Experiential learning aligns perfectly with Share & Care’s mission to provide opportunities — to help people help themselves — and to do so equitably through access to effective education.

We need to completely reframe the system of education based on where the world is going, instead of continuing with outdated teaching methods designed for an industrial economy.

Modern learning in a knowledge economy is about teachers and students working together to build skills around collaboration, solving complex problems, critical thinking, developing different forms of communication and leadership skills, and improving motivation and productivity.

“Many difficulties or troubles of my study have been removed or solved”

—Student participant in Gujarat

Please join us as we work toward helping 94,920 people — including 4,050 deserving Gujarat students — in 2020.

The post Learning Is Not on Lockdown: E2S Programs Continue During COVID-19 appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

Dear Share & Care members and supporters:

An unprecedented global emergency, COVID-19 has created turbulence for people around the world, challenging the health and livelihoods of individuals from all walks of life.

It will be a huge challenge to come out of this disaster and rebuild, and it will take more than government efforts to meet the challenges arising from this catastrophe.

At Share & Care, we have spent more than 37 years helping people in need, and have provided lifesaving relief for over 15 major disasters. In response to this current emergency, Share & Care has allocated $100,000 to help those affected. It is important to note, however, that this pandemic tests the limits of our mental and financial capacity. There is no denying that enormous resources and joint efforts — from governments, corporations, charities, and individuals — will be required to overcome this tragedy.

But we know that by working together, we will overcome.

In the meantime, please stay safe, practice social distancing, and follow all guidelines issued by CDC and health officials.

Sharad Shah
President, Share & Care Foundation

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION

The post Responding to COVID-19: A Letter From Our President appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

It’s 2020. A perfect number—a perfect time—for recognizing all we’ve achieved since our founding in 1982. But we decided that it’s an even better time to look and move forward. After all, that’s why Share & Care Foundation exists: to create opportunities. 

It will be a lot of work, but it will be worth it. Here’s the plan:

• Help 94,920 People

Plus maintain and/or establish:

• 20 NGO Partnerships
• 20 U.S./Canadian Partnerships
• 20 Motivated Next-Generation Leaders

Help 94,920 People 

It’s a big number, but based on our work so far partnering with long-time supporters, fostering new friends and alliances (more about this later!), and working closely with motivated, dedicated NGOs, we believe it’s possible. 

Here’s the breakdown of who makes up the 94,920 people, and how we hope to help them bring change to their lives. As you read each of these, take a moment to note your emotional or physical response—and consider emailing your thoughts to us at hello@shareandcare.org. (We’d love to hear your responses, and we may even choose yours to be featured in an upcoming blog post.)

6,000 Confident, Smartly Dressed Women

Our ongoing sari collection drive takes in quality saris and matching blouses and distributes them across 10 sari banks in Gujarat, with a goal of taking in 2,020 this year. Women unable to afford them may borrow saris for events they may not otherwise be able to attend. The benefits from such a simple action can be life-changing: Increased self-confidence—vital to overall well-being—can mean a more successful job interview. Being able to attend weddings and other functions means more social interaction, community involvement, and even opportunities. 

150 New Opportunities for a College Education

Over the past dozen years, close to 2,000 brilliant young scholars have entered our Educate 2 Graduate program and are at various stages toward or have already earned degrees. Employed graduates are on average earning nearly seven times the annual income of their families. 

5,000 Interventions to Stay in School

Through our Educate 2 Success program, impoverished and often neglected or abused children under age 13 receive the support and tools they need to complete their secondary education—and develop a lifelong passion for learning and personal success.

20,200 Basic Healthcare Recipients

Our Healthcare 2 Unreached program provides women, children, and men living in remote, tribal areas of India—with little or no access to basic healthcare—receive basic medical and antenatal care, nutritional guidance, and the education they need for their and their families ongoing personal care. The reduction in infant mortality as a result of our work has been particularly impactful.

20,200 Empowered Women and Children

Our various female empowerment programs deliver help to those most in need: women and girls suffering a multitude of injustices and violence at all stages of life simply because they were born female. Programs include self-help groups, peer mentoring, livelihood training, sexual abuse prevention, and personal finance training.

20,200 Villagers United in Uplifting Their Communities

We are committed to helping villages and their citizens—through our Nirmal Village Program—break free from the patriarchal conforms inherent in traditional village society. This year, 12 “friends of the people,” known as lokmitras, will be placed in 12 villages in Gujarat. Their role is to bring awareness and offer solutions for issues affecting the entire community (e.g., sanitation, addiction, schools, infrastructure), and to serve as a liaison between the village and government, with the goal of modernizing both mindsets and the village itself.

600 Joint Program Recipients

When we invest in a program, we ensure that we’re not only helping with the most immediate needs, but also providing the education, tools, and resources to continue succeeding on their own. Empowering individuals and villages with access to basic healthcare + education + gender equality is at the core of everything we do.

150 Health Checks for Local Tri-State Community

Headquartered in New Jersey, Share & Care is invested in our local tri-state community (New Jersey/New York/Connecticut) and is targeting 150 recipients to receive health services they might not otherwise be able to afford during this year’s 2020 Health Fair.

20,200 Individuals Through Donor Advisory Projects

We work with corporations, private trusts, and individuals to assist them in selecting projects and facilitating compliance and other guidelines so their dollars can go further and help those most in need.

2,020 Disaster Relief Recipients

Based on close to 40 years of disaster response experience, Share & Care undertakes immediate and long-term response programs to reach out to affected communities when disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and drought strikes. 

200 Humanitarian Project Recipients

As part of our ongoing work, we actively identify and act on emerging needs for in-kind work—supplying clothing, medical equipment, counseling, and more—throughout the year. 

20 NGO Partnerships

Maintain, nurture, and develop important NGO partnerships to efficiently—and passionately—carry out our work today and for years to come.

20 U.S./Canadian Partnerships

Unite with 20 reputable partner organizations across the U.S. and Canada who share our vision to help build increased awareness of our work toward ending the injustices occurring every day across India.

20 Motivated Next-Generation Leaders

The world changes every day—often for the better. But while our deepest wish is that our work will someday become unnecessary, sadly, there will always be people who need and deserve help from those better off than themselves—people who are told they’re not trying hard enough, not giving it their best, or they must not want it bad enough. Or worse, they are unacknowledged, nameless, marginalized.

We are committed to the people we serve, and our steadfast, unwavering determination drives us and our goals for the new year, the new decade, and the new generations—Gen Xers, Millennials, and Centennials—that lies ahead.

Thank You for Reading This Far

Over the coming year we will be reporting on our progress toward the goals laid out here. We hope you’ll join us to celebrate the successes and triumphs of the thousands and thousands of people at the heart of our plans and goals. 

The people we serve are worth the hard work. Let’s work together. 

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The post Our Goals for 2020: Creating Opportunities for 94,920 People appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

To provide the best possible service to the beneficiaries of the health fair, the committee organized blood draws for analysis a week earlier on October 21, so that the physicians could obtain test results and discuss them with the patients in person. Seventy-eight participants utilized this opportunity and benefited by direct discussions with various groups of physicians and specialists. A total of 107 participants attended the health fair, which included flu vaccinations as well as checkups for blood pressure, BMI, and obesity. Free consultations were available from a group of nearly 30 doctors consisting of internists, geriatricians, cardiologists, family physicians, endocrinologists, OBGYNs, neurologists, pain management specialists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, acupuncturists, orthopedics, physical therapists, and dentists. Vendors for home healthcare and insurance companies supported the event, and breakfast was provided to all thanks to the generosity of various donors.

The event was organized by Dr. Bharati Palkhiwala of Share & Care and Dr. Savita Khosla of Hindu Samaj, who were ably assisted by an array of volunteers from both organizations, local hospitals, and laboratories. Share & Care thanks all who donated their time and resources freely for this worthy cause to help those who needed it most.

The post 7th Annual Health & Wellness Fair Provided 100+ Participants With Flu Shots, Screenings, and More appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.