Visit to Asha Jeevan and Anand Ashram

A group of 4 volunteers: Siddharth, Sravan, Satyanarayan and I headed on Bannerghata road to meet Kalpana at Asha Jeevan. She showed us around the place. It has all the facilities for an old age home: good rooms, medical facilities, ambulances, kitchen, dining space and a hall. She was particularly interested in our help in conducting some entertainment activities like music, dance etc for the old age home residents. Further she mentioned we can also help by contributing bedsheets, old cotton sarees and water beds.

We then got back on Bannerghata Road and were discussing in the van as to how we could help and contribute. Satyanarayan then suggested that we can save money within the team to raise funds initially. He had done that in the past when doing volunteer activities in Trichy. It was an excellent idea which Sidhartha reinforced. So now we plan to save Rs 5 everyday and collect it from volunteers when we meet weekly.

We also visited the Anand Ashram next to IBM on Bannerghatta Road. It was a huge space with 25 old people. They also had a boys and girls home. We have to discuss with the team further how we can help here...

Your Soul Comes First, Before Social Service!!

I was reading this article in Times of India today morning and then found it on the times of india site too, read the first para:

"We are told to strive to tune in to the inner self as that is the main purpose of life. But isn’t it better to go out and help the poor and needy, feed and clothe them, engage in social service? Your noble feelings are to be appreciated. But do you think that such help alone would bring colour to their lives? Would this really change the dismal state of society? How do you assure that social help offered in the form of food and clothing would be a substantial answer to their problems?You serve food once to a person. Won’t he need it again? The clothes offered by you would need to be replaced by new ones after some time. Why not then serve them in totality? Why restrict to just doing ‘something’ for the needy?’ "

To read more check the link below:

Your Soul Comes First, Before Social Service!!

Some more plans!!

Thinking of looking at orphanages too...so that we can educate the children, impart skills, sports, fun and games.

Can create a future and life for the childre, nice vision...

Hope to start on this soon :)

Going to Asha Jeevan on Feb 14th 2007 - Saturday

Hi Volunteers,

I spoke to Kalpana of Asha Jeevan(Old age home) about our meeting them on Saturday July 14th at 11am. The management there is excited and looking forward to see us.

Do confirm your presence...

Regards
Satya

Are we neglecting the old?

Re-reading the book "The Tibetan book of living and dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche and this passage was so true of today's society:

"...the way the elderly, the sick, and the dying are treated today. Our society is obsessed with youth, sex and power, and we shun the old age and decay. Isn't it terrifying that we discard old people when their working life is finished and they are no longer useful? Isn't it disturbing that we cast them into old people's homes, where they die lonely and abandoned?"

Why one should volunteer?

Check the link below shared by one of the volunteers Gaurav Goel:

A nice Article to Encourage people work for others.

http://in.specials.yahoo.com/summer-specials/volunteering_cause.html

Asha Jeevan Activities

Dear Volunteers,

Kalpana from Asha jeevan called, she was very happy that we wanted to involve ourselves. She was asking what we had done in the past and I told her about the entertainment activities....she expressed that other than other activities we can do she is looking forward to the entertainment activities. She really liked the idea.....
She has invited us to the Asha Jeevan old age home for discussion on 14th July as she is very busy on 7th July....

This is FYI..and also for planning for 14th July...please try to keep urself free then....

Regards
Satya