Long Islanders raise $125,000 for SHEOWS seniors’ home in India

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Some 100 prominent Indian Americans in Long Island gathered in Hicksville on September 14, 2024, to raise funds for SHEOWS, an old people’s home in India that has been taking care of thousands of destitute seniors abandoned by their families.

The event raised $125,000 at the annual charity gala held in Pearl banquet hall, a press release from organizers said. The proceeds go to Saint Hardyal Educational and Orphan Welfare Society (sheows.org), which operates two centers in greater Delhi and one in Uttar Pradesh.

The Long Island team for SHEOWS comprised Mohan Wanchoo (Chairman, ECI MW Holding Co), Dr Nitin Doshi (Doshi Family Foundation), Sharada Bhansali (Co-founder of Accountants World) and Jaya Subramaniam (Executive at Definitive Healthcare). All four gave attendees an account of their experiences with SHEOWS and appealed for  support for SHEOWS. Dr Doshi was the first to start supporting SHEOWS some years ago, he said.

Saurabh Bhagat, CEO of SHEOWS, traveled from India to do a presentation at the gala on the work done by the initiative started by his grandfather in 2003.

SHEOWS is home to more than 500 seniors. Over the years more than 6,000 people have been rescued and a third of them rehabilitated.  A new state-of-the-art Old Age Center is being built in Gurugram, Haryana.

“The organization reaches out to the abandoned among us and gives them dignity,” noted organizers in the press release.

A SHEOWS vehicle goes on the streets of Delhi and surrounding areas to bring the abandoned elderly people to their facilities. The rescued individuals are bathed, fed, cleaned, and housed at one of their three centers/ashrams, where they also receive medical attention (including for dementia), counseling, legal counsel, and, most importantly, respect. “When the time comes, they are bid an honorable farewell, observing all rites and rituals of the faith the person followed as they lived, the press release said.

Sunny and Kajal Gill provided the music and entertainment at the event. Punita Bhansali was the emcee for the evening. Gita Setia sang the National Anthems of US  and India. Alka and Sanjiv Kohli managed the registration desk.