STAMFORD (TIP): Global Organization of People of Indian Origin Connecticut Chapter (GOPIO-CT) organized its launch of 2025 activities on Friday, Feb. 7th in Stamford, CT. On this occasion the newly elected Executive team headed by President Mahesh Jhangiani took the Oath of Office administered by Connecticut State Senator Prof Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox.

The evening also marked the felicitation of CT Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox on her victory at the state elections in November 2024. She is the first Connecticut state senator as well as first woman senator of Asian origin.

The 2024 team has the following as the officials; President – Mahesh Jhanginai, Exe.VP – Sushanth Krishnamurthy, VP – Nandu Kuppuswamy, Secretary – Sonali Zulluwur, Treasurer – Srinivas Akarapu, Associate Secretary – Ashvini Persaud. Trustees – Joe Simon, Shailesh Naik, Thomas Abraham, Totty Narang, Shelly Nichani and Prasad Chintalapudi. Board Members: Meera Banta, Ravi Dhingra, Amit Lakhotia, Manish Maheshwari, Anita Mathur, Sunita Menon, Gopinath Nadella, Ravi Nichani,

Every year, the chapter raises funds for a selected local charity at its holiday party which is usually held in December but was postponed from December 2024 to February 2025.

Last year, the chapter had raised funds for Wheel It Forward (https://www.wheelitforwardusa.org/). Thanks to the contributors, the chapter made a donation of $5,000 to this charity. A check for the amount was presented by Chapter President Mahesh Jhangiani to Mr. Jim Hoffman of Wheel it Forward.

In 2024, GOPIO-CT and its members contributed $25,000 to Norwalk Community College Foundation to give away scholarships to needy students, $25,000 to Future 5 (https://futurefive.org/) which provides educational and career coaching to low income and immigrant High School students in the Stamford area and $10,000 to Society for Human and Environmental Development (SHED, https://shedindia.org/) which runs schools, health clinics and community centers in several locations in Mumbai and tribal areas of Maharashtra. Representatives of other service providers present at the event included Women’s Mentoring Network and Building One Community, both based in Stamford, CT.

Among the numerous activities conducted by GOPIO-CT is sponsorship of local soup kitchens. At this event GOPIO received pledges of $2000 towards hosting eight soup kitchens at the New Covenant House in Stamford. The sponsorship money goes toward buying food ingredients which the sponsor and/or volunteers cook at the facility and serve lunch for about 100 needy people.

To add cheer to the festive spirit and wind up the program, local band Taal Sutra provided live entertainment.

GOPIO-CT endeavors to continue with its activities to foster good relation between the Indian diaspora in Connecticut with local communities and contribute to the well-being of the state’s residents.

Over the last 19 years, GOPIO-CT, a chapter of GOPIO International, has become an active and dynamic organization hosting interactive sessions with policy makers and academicians, community events, youth mentoring and networking workshops, and working with other area organizations to help create a better future. GOPIO-CT – Global Organization of People of Indian Origin – serves as a non-partisan, secular, civic and community service organization – promoting awareness of Indian culture, customs and contributions of people of Indian origin through community programs, forums, events and youth activities. It seeks to strengthen partnerships and create an ongoing dialogue with local communities.