HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): Prominent members of the Long Island community gathered in Hicksville on September 14 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.

Thanks to some philanthropists and generous donors, $125,000 was raised at the annual charity gala held at the Pearl banquet hall. The proceeds go to Saint Hardyal Educational and Orphan Welfare Society (sheows.org), which saves the lives of the abandoned, destitute, and homeless elderly at two centers in greater Delhi and one in Uttar Pradesh.

The Long Island team for SHEOWS comprising 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) headlined the elegant event attended by about 100 people. Dr Doshi, Mohan Wanchoo, Jaya Subramaniam, and Chandra Bhansali gave the audience an account of their experiences with SHEOWS and appealed to others to support this great cause. 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 they have rescued over 6,000 people and rehabilitated at least a third of them.  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. Their vehicle goes on the streets of Delhi and NCR to bring the abandoned elderlies to their facilities. The rescued people 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.

Sunny and Kajal Gill enthralled the audience with their music and entertainment at the event. Punita Bhansali was the MC for the evening. Gita Setia sang the National Anthems of America and India. Alka and Sanjiv Kohli handled the registration desk.

(Based on a press release from SHEOWS)