Hello family and friends,

How are you all doing? It’s has been an eventful and challenging year for us. With our new journey, from opening our first retail store(Great Harvest Bread Sugar Land) and driving it towards success, it’s been really hectic and tough. Apart from that, I am sure many of you heard about the recent rain and flooding disaster in Chennai. I hope your loved ones in Chennai are safe and sound and trying to get back to normal.

Update – Last Campaign

Many of you know what’s this email is all about. Like every year for the last 10 years, it been my ritual to send this email out to all my friends and families about annual holiday charitable giving campaign/fund-raiser. We all been making difference to almost 15-20 under-privileged and orphaned kids back in India by providing much needed education by joining hands with Sevalaya. Due to my car theft last year, I lost almost $2000 collected funds and only able to donate $1582 in total. We were able to provide funds to support 14 kids plus 3 kids from our previous endowment deposits. Totally, 17 kids education was sponsored last year.

I like to apologies for not being extra careful with the funds. I felt really bad about losing the money which could have help more kids. It never happened to me and even took me to shock as it happened in front of the post office. I can assure you all, it will not happen again.

Current Campaign

Chennai, 4th largest metropolitan city in India was hit by heaviest and deadliest flood in decades. It has been scaled as 2-3 times of Katrina disaster. Flood brought thousands of families in all aspects of life to the streets and their years of belonging washed away in water. Many small business owners lost all their investments and now trying to recoup and rebuild their life.

So this year, we have two goals towards our fundraiser. We plan to invest part of our funds raised towards helping families and businessmen to help on their rehabilitation effort by providing financial aids so they can put their life back together. Also we will try to continue to support those kids who we have been sponsoring for years as well.

With these 2 goals, lets shoot to set another new milestone this year. I kindly request you all to open your heart and contribute graciously and continue the tradition of giving by making a difference in these kids life. Every dollar you contribute goes directly to help the kid’s education, no layer involved. Whether it is $10 or $100, there is no limit. A small help goes long way in making a big difference.

You can contribute in two ways easily,

a) Cash/Cheque – Make check payable to my name for amount less than $100 and send to my home address is 5818 Tarpon Bay Ct, Sugar Land, TX – 77479. If you are donating more than $100 towards (only Sevalaya Kids education) and need a tax receipt, you can make the check payable to ASTI (AMERICAN SERVICE TO INDIA).

b) Credit card – Use Paypal account helpindia2007@yahoo.com. Only use this method if you cannot pay by check because there is a 7% commission charged by paypal from your donation since we don’t have US non-profit status yet.

Our beloved Abdul Kalamji once said, “Man needs difficulties in life because they are necessary to enjoy the success”. Let’s help our fellow humans affected by flood in Chennai by giving financial hand to get through this difficult times and also give Kids from Sevalaya their well deserved education for their bright future. I am sure we all are grateful to have enough to lead happy life and we are thankful for it. Let’s also make little better by sharing little bit of what we have, and also welcome the New year in a good way by giving back to the world.

Please do forward to friends and spread the word around. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you and Have a great Holiday Season!!!

Your friend,