The second wave of COVID-19 in India has had severe consequences in the form of increasing number of cases and reduced essential supplies. There is a critical and immediate need for oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators in government hospitals and COVID Care Centers. In addition, the lockdown restrictions have resulted in unemployment for many, particularly the daily wage and migrant workers. Supply of dry ration is also affected as lockdowns can significantly impact the ability of families to afford meals. In Chennai, Sevalaya is undertaking relief activities with the support of donors and corporations and distributing dry rations and pre-cooked food. Sevalaya members have been working with hospitals and primary health centers in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Tiruvallur and Nilgiris, procuring and distributing medical supplies. Sevalaya is also operating ambulances and distributing oxygen concentrators with help from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs.
To support these efforts, Sevalaya USA has set a fundraising goal of $50,000 to get Oxygen concentrators and personal protection kits. A total of $ 33,000 has been raised so far. Sevalaya would like to thank all the donors who made this possible. We also would like to acknowledge the following donors:
● Ankitara Foundation, USA for their donation towards the purchase of 6 Oxygen Concentrators for Government General Hospital, Tenkasi.
● Board member Venkatesh Prasad, USA for his donation towards the purchase of 3 Oxygen Concentrators.
● Donor and supporter Mr. Dhamodaran and his friend Mr. K. Venkatesan for organizing, coordinating with Vasavi Seva Foundation and delivering 6 oxygen concentrators to Sevalaya for distribution to hospitals.
In addition, the 1983-1987 batch of the College of Engineering, Guindy raised funds for an Oxygen Plant at the Gudalur Government Hospital with 100 LPM capacity. This project was implemented by Sevalaya members and ensures that 20 hospital beds will get access to permanent oxygen supply at Gudalur.
Since the lockdown of 2020, the Mahakavi Bharathiyar Higher Secondary School has been closed and the classes have transitioned online. This has created urgency around the need for appropriate devices for students to allow them to participate in distance learning. With the help of donors, Sevalaya raised $600 towards the purchase of Smartphones for use by students. Four students from Standard IX and XII were selected from Mahakavi Bharathiyar Higher Secondary School and presented with a smartphone in July 2021.
We also wish to express our deep gratitude to the following:
● Mr. Vijaianand for his endowment which supports the education of 9 students.
● The Hindu Community and Cultural Center of Livermore for a grant of $500 to continue efforts.
● The team of Preethi Srinivas, Yunhan Wang and Paul Irish for volunteering their time to redesign the Sevalaya website.
One easy way to support Sevalaya is to shop on smile.amazon.com. It is the same Amazon you use and the products and services are the same. Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and select Sevalaya USA from the charity list. Whenever you shop on smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
We are also looking for volunteers to join our team. For additional information, please visit us online at sevalaya.us and facebook.com/SevalayaUSA.
Sincerely,
Sevalaya team