Be the Cause

Category: Service Vacations

South India Tsunami Fund – The First Step. This email was sent out on Dec. 28th, 2004

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Dear Friends,

I write to you in response to the tragic disaster caused by the earthquake near Sumatra, Indonesia. As we have all heard by now, an enormous amount of lives have been taken. The current number I have heard is around 50,000 people. You may be wondering why I am writing to you. Ironically, I am set to go volunteer in India on Jan 2nd, 2005. As a physical therapist, my plan was to go to Calcutta at the Mother Theresa Orphange and Ram Krishna Mission Hospital for two months This would have been my second trip to India to volunteer. Since I was a child I have always had a desire to go back to my country and help the people. But now I am in a dilemma, how can I go to Calcutta… when there is a greater need in South India? I strongly feel that I need to go to South India. So many people, so much to do. I am raising funds to take to India. With this money, I will either join hands with a local organization in South India to provide relief, or just walk into the streets and beaches and provide whatever needs require immediate help. It can be as simple as buying a bag of flour to make Chappatis or buy blankets.

I leave in a few days, so this will be a Pledge process, based on a honor system. Meaning, you can email me your pledge, and I will take my personal money to cover it. Then send a check made out to “Karuna Patel” ( please write in the “for” section, South India Tsunami Fund) and mail it to my house, which will be deposited in my account.

I am not a non-profit organization, so this is not an offical “fund” and there will be no tax deduction. But I guarantee you that your money will touch those who need it the most, with none of it going to adminstrative costs. ( I pay for my own expenses of travel and food). For those that have no clue who I am, I am just a person to whom service provides a great deal of happiness and peace. I have been a volunteer with Be The Cause for about 2 years now. I was also the Service Coordinator for the South Africa trip on which 17 of us just returned from. But please note, that Be The Cause is in no way tied to this trip to India, just by spirit.

If you have questions, please feel free to email me. Your donation is much appreciated, and will provide a moment of comfort to those whose lives have been torn apart.

Your checks can be mailed to:

Karuna Patel
13400 E. Garvey Ave.
Baldwin Park, CA 91706

c/o Karuna Patel
for: South India Tsunami Fund

Thank You for All Your Support.
Love,
Karuna Patel

another snapshot of Howick

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I wish we could have stayed longer at Howick. The boys were really friendly and approachable, and the setting was calm and beautiful. It would have been nice to stay there longer and really make friends with them. The boys were pretty enthusiastic to show us the structure that “Auntie Jo” made for them. The things I remember the most are how attentive our little guides were as they led us down (and back up) the path to and from the waterfall. My guide told me he was 16 but he seemed very small to be that old. I’m sorry I don’t remember his name, but he was very cute and he had very expressive eyes. As we walked, he pointed out every insect and bird along the way. He showed me a hole where monkeys had dug for food. Sometimes he grabbed my hand to help me over uneven or rocky areas. I was pretty impressed with the natural beauty in front of my eyes, so him showing me all the colorful creepy crawlers hidden away just added another dimension to all the layers of beauty I saw and experienced in South Africa. I loved watching Katie and Mike try to organize a soccor game and watching Jason play frisbee. Most of the kids had never played frisbee before, but by the end of the visit, they were throwing like pros. For kids that have gone thru as much as they have, they fell so naturally into being little kids again. What a relief that must have been for them, even if only for a little while. My interaction with the kids was limited after the hike, because I’ll be honest, the hike up really kicked my butt. But I did manage enough strength to make sure all the kids got an ice cream. I was pretty happy to watch the kids play and have fun with the more “youthful” BTC members… We learned that Howick is a historic place because that’s where Nelson Mandela was arrested before he started his 27 yr. prison term. I left there feeling really burdened about the fact that those boys don’t get to go to school, but at the same time, I’m happy they have someone like Jenny to care about them and give them a reason to stay off the streets. Everything in South Africa is a contrast, and Howick was no exception.

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