PRASAD, New York : Newsletter for April 2007
Meet Gotya, PRASAD Chikitsa’s Youngest Eye Surgery Recipient
Editors note: Dr. Anurag Agarwal, PRASAD Chikitsa eye surgeon, sent us this touching story about the youngest person, so far, to have cataract surgery at Gurudev Siddha Peeth Netra Chikitsa Hospital.
Bhalchandra Shanwar Mokne (Gotya) is a 13-year-old boy who lives with his parents and two siblings in Ghotawade, a small rural village of about 300 people. He had been blind since he was a small child; his parents remembered him playing as a toddler, but then he started losing his vision, becoming completely blind by the age of five. His siblings, because they could see fine, took Gotyas blindness as a curse upon them.
PRASAD de México held 16 eye camps in 2006, in which nearly 2,500 people had eye surgery for cataract or strabismus (cross-eyed). The camps continue in 2007 14 are scheduled and two new projects also are underway, both of which benefit children.
For several months, the PRASAD Project staff has been working with website design firm, PureTech Internet, based in Mumbai, India, to create a new website for PRASAD. On April 11, all the hard work paid off as we went live with our newly designed site. To see it, click here – then send us an email at feedback@prasad.org letting us know what you think. We will continue to make refinements in the site, as needed, based on your feedback.
Search, Shop, Support PRASAD!
Search. You can raise funds for PRASAD just by doing something you likely do every day searching the Internet.
GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates 50 percent of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. Its easy to do; just go to http://www.goodsearch.com, type in PRASAD Project, and then from the GoodSearch home page, begin searching.
Shop. For those of you who purchase products online, you can help raise funds for PRASAD by doing your shopping at Giveline.com, an online store where every transaction makes a contribution to the non-profit you designate. Go to http://www.giveline.com and click on the Search All Charities link to select PRASAD as your designated charity. You then will see a message at the top of your screen confirming you are shopping to benefit PRASAD. Browse the site, make your selections, and go to checkout. The amount PRASAD will receive for your purchases will be listed there.
New Tax Act: IRA Proceeds Can Be Distributed to PRASAD
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 contains a provision for individuals to distribute IRA proceeds to charitable organizations. Individuals 70½ years or older will be able to make a tax-free distribution of IRA proceeds in an amount up to $100,000 to a charitable organization through December 31, 2007. For those who do not need the cash from minimum required distributions, this provides a valuable benefit. To determine if this provision fits your individual situation, consult with a tax professional.
New PRASAD Partner Shawl Campaign Continues
Anyone who joins The PRASAD Project as a new partner, giving a minimum of $25 per month, will receive a beautiful shawl as a thank you. The shawls have been donated to PRASAD by Love Quotes. For more details, please email Ekaterini Vlamis, ekateriniv@prasadproject.org or call her at 845.434.0376, ext. 132.
To Support PRASAD’S Programs
Please visit our website to make a donation online or, if you prefer, please send a check to the address below. You may contact Donor Development via email at ekateriniv@prasadproject.org or
by phone at 845.434.0376 ext. 132.
Contact Information
The PRASAD Project
465 Brickman Road
Hurleyville, NY 12747
Phone: 845.434.0376
Fax: 845.434.0377
www.prasad.org