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Marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month, country's second oldest South Asian gender-justice organization plans to develop evidence-based, culturally relevant models to break cycles of intergenerational trauma
NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation awarded Sakhi for South Asian Women (Sakhi), the second oldest South Asian gender-justice organization in the United States, a $3 Million grant spread over the next 10 years to deepen multigenerational healing to South Asian families experiencing gender-based violence. The largest gift of its kind to any South Asian American social service organization, this multi-year grant will help Sakhi establish the South Asian Safe Families Initiative, which will focus on supporting South Asian families through a culturally rooted approach. "The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation has enabled Sakhi for South Asian Women to pursue transformative work with families impacted by violence through the South Asian Safe Families Initiative," said Kavita Mehra, Executive Director of Sakhi for South Asian Women. "This bold initiative will take the conversation of healing from a siloed, individual experience to one that will bring families closer together and the restorative ripple effects of this investment will be felt for generations," Mehra added. Historically, not enough resources have been made available to the community. Research on mental health and gender-based violence is rarely adapted for the community, and South Asian-specific stressors such as immigration, socio-economic disparities, racism, and caste are seldom taken into account. Sakhi and The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation believe that without considering these unique experiences, South Asian families risk transferring that trauma from one generation to the next and repeating the cycles of violence. "Building upon the more than 30 years of experience Sakhi has developed in helping heal South Asian survivors affected by gender-based violence, we saw an opportunity to expand services to the children and family members also profoundly affected by the trauma of violence," said Anita Bhatia, MHA, Executive Director of The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation. "Gender-based violence has an indelible impact on families from one generation to the next so it is important to not only find ways to break the cycle but to recognize that such healing takes time," Bhatia added. The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation's 10 year grant will allow Sakhi to develop culturally valid interventions, and provide therapy that can strengthen the parent-child bond and interrupt this cycle. Expanding on Sakhi's previous mental health interventions — made possible by an earlier 2019 grant by The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation — The South Asian Safe Families Initiative will address a crucial need in the community. Investing in the mental health of South Asian children and families recovering from violence are vital for the well-being of the entire community. At the start of this Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation's $3M grant to Sakhi for South Asian Women renews their long standing commitment to addressing mental health in South Asian communities and can help radically transform models of healing for survivors of trauma. About Sakhi for South Asian WomenFounded in 1989, Sakhi for South Asian Women (Sakhi) exists to represent the South Asian diaspora in a survivor-centered movement for gender justice. As the second oldest gender-justice organization serving the community, we honor the collective and inherent power of all survivors of violence. Sakhi is committed to serving survivors through a combination of efforts including—but not limited to—direct services, advocacy and organizing, technical assistance, and community outreach. The Executive Director of Sakhi for South Asian Women, Kavita Mehra, is available for interviews about how to support South Asian survivors of domestic violence. Sakhi for South Asian Women, P.O. Box 1333. Church Street Station New York NY 10008-1333 www.sakhi.org Contact: Tan Hayat, Media Liaison tan.hayat@sakhi.org (347) 415-3951 (cell)
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Friendship Campus breaks ground on $55 million facility in Redondo Beach The 64,000-square-foot facility will house a culinary school, arts studio and vocational training center to help those with special needs.The $55 million Friendship Campus, a first-of-its-kind center to assist those with special needs with job training and placement, celebrated its groundbreaking in Redondo Beach Aug. 10. Pictured are benefactor Harris Toibb; Friendship Foundation founder Yossi Mintz; and benefactors Mike Kaplan, Anita Bhatia, Michael Greenberg, Ted Schwartz, Jon Hirshberg and Yosef Gorowitz. (photo by Michael Hixon) The $55 million Friendship Campus, a first-of-its-kind center to assist those with special needs with job training and placement, celebrated its groundbreaking in Redondo Beach this week.
The 64,000-square-foot facility, on 3.25 acres, is being developed on land owned by the Redondo Beach Unified School District. It will house a culinary school, arts studio and vocational training center. About 1,000 people attended the Wednesday, Aug. 10, event, according to organizers, including representatives from the Friendship Foundation, which is spearheading the project, local government officials, benefactors and other supporters. There are nearly 200,000 children in Los Angeles County schools who are on the autism spectrum, foundation Executive Director Yossi Mintz said during his remarks at the groundbreaking. About 83% of those students will be unemployed once they graduate high school, he said. “We all know a child or young adult who is on the spectrum,” Mintz said. “They deserve to live a beautiful life.” Approximately $42 million has been raised for the Friendship Campus, which is expected to be completed in 2024. Parents of young adults with special needs are apprehensive as they leave behind school district services and other programs, Mintz said. “I will tell you they (parents) don’t know what the future is going to be,” Mintz said. “I do see them trembling with tears running down.” The Friendship Campus, Mintz said, will give young adults a place to learn how to be independent and gain the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace — while easing the fears of parents.
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TSC Alliance® and Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation Announce New TSC Research CollaborationDALLAS, TX, July 28, 2022 – Tonight during the opening of the 2022 World TSC Conference in Dallas, the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation announced a new collaboration with the TSC Alliance, working together to uncover biomarkers, test new treatments and connect researchers with families to better address TSC-Associated Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TAND), which impact nearly everyone living with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The $2.5 million foundational gift is the largest single donation in the TSC Alliance’s history. TSC is a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow in different organs and can impair their function, primarily the brain, heart, kidneys, skin and lungs. Changes in the brain caused by TSC have the biggest impact on quality of life, from seizures and developmental delays to intellectual disabilities, behavioral challenges and autism. This new funding will create “Anya’s Accelerator,” which will focus on furthering TAND translational research. TAND includes a wide range of cognitive, behavioral and psychiatric challenges linked to the disease’s effect on brain function. Autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, neuropsychological deficits, aggressive behaviors and more can severely affect people with TSC and their families. However, much is still unknown about TAND issues and how to effectively treat them, hence the need for more targeted research. “The TSC Alliance is incredibly grateful to the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation for this historic donation,” said Kari Luther Rosbeck, President & CEO of the TSC Alliance. “We know TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders are incredibly challenging for people with TSC and their loved ones, and this funding will give us the ability to start finding answers and, hopefully, identify effective interventions.” ”Clinical trials for treating TAND are challenging for many reasons, particularly because TAND affects different people in different ways,” explained Steven L. Roberds, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at the TSC Alliance. “This program will work to overcome these challenges by developing ways to measure the most impactful aspects of TAND for each individual and identifying biomarkers to enable targeting of specific treatments for treatment of specific individuals. The three-year “Anya’s Accelerator” research program will focus on three major goals:
### About the TSC Alliance The TSC Alliance is an internationally recognized nonprofit that does everything it takes to improve the lives of people with TSC. It drives research, improves quality care, works to increase access and advocates for all affected by the disease. For more information, visit tscalliance.org. About the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation, founded in 2006, is a private family foundation established by Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia. The Foundation is dedicated to making an impactful change around the world by funding innovative solutions and programs that enrich communities and serve the common good. The Foundation’s grant making focuses on local, national, and international organizations that support medical & healthcare research, education, mental health, intellectual and physical diversities, human rights & social justice, women & girls’ empowerment, and emergency responses. www.rkbhatiafoundation.org. Media Contact Jaye Isham Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications TSC Alliance jisham@tscalliance.org (301) 562-9890
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When the pandemic started, Lauren S., a single mother of two, saw her work as an independent contractor grind to a halt. Suddenly, with two kids who were learning online and home all day, she was a full-time mom with no means to support her household. The sporadic work projects she could get paid only for groceries and some utility bills.
In September 2021, Lauren received a lifeline in the form of a $4,000 rent relief payment to help make ends meet. “Having applied to Esusu and their rental assistance program, I just have to say, thank you for the incredible work you do, to help people like myself find financial assistance during what has been the scariest 2 years of my life ... What you have done for us has allowed me to actually breathe and be a normal mom who isn’t riddled with stress and anxiety.” Lauren is not alone. COVID-19 shined a light on the vulnerabilities of working families. United Way of Greater Los Angeles’s economic mobility work became even more critical to help families weather the economic storm of the pandemic. One in five children in L.A. County lives in poverty, and almost 400,000 families survive on less than $26,000 per year. Rental assistance can help prevent eviction and homelessness, the effects of which often stay with families for years. Keeping families in their homes improves their chances of academic success, financial stability, and overall well-being long-term. Since May 2021, UWGLA has worked with longtime partner Strength Based Community Change and The Community Action League to facilitate applications for California's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) in targeted underserved communities, focusing largely on Southeast L.A. and the Antelope Valley. With the generous support of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), UWGLA helped nearly 500 households submit ERAP applications. Today, many have already successfully received much-needed rental assistance from the state. The state average rental assistance total is more than $12,000. “As the nation recoils from the impact of the pandemic, LISC continues to forge resiliency in our communities, ensuring that communities are doing more than surviving – communities must be thriving. With the help of community and financial partners, LISC has been able to shape the California COVID Rental and Utility Assistance program to help protect and support tenants and landlords. LISC works with nonprofit and community partners with capacity to provide local on the ground and in-language support to residents to help them access the California Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP),” said Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Executive Director of LISC LA, and the State’s Local Partner Network (LPN) Coordinator. “We know that this health and economic crisis is particularly stressful on our lowest income households, with many unable to pay rent now and in the coming months. The California COVID-19 Rent Relief program has been a lifeline for renters and their families struggling to make ends meet and stay housed.” “United Way is grateful to work with LISC to help so many families in need. However, as we began to work with partners on the state program, we realized that a number of families were going to fall through the cracks because of limitations in eligibility,” said Evelyn Garcia, UWGLA’s Director of Economic Mobility. “To ensure we had the resources to help them, we engaged service provider Esusu to provide assistance in these special cases. Thanks to a gift from the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation, we are able to provide direct rental relief with a special focus on families like Lauren’s.” UWGLA partnered with rent relief and reporting service provider Esusu beginning in August 2021 to extend rental assistance to even more families. “The resilience of families like Lauren’s in the face of unprecedented challenges from COVID-19 is remarkable,” said Abbey Wemimo, Esusu cofounder and Co-CEO. “We are grateful to work with United Way to keep families in their homes through rental assistance,” added Esusu cofounder and Co-CEO Samir Goel. Esusu facilitated the process with funds from the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation. With an average gift size of $2,221, they helped 21 families stay in their homes in 2021. Many of the benefitting families live in the Lynwood and Southgate area off the 710 freeway, which is historically under-resourced and has been devastated by pandemic job losses during the last two years. "At a time of crisis, when many families and communities were facing financial hardship and uncertainty, it was critical for organizations and individuals to respond to the call so that no one was left behind. We understood that the needs greatly outweighed the limited resources available, especially in many hard-hit communities throughout Los Angeles,” said Anita Bhatia, Executive Director, Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation. “We were excited and grateful to partner with United Way of Greater Los Angeles to create a Covid Relief Fund for families struggling from the economic effects of the pandemic. Through the United Way's extraordinary work on the ground and identifying areas of need, we were able to help many hardworking families remain in their homes and lessen the long-term economic damage that could have happened without additional financial assistance." Here are some other families who the fund helped in their own words: “I was unemployed for half the year while COVID-19 shut down LA. I obtained a lot of debt and was on the verge of being homeless.” — Vanessa “So many of my hours have been cut at work. I’m barely eating and trying to pay bills and take care of my family.” — Janisha “From March 2020 through September 2020, my former employer reduced my salary by 55% due to COVID-19. In December 2020, my employer eliminated my position and laid me off without any severance pay.” — Cara “This past year has been such a rollercoaster for my family. Due to school closure happening so abruptly I was left with finding childcare for my 3-year-old and 12-year-old. I had to rely on my 17-year-old son to help. It brought peace of mind to know that we have secured housing during this pandemic. I am forever grateful.” — Melissa With the help of key partners and generous donors, UWGLA will continue to serve as a bridge for families like Lauren’s.
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CFT’s North Texas Giving Day–the largest community-uniting, generosity-raising giving event in the nation – is a time for celebration, joy, and GIVING! Each September, thousands of nonprofits (this year, more than 3,300!) are supported by the givers in the North Texas region–and friends from around the world–who prioritize lifting the life-changing work done by incredible North Texas organizations every single day. This year, NTX Giving Day marked its 13th annual celebration and broke another record, raising $66 million by way of more than 100,000 donors!
North Texas Giving Day is made possible by generous organizations, individuals, and supporters, including The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation, a private family foundation established by Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia in 2006. Based in Bedford, Texas, the Foundation is dedicated to making an impactful change around the world by funding innovative solutions and programs that enrich communities and serve the common good. After being introduced to NTX Giving Day in 2020, the Bhatias felt that supporting the event was in direct alignment with their mission. The foundation's grantmaking focuses on local, national, and international organizations that support medical and healthcare research, education, mental health, intellectual and physical diversities, human rights and social justice, women and girls empowerment, and emergency responses. On NTX Giving Day, the Bhatia family experienced the day live and in color, when their family and foundation staff came to visit and spread a little love and joy to organizations across the metroplex. Because of their support, for the first time ever, NTX Giving Day featured and awarded dedicated prizes to nonprofits working in the cause areas of intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities and mental and behavioral health. The family and team made site visits to nonprofits, participated in virtual prize announcements, and learned about the transformational work happening right here in the region they call home. While on a site visit to Ranch Hands Rescue-Bob’s House of Hope, a safe house for young men who have endured sex trafficking, the family was so inspired and moved that they awarded the organization another $5,000 grant and sponsored a Thanksgiving celebration for clients and staff. The Bhatia family and their foundation are prime examples of how a family’s commitment to generosity can build connections and create moments that leave a lasting impact on real people’s lives, one gift at a time. Their generosity translated to showing up, listening, and sharing. They modeled their mission, and that mission was certainly felt on Giving Day and in the days that followed. Click here to read the full Annual Report |