Friday, January 8, 2016
I met Mr. M.V. Srinivasan yesterday. He stays in a senior citizen home in New Jersey and comes down to Chennai every year around this time. He is one of our regular donors and he donates the equivalent of US$240 every year. I had always been intrigued by the amount. A man of few words, it had always been difficult to draw him out into a conversation to know more about him. This time around the Chennai floods gave me an opportunity. I reported to him what we have been doing and he was very happy to hear about our activities. And then some chemistry worked between us. He was not able to restrain himself from talking more about his ‘Home’ and his activities. He talked about a millionaire inmate, who had worked in Microsoft earlier and who serves food to physically challenged people everyday. Some of those to whom he gives care would be too old to maintain regular meal times. He would wait by their bedside until they woke up. Then he came to himself. He gets a modest amount of pension every month. When his pension amount arrives and he draws out some cash, he takes $20 out and puts it in an envelope that is marked with my name. He said it gives him immense pleasure to put the $20 bill in that envelope.He said it was the next best thing for him to actually serve someone or give care to someone. This way the $240 was not at all a burden at the end of the year, when he is ready for his Chennai trip. Moreover his joy of giving gets multiplied 12 times. His trust in me to do exactly what he imagined his donation would do was touching. He did not ask a single question. He only profusely thanked me for giving him that pleasure every month.I had to fight hard to keep my tears back. So many donors have made it possible for us to do something for the flood victims. It is now about a month since we started this Bhavangels project. I hope to get back individually to each one of you soon, with a report of our activities and the details of money spent so far and the benefits the beneficiaries have got so far. Thank you so much for your support.
– Dr. L.N. Rajaram