MAFS fundraiser held in celebration of Asian Heritage month

Chicago IL: On June 8th, 2013, MAFS celebrated Asian Heritage Month by organizing a grand fundraiser event at their Naperville office located at 1032 E. Ogden Avenue, Naperville, IL- 60532. Elected officials, community members, agency staff and seniors participated in this colorful event and showed their support for MAFS.

The program began with the welcome address delivered by Mr. Naren Patel, CEO of Medstar Lab Inc. and current MAFS Board member. He extended his warm welcome to all the dignitaries and the audience present. Next, lamp lighting was performed by State Rep. Darlene Senger and the invocation prayer was recited by Ketan Maharaj of Jalaram Mandir. A devotion Bhajan was performed by special guest singer, Ms. Shaila Khedkar. Shree Gurusamy and Neelam Desai served as MC’s for the program and they invited each dignitary to speak on this joyous occasion. State Senator Tom Cullerton, State Rep Michelle Mussman, Mayor of Naperville, George Pradel, and Commissioner of Chicago Water Reclamation, Mr. Frank Avila addressed the gathering and offered their deep appreciation for MAFS and the community service it has been providing to the Asian community.

Next, the Executive Director of MAFS, Mrs. Santosh Kumar spoke about the hardship faced by social service providers who have to deal with decreasing State and Federal funding, overdue payments and uncertainty during these tough economic times. She emphasized about educating community members about the need for monetary support to operate programs and sustain existing services without interruptions. She urged the audience to donate generously for the benefit of the clients served.

The entertainment program began with a beautiful Bharatanatyam dance item presented Ruth and Anjali Varghese of Kalapadma Dance Academy. They portrayed Draupadi Cheer Haran and the story of Prahalada, the great Vishnu Devotee. Audience was truly spellbound by this expressive dance item.
A spectacular Fashion show was presented by members of the Naperville Adult Day Center showcasing Asian Culture and Traditions. Dressed in colorful costumes they displayed so much enthusiasm and confidence. The audience enjoyed their youthful spirit and extraordinary courage.

This was followed by a skit presented by Chicago Seniors and staff members of MAFS. The play titled, “Aakhir Kyu” was directed by Ms. Pankaj Patel. It depicted the unfortunate condition of elderly parents who are living in nursing homes, away from their children and grand children. This play truly touched the audience and brought tears to their eyes. A big applause was given to all the participants of this play for bringing such an emotional subject to the forefront.

Next Dinner break was announced and delicious food prepared by MAFS Kitchen staff was served to all the people in attendance. During dinner, music performance commenced. First, Ms. Shaila Khedkar performed a few popular songs of Lata ji. Then other singers, Mr. Shahzad Ahmed, Ms. Shikha Tandon, Mr. Mahijit Singh Virdi and Ms. Iffat Ara performed some popular Bollywood hits, much to the liking of the audience. Later Ms. Shaila Khedkar continued her music performance and impressed the audience with her melodious voice and catchy songs from Bollywood.

Vote of Thanks was given by Mr. Rakesh Asthana, a board member of MAFS. He acknowledged the support given by all the staff for putting together this wonderful fundraising program. He thanked the dignitaries for their gracious presence and support for this charity event. Donations collected at this event will be utilized for programs benefiting the elderly.

About MAFS:
Metropolitan Asian Family Services, is a not-for-profit Tax-Exempt 501 © (3) multi-cultural organization established in 1992 with a mission to provide comprehensive and integrated social services to immigrant population of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lankan and East European communities facing linguistic and cultural barriers. It has been serving the Asian community for the last 20 years providing yeomen service through its various programs. Currently MAFS centers are located in Chicago, Niles, Roselle, Carol Stream, Naperville, Algonquin, Vernon Hills and Orland Park covering over eight counties in Chicago Metropolitan area. MAFS programs and services have grown consistently to address the growth of the Asian population Chicago area. Services include Immigration and Public Benefits Assistance Program, Interpretation and Translation Services for Limited English speaking clients, Social Services and Community Outreach, Advocacy and Community Resource Development, Senior Nutrition Program, Health Promotion Programs, English as Second Language Classes and Computer Training. Recently they have opened two Medical clinics to serve the needy and uninsured population, which are located in Naperville and Chicago. Annual health fairs are conducted every year providing free medical checkups and health screenings to the participants. Their newest addition is Metro Home Health Care which was established to serve the elderly population who require medical care and therapy services at home. For more information about MAFS, visit: http://www.mafsinc.com/