2021 Mini Fundraiser Book

Pankaj Patel Chicago

MINI FUNDRAISER 2021

To provide comprehensive & integrated Social Services to the Immigrant population of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Middle East & European countries. These services include but are not limited to educate, counsel, assist & empower individuals & families to become productive members in their new home.

LETTER FROM PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

THE IMPACT OF THIS ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME PANDEMIC HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE HAVE FACED DURING THE LAST YEAR WITHOUT A DOUBT. MAFS IS ALL ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION AND SENIORS ESPECIALLY, THOSE WHO ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE AND AT-RISK. When the situation began evolving rapidly in March

responded immediately. I am so proud of how our staff

2020 there was a lot of uncertainty. Things were

has navigated the challenges we faced during this time,

dramatically changing by the hour and there was no

and I am excited to see how they are using these skills

authoritative book to go by.

of technology to create and persevere for the future.

At that moment, our great team took the lead and

It feels wonderful to finally have most of our seniors

decided to remain open. Our facilities started off

back to the center trying to return to normalcy while

home-delivering meals door to door and looked

taking all precautions to remain safe.

after our senior’s health and well-being by our skilled medical staff ur IT and our IT department trained key

Best Wishes,

people and seniors to connect through Zoom. We transitioned to providing hybrid and virtual services for Public Benefits, Immigration, LIHEAP, Congregate Meal, Golden Diners, Memory Café, and English Classes.

Santosh Kumar

Dr. Firdaus Jafri

Executive Officer

President

Benefit applications were filed online, and our staff

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MEET SOME OF OUR KEY STAFF We would like to thank our incredible staff! They are the ones that put in long hours and give up their weekends so they can find new and innovative ways to help our community. It is not bricks or the building but their tireless dedication and commitment that are the real strength in our organization.

ROSHITA PANDEY

Grants Manager, Corporate Our new Grants Manager, Roshita Pandey, who has more than 10 years of work experience with a proven track record in fundraising for non-profits & client servicing for leading advertising agencies.

She displays strengths in fundraising, grant writing, grant management, program implementation, communications, and public relations. She has a Master’s degree in Marketing Communications Management from the National Institute of Advertising, New Delhi. She has also done a Certificate Program in Fundraising Development from the University of Richmond, Virginia.

She started her career as a communication professional with leading advertising agencies in Delhi.

After a few years in the corporate sector, she responded to her inner calling to serve the community and made a conscious transition to the nonprofit sector. That decision held her in good stead as she continued to gather enriching experiences as a fundraising professional in various non-profit organizations in India and the US. She lives by the motto - “If you do good to the world it comes back to you in much greater measure!”

RADHIKA SUBRAMANIAN

Public Benefit Coordinator, Naperville Our new Public Benefits Coordinator Radhika Subramanian is a very resourceful, hardworking, motivated, and proactive individual with experience in teaching, event management, organization, and teamwork. Her strengths include leading by setting an example, motivating people, and a strong work ethic. Her record of accomplishment of responsibility, having a positive attitude, attentiveness, organizational skills, completion of tasks in a timely manner, and being a strong role model are what make her an asset to Metropolitan Asian Family Services. She has a master’s in languages from India and a certification for Psychology from Yale and contact tracing from Johns Hopkins. Her ability to converse in multiple languages enhances her versatility as a Public Benefits person in our valuable organization.

Prior to joining our team in Naperville, she worked in Indian Prairie School District 204 from 2007-2019.

EUGENIE FAVRE

Public Benefit Coordinator, Chicago Eugenie Favre, an SOS Coordinator at Metropolitan Asian Family Services Chicago office since 2018.

She works as an Intake EST with CEDA helping seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families with help with their light, gas, and Water bill. Ms. Favre also helps families who have not had their homes weatherized in the last 10 years get weatherization for their homes. Ms. Favre also provides our clients with Benefit Access bus passes, Public assistance applications, and more. Ms. Favre goes above and beyond to assist her clients. Ms. Favre is a very cheerful person always smiling.

RAJINDER SINGH

Nutrition Coordinator, Niles Mr. Rajinder Singh is Kitchen Coordinator at Metropolitan Asian Family Services- Niles. Mr. Singh was an Art teacher at a primary school in Punjab- India. He started his services with MAFS as a driver in 2017, with his ability and enthusiasm towards cooking art, he was promoted to Kitchen coordinator in December 2019. He enjoys cooking for our seniors and during his free time at work, he likes to share his Art with our seniors. For him, every single senior is his family. Mr. Singh is also an expert in making sketches of people.

Mini Fundraiser 2021

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OUR SERVICES

MAFS OFFERS A BREADTH OF SERVICES THAT ARE TARGETED TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. WE CAN HELP YOU WITH IMMIGRATION, TRANSLATION, NUTRITION, COMPUTER TRAINING, PAYING YOUR LIGHT AND HEAT BILLS, OR IF YOU’RE JUST IN NEED OF A HOME COOKED MEAL.

REPORT NUMBERS FROM 7/1/2020- 5/31/2021

THE BIG PICTURE

MAFS can only sustain itself and serve the community by Grants, Fundraising, Volunteering and In-kind contributions. The majority of MAFS’s funding comes from Grants and Fundraising. One very important factor that is often overlooked is that funding from; State, Federal and Local Government is given ONLY at 65% to 75% at most to what is needed to run the program.

THE REMAINING 25% TO 35% MUST BE RAISED BY MAFS TO FILL THIS GAP. THAT IS WHY WE NEED OUR COMMUNITY and people

like you to contribute through fundraising activities and/or donations/contributions in person or through mail. These donations/contributions can be in various ways, like cash, In-kind or volunteering hours of service to support MAFS’s programs.

NEW PROGRAMS

HOME DELIVERED MEALS PROGRAM, NAPERVILLE

Funded by City of Naperville: This year MAFS has started home delivered meals program for seniors (60+) residing in the City of Naperville. Freshly cooked healthy meals will be delivered right at their doorstep for their convenience. MAFS will deliver 2600 meals annually under this program. So far 1023 meals have been delivered.

NILES TOWNSHIP GRANT

Niles Township Grant Since its inception, MAFS has and continues to provide help with the immigration and naturalization process for community members. The Immigration Assistance Program, despite being very valuable for the community remained unfunded for many years but not anymore! After 28 years of providing immigration services, MAFS has received its first grant in July 2020 from Niles Township to fund this program. This grant is being utilized to provide a full range of Immigration/ Citizenship services to the community.

RESEARCH STUDY, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, URBANA CHAMPAIGN

This January 2021, MAFS started our partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign on a research study. The goal is to understand the role that family caregivers of older South Asian immigrants may have as “sociocultural navigators” with the health care system, including their experiences, challenges, and concerns. We will recruit participants and the research findings will identify the issues and needs of family caregivers of the older immigrants our organization serves. It may also positively impact the policies and practices around health care delivery for older immigrants for whom effective care may require the participation of family caregivers.

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PUBLIC BENEFITS

MAFS is a pioneer in providing social services to low-income and under-served populations. people We assist client in accessing public benefits available to fit their individual needs. Our staff helps fill out applications for these services and escorts them to the appropriate public benefit cases offices such as Department of Human Services or Social Security Administration, Immigration and Naturalization to submit the application and serve as their interpreter.

We also translate official forms in Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Spanish, and Bosnian languages to facilitate the process of applying for benefits. Our staff acts as liaisons between the client and public officials to help our community members get the help and support they require. This year we had the privilege of helping complete 4422 cases in Cook, Suburban Cook County, DuPage and Lake County. We also served 993 people in Senior Opportunity Services (SOS) program funded through Age Options.

>990

4000

ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) The LIHEAP Program is designed to help low-income families pay their heat and light bills. This program is offered multiple times throughout the year and brings hundreds of people from all nationalities to our Chicago and Niles offices. Many of them arrive before the office opens and wait in line for hours to benefit from this program. This service is funded by the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA).

MAFS’ staff help clients in processing their application to receive funds. This year we have helped 2100 eligible families through this program.

26,293 hours of wellness

CONGREGATE MEALS PROGRAM

MAFS Golden Dinner (City of Chicago) at Chicago & Congregate Meal (Age Options) at Niles and Schaumburg. We have provided 33,031 hot meals to senior community members in 2020 from all three sites. Even though funding has been affected by the budget cut, our active management and seniors have made it possible by bringing funding privately to continue the meal programs.

Want to enjoy a healthy, balanced and freshly cooked meal? Please visit one of our locations near you!

checks on zoom

33,031 meals

ADULT LITERACY PROGRAM

50

individuals

25

volunteer tutors

Adult Literacy Program funded by the office of Secretary of State, Jesse White. Started in July 2018, this program is running very successfully at 3 locations. We have 50 senior students, who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL).

We have 25 volunteer tutors who run this program smoothly.

This program has undoubtedly helped seniors improve their English learning skills and simplified their daily lives by helping them manage their banking needs by reading, understanding, writing and signing their own forms. They can communicate on the telephone with ease! They are now able to communicate with their grandchildren effortlessly, who have been born and brought up in the US. They can count currency helping them shop and be independent. They understand and watch regular TV programs. If you are interested in enrolling in this program, please feel free to call us at 630-788-3557 for further information.

62,000+ meals delivered through Home Delivered Meals Program

2100+ families served by LIHEAP this year

SENIOR HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (SHIP)

MAFS is a Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) certified. Take advantage of our free statewide health insurance counseling service for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. We have served 1100 clients last year in 2020. Seniors with any Medicare or Medicaid queries can contact Urvashi Bhatt in our Chicago location for ore informations.

OTHER PROGRAMS: IMMIGRATION NILES TOWNSHIP

DUPAGE HUMAN SERVICES

300

300

individuals

UIUC RESEARCH STUDY

20

individuals

individuals Mini Fundraiser 2021

24%

increase in the individuals enrolled in Medicaid or Marketplace Insurance

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OUR SENIORS

Pankaj Patel Chicago

Rashmikaben Shah Schaumburg

Purushottam Thakur Schaumburg

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I joined MAFS in 1999. My mother was going to Vandnaji for English classes on Devon Ave, Chicago, IL. My mother met Mrs. Kumar there. One day, Mrs. Kumar gave me her business card and asked me to meet her at her MAFS office which was located on Fairfield Ave, Chicago, IL. I was working at the airport at that time as a security checking officer. When I had a holiday, I went to see Mrs. Kumar at her MAFS office. Mrs. Kumar introduced Homecare and other public benefits services to me. I applied for Homecare services for my parents. Upon approval of the services, I started working for my parents as their HCA. One day, there was a social summer program downtown. Mrs. Kumar invited all three of us to that event. On the way, Mrs. Kumar interviewed me in her van about my education and hobbies. I told her that I have a BA in sociology from SNDT woman’s college in Bombay, India. And in addition, I have training in NCC, adult education classes, social services such as helping to feed TB patients at a hospital in India.

I mentioned to her that I like hiking, cooking, stitching, hosting fashion shows, event and trip planning, decoration, fancy dress competition, and organizing dramas.

Mrs. Kumar asked me to join MAFS in the year 2000 to check the calendars for Homecare files.

I enjoyed my work and loved referring many of my mother’s friends from Devon Satsang to MAFS homecare and other social services as well. Mrs. Kumar was impressed and admired my ability to make friends, outreach, and engage the elderly in various activities. Mrs. Kumar asked me to be in charge of ADS in 2005. Since that time, as an activity director, I am in charge of all the activities for seniors daily. We pray, exercise, play games, go on trips, celebrate birthdays and festivals, create and role-play in dramas, and enjoy many fun activities together as a MAFS family.

I came to Chicago in 1975 and got my green card in 1978. Later, I volunteered my services at the Metropolitan Asian Family Services. When I received my legal status, I got a job as a machine operator making scarfs and then worked for the hospital’s laundry service department. I am proud to say that I am a U.S. citizen and self employed for many years such as cooking, baby sitting and worked as a sales girl to provide support to my family. I lost my husband in 2015 and I miss him a lot. He was very sincere, loving, supportive and a shy person.

Due to my strong work ethics, I was hired by MAFS. Mrs. Santosh Kumar and Promila Mehta were of great help and support to me. I help sponsor Indian festivals such as Diwali and Tulsi Vivah. I believe in cleanliness and am a big fan of the Clean India (Swachh Bharat) Project. Therefore, I volunteer to clean the streets of Chicago. I come to adult day care five days a week and it feels like family to me. They taught me “be well, live well and age well”. I am saddened and sorry for a great loss of Mr. Pramod Kumar. He was a great man with a heart of gold and I miss seeing him around. Mrs. Santosh Kumar considered me as her family member. We are all fortunate to have Promila Mehta. All seniors like her bhajans everyday and friendly loving nature. We are a proud MAFS family and enjoy fully. We are happy and healthy seniors because of MAFS!

I go to Schaumburg location of senior center, and I just wanted to thank you on behalf of each and every senior member at Schaumburg and all the other locations for taking really good care of us. The decision you made to help and take care of seniors is really fit to be saluted. Here in the United States, most of the senior faces mental, physical health, loneliness which you already know, and the decision you have made to make that go away is really great and respectable. For example, you make our loneliness go away by driving us and dropping us back home, you organize tea and snack, lunch in the afternoon which is always healthy and all the lovely and helpful staff at the senior center takes really good care of us. With their guidance, we start our day with prayer and then do all the activities such as singing, dancing, saying jokes, all the physical activities, yoga, and meditation we do provides more strength to us and all the other activities you and your staff do for us is really grateful of you. Whenever there is a festival, you guide us to celebrate and enjoy in a particular way which brings a lot of happiness in our life.

Last but not least, during this tough situation of COVID-19 that the world is facing, you and your staff are always ready to help us. The way your staff takes risk of their life during this coronavirus situation to bring us food home to home which is kindly appreciated. Plus the way your staff calls all the seniors to ask them about their health is really appreciable. That brings smiles to our faces. And especially in this world-changing situation, you and your staff are really helpful to us and we’re looking forward go back to the center as this COVID-19 situation calms down. Thank you for doing everything you can to make us happy. It means a lot to us. We miss you every day. God bless you and your staff for doing the best you do for everyone.

metropolitian asian family services

Fnu (Dr.) Bansidhar, IAS, DHMS

For the last fifteen years, we were coming to the US every year for three to four months to be with our only daughter. With our advancing age, our daughter decided to get a green card for us, and now we are in the USA for a longer period. In India, we were very active socially in the circle of our relatives and intimate friends. Initially, we were very bored and upset here. On the advice of our friend in Chicago, we became members of MAFS, and our lives have now become interesting and livable in the company of our friends in the center. The whole credit for this change goes to our able and worthy Mrs. Santosh Kulshreshta Kumar. We and others in the center feel highly indebted to Mrs. Kumar. Mrs. Santoshji is doing a highly commendable job for seniors in Chicagoland.

She has done an equally commendable job for the COVID pandemic in India.

The supervisory staff and others at the center are extremely cooperative and helpful. And, that has made our life more interesting and happy.

Chicago

Congratulating MAFS on 29 Years!

Sunitaben Parikh Naperville

We, Dilipbhai and Sunitaben, were a married couple and have lived by ourselves in our home for many years. When we received a letter telling us to join the center, we asked a few people and we found out many good things about this center which are indescribable. We have been attending this center for the last 10 years and have been active, even in this pandemic we have been joining the zoom calls. We wholeheartedly thank Neelamben Desai, the drivers, ADS coordinators staff, and the kitchen staff.

So far, we used to celebrate our birthdays, wedding anniversaries and other small occasions by ourselves at our home but now doing that in the center in the presence of many people gives us more joy. Also, here we celebrate occasions for all different religions and nationalities which gives us a lot of bliss and contentment.

The staff has shown to be very caring dedicated and loving. Last year, due to my husband’s health issue, Mukeshbhai, Neelamben, and other staff ladies took immediate action and also called 911, which I felt very supportive of.

The center has been a blessing in disguise for us, especially our CEO and founder of this organization, Dr. Santosh Kumar.

Recently my husband passed away on May 7, 2021, suddenly due to a heart attack, and all staff members have personally called to comfort and show compassion in my difficult times. I wish to thank his homecare aide Meenaben Patel and her supervisor Shilpaben Doshi for taking such good care of him all this while. All the staff at the homecare office and my homecare aide Jagruti Dagli and her supervisor Simoli Kapadia have always taken very good care of us.

ADS staff Heenaben, Evaben, Parulben, and Rozeenaben are taking good care of me, and call me every day to check up on my well-being.

My Blessings to this company and everyone working in it!

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ACTIVITIES AT OUR SENIOR CENTERS 1

NAPERVILLE - GANDHI KING LEGACY ROUND TABLE SUMMIT was an over whelming accomplishment that commemorated Black History Month and Mahatma Gandhi’s 73rd Anniversary! The theme of this Summit was “Challenges of Behavioral Health Crisis During the Covid Pandemic”. Due to these uncertain times, our future poses the grimmest challenge of Behavioral Health Crisis in America.

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ORLAND PARK Our Orland Park Seniors give us an inspiring message of hope during the Covid pandemic and telling us to flatten the curve.

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NILES - Tarinda McGee helping a client with Public Benefits during COVID. We held Open Houses to provide all immigrationrelated services from July-October 2020, every Wednesday at Chicago, Niles, Schaumburg, and Roselle locations on a rotation basis. We used this opportunity to do on the spot Census registration and got hundreds of people to walk in and register for the Census!

Official Census Representatives assisted us in the task.

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SCHAUMBURG - Dipti, our ADS Manager, conducts a Virtual Zoom meeting with our Schaumburg Seniors to celebrate Holi in March of this year.

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CHICAGO - Ram Pooja celebration at our Chicago location. Sitting L to R 1st Row: Pankaj Patel (ADS coordinator), Mrs Santosh Kumar (Executive Director), Promila Mehta (CCP), Neelam Patel (Manager), 2nd Row: L To R: Suchi(Corporate) Roshita(Manager), Jayshree(Home Health), Dipti(ADS Coordinator), Jagruti (ADS), Urvashi(Public Benefits)i 3rd Row: L to R: Famina (CCP Supervisor), Amra(CCP Supervisor), Tasneem(ADS), Amela (CCP Supervisor)

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VERNON HILLS Namita, our ADS coordinator, has Seniors celebrating & dancing via Zoom.

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ALL LOCATIONS, Seniors from all our locations saluting all the front-line workers including our staff that kept them safe during the pandemic and encouraging us to stay together in these tough times

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CURTAIN RAISER 2021 MAFS proudly showcased a spectacular CURTAIN RAISER, “Wafa Na Raas Aayee”, on May 16th, 2021. It was a non-stop entertaining LIVE show, featuring Jubin Nautiyal, and Arushi Nishank who joined live from Bombay at 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. This curtain raiser is a preview for our Semi-Annual Gala to be held on May 29th, 2021.

The show began at 11:00 am as Mr. Mir Ali introduced the gorgeous hosts of the event, Ms. Pratibha Jairath, and Ms. Richa Chand. They welcomed Jubin Nautiyal, a well-known musical artist, and Arushi Nishank, a renowned Indian Classical dancer, actor, film producer, and environmentalist.

Jubin Nautiyal was awarded the Upcoming Male Vocalist of the Year at the 8TH Mirchi Music Awards in 2016 for his song “Zindagi Kuch Toh Bata” and the Rising Musical Star Award at the Zee Business Awards in 2015. Ms. Arushi Nishank apart from recently seen in her first debut music hit “Wafa Na Raas Aayee” is also a promoter of the Sparsh Ganga Campaign. She is also the daughter of Mr. Ramesh Pokhriyal, India’s Union Cabinet Minister for Education and former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.

The show started with Jubin’s famous songs like “Chitti”, followed by “Wafa Na Raas Aayee”, “Tumhe Anna”, “Humnava Mere”, and many more, while he strummed on his guitar and mesmerized the listeners. In between the songs, Pratibha and Richa interviewed Arushi and Jubin about their journey to stardom. They both said through dedication and love for what they do have brought them to be where they are now.

The show continued with a vibrant and jovial conversation with Jubin and Arushi. During the conversation, Arushi shared that her mother and dad were her role models.

Many people from the media waited patiently to interview Jubin and Arushi. The first to interview was Ghosia Ghiasuddin, a well-known radio host She asked them about their journey

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in making “Wafa Na Raas Aayee”. Both said that it was a Team effort. The next media person was Munir Ahmad ji from Chalta TV (Dallas). He first congratulated Prashant Kumar and his MAFS IT team for putting together such a well-organized show comprising of people from all over the world, which is a very complex undertaking. He praised them for a JOB WELL DONE! He praised the young stars for their achievements and asked about their future endeavors. From Adbhhut Media Gurmeetji asked about Arushi’s journey as a classical dancer, and she explained that she is happy to know that classical dance and music are becoming more prevalent with the youngsters and urged them to continue to learn classical dance and music.

Vandana Jinghan interviewed both and said that she a big fan of both. Rachna Srivastava from California who writes for Hum Hindustani., was there to interview the star of the show. At this time, Arushi shared her thoughts that “Success is never a destination it is a journey” and Jubin said, “Honestly paves one’s path to success.”

Arushi praised Dr. Mrs. Santosh Kumar for being her inspiration. Mrs. Kumar invited both Jubin and Arushi to join us for our grand Gala on October 17th, 2021.

Involving and perfectly coordinating such an organized show is such a difficult task especially when participants are from all over the world. Mrs Kumar thanked the IT Team for perfectly and efficiently putting together such lovely show involving participants from all over the world. She thanked the media, Mr. Ali, Ms Richa, Ms. Pratibha and her staff for working behind the scenes and making this show a success.

Dr. Kumar spoke about the part Metropolitan Asian Family Services is playing to help the community during this Pandemic, like delivering homecooked healthy meals to the homebound seniors and many more. For more details visit us at mafsinc.com or umasinc.com.

The show ended with Dr. Kumar thanking the many viewers who poured their wishes and thoughts. Requests for more songs kept coming even after the show ended.

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