CHENNAI: With the launch of the third edition of ‘The Joy of Giving Week’ (JGW) on Monday, the city will see people from all walks of life come together to spread the joy of giving, literally so, from October 2 to 8. Speaking at the launch of the JGW, one of the country’s largest philanthropic campaigns, Meenakshi Ramesh, a volunteer said that the campaign that encourages people to donate time, money or kind to the underprivileged was completely volunteer- driven. Emphasising the need for the ‘spirit to serve the community’, she said that this year they expected the same level of commitment from Chennaiites to ensure the success of the campaign.As part of the campaign, the Downs Syndrome Association of Tamil Nadu will be organising a sports camp for the intellectually challenged, in association with the Sports Development authority of Tamil Nadu in five districts, namely Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Thanjavur and Erode, said Dr Rekha Ramachandran, president of the association. It is important for the society to take responsibility and spread happiness in the life of a child affected with Downs syndrome, she said.Last year, 2,500 children with Downs syndrome assembled in the Nehru Stadium to unwind and participate in a host of extracurricular activities that were organised as part of the campaign. “At least 2000 children will participate in the event this year and we are looking forward to making this event a memorable one for everyone,” she said.The Vastrasamman campaign will collect clothing material across the country to recycle and reuse it for the poor, said Anshu Gupta, the founder of Goonj, an NGO that has been conducting large scale collection-drives for the cause. Moreover, corporates will also be pitching in to ensure the success of the third edition of the campaign.Isha homes will adopt five under privileged schools and aid in painting the school, repairing the broken compounds and toilets, as well as providing leadership training to Class 12 students of the schools, said Suresh Krishnan, Isha Homes MD. In addition to providing a boost to skill-development, 50 youths from underprivileged sections of the society will be selected and trained in plumbing, masonry and painting to ensure an increase in their employability opportunities, he added. This year, the campaign will see the Marriott Group playing a key role in collecting funds for the campaign, according to Karan Berry, Manager, Courtyard Marriott. He said that each of the 13 properties of the group across the country will be conducting events during the week to generate funds. The Marriott group will organise distribution of food to underprivileged homes for destitutes and orphans, partner with a local NGO and invite children to the hotel for a basic-skills-workshop, as well as support the home for children of leprosy-affected patients in Chengalpet that is run by the Marriott group — ‘Marriott Home’.Last year, The ‘Joy of Giving Week’ campaign saw participation of over a million people from more than 40 cities and collection of cash and material worth over `20 crores, to support the underprivileged.
Comments
0 comment