Our Work

A very amicable and productive Board Meeting was held on February 8, 2024 at the Kalotra Residence. 

1. In October 2023, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) concluded that the present Board would continue until further notice. At the February 8, 2024 meeting the current Board Members confirmed that the current Board would continue to serve in 2024.

2. It was decided that all Board Members need to look out for more shelters other than the county ones. Due to increased government funding, the shelters seem to be doing well but they are at capacity, therefore women are looking at other shelters. There has been an increase in cases of domestic abuse as the women are forced to stay at home. 

3. The Endowed Scholarships at the four institutions, NOVA, Montgomery College, UDC and The Universities at Shady Grove where Karuna Charities has established educational scholarships are doing well. This month, a total of $30,000 has been added to the four institutions mentioned above, that is $7,500 each.

4. Community Service – Bina Dhir and Sushma Oberoi have been doing 4-5 services in Maryland and will continue to do so. Karuna is very proud of them and their dedication as well as great service all these years. Amrit Kalotra and Sujata Avasthi as well as others will do 4-5 community services in Virginia and this will also include making and serving food at a local shelter. Many local ladies are part of this group. 

5.  One local community service has already been completed this 2024. Supplies (toiletries, cleaning supplies, undergarments) requested by the shelter worth about $418 were purchased. These were personally handed over at the end of the meeting to Saira Sufi from the Embry Rucker Shelter in Reston, Virginia.

6. The Karuna Youth section, led by Priyanka Rattana and Sangita Kalotra will conduct activities that will bring awareness to our children about the needy kids in our surrounding areas. This year the first activity will be conducted on February 23 at Anna Sudha Kitchen where breakfast will be cooked, packaged by Karuna Kids, and delivered to a local shelter.

7. There will be two fundraisers in 2024: a Golf Tournament either on May 19 or June 2, depending on the availability of the golf club, etc. Ajay Kalotra will be assisted by Sanjay Khanna, Jessie Sethi, Sujata Avasthi, Promila Banik, Bina Dhir, Kanti Singh, and Sushma Oberoi. The Diwali Fundraiser will be on November 10th. The Karuna Board and Ambassadors will work out the details.

Board Members and Ambassadors at the General Body Meeting

Karuna Charities served a sumptuous holiday meal at the Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter in Reston, VA, October 26th, 2023. Seen here in the pictures are the Karuna volunteers. Contributors included: Asha Dhingra, Mona Khanna, Sujata Avasthi, Usha Saluja, Bombay Tandoor, Kiran Masson, Gita Bhatia, Sangita Kalotra, and Amrit Kalotra. Thank you Ajay Avasthi and Dr. Rajeev Srivastava for their help. We served about 100 people at the shelter. In the words of a couple of people whom we served “the food was so good, thank you!” The happy faces of all we served, the men, the women, and the children was very rewarding.

Karuna Charities’ Twelfth Golf Tournament was successfully held on a cloudy, slightly rainy day at the scenic PB Dye Golf Course in the shadows of the Sugarloaf mountains in Ijamsville, Maryland on Sunday, September 10. This enjoyable event was planned and executed by Ajay Kalotra with help from the Board of Karuna Charities.

The Golfers played with a joie de vivre in a friendly, competitive spirit and then enjoyed the massive gourmet lunch catered by Bombay Tandoor.

The results were announced after the lunch. The winners were handed their trophies. The two very excited first place ladies winners were Jessie Sethie and Savita Malhotra. There was a tie for the Men’s first place–Rippy Singh and Sujan Singh and Bobby Khan and Umar Sadiq. Senior winners were Jigar Shah and Sandy Weininger.

Thank you to all our valuable sponsors:

Platinum Sponsors–Vint and Sigrid Cerf and I.B.T.C.I.

Thank you to all the golfers who made The Karuna Golf experience such a success.

Golfers on their way to the greens.

Getting lined up.

Ajay Kalotra starting the tournament.

Members of the Karuna Charities Board.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Venue: PB Dye Golf Course IJamsville. MD.
A must-play, beautiful Golf Course!

Enjoy a leisurely, friendly and competitive round of golf while supporting a charitable cause for the needy, vulnerable and the less unfortunate around us.

Players have begun to sign up.

Thank you!

Karuna Charities served a hot Indian meal at the Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter in Reston, VA, April 5th. Seen here in the pictures are Kamlesh Gulati, Kiran Masson, Rama Sharma, Shashi Anand, Sneh Sabharwal, Sujata Avasthi, Amrit Kalotra and Sangita Kalotra. Others who contributed: Rani Varma (Bombay Tandoor), Asha Dhingra and Meena Singh. We served about 100 people and our members cooked and served a dainty dish each!! Once again we all had a happy and satisfying experience.

Lekha Sreenivasan, Chairperson of Karuna Charities International died in Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala, India on Monday, January 9, 2023. Lekha established Karuna Charities Washington, Inc. 25 years ago In Washington DC when her husband T P Sreenivasan, Deputy Indian Ambassador was posted to the US.

Along with her immense love for humanity and ability to organize the Indian community to work for the greater good, Lekha was an artist and dancer.

She had the ability to inspire the expatriate Indian community in Africa, Europe, and North America to willingly serve the needy in their countries of residence and around the world.

She will be deeply missed by her countless friends and members of Karuna Charities Washington.

Our deepest condolences to Mr. T.P. Sreenivasan and family.

On December 9, 2022 Montgomery College hosted a grand luncheon at the Bethesda North Mariott Hotel to honor donors, including Karuna Charities represented by Kanti Singh (Vice-President), Rohini Khera (Ambassador), and Gita Bhatia (Ambassador and Webmaster). Karuna Charities has been donating a scholarship to Montgomery College annually for many years.

And so the story of Karuna Charities continues!! Next year 2023, the Charity will be completing 25 years of Service to our community and we look forward to a great celebration!! We have straddled these years with hard work and commitment! Time passes and now we see that first our Children and now our Grandkids are getting ready to carry forward the baton! The year 2022 concludes with little ones listening to the Karuna Story and contributing towards the $50 gift cards for Thanksgiving to 50 needy kids!! Our collection of money exceeded our expectations!! The Manager of the Shelter was teary eyed as she was presented with the Gift Cards!! Our Cup runneth Full and Over!!

Thank you – thank you and THANK YOU to our community.

Lookout for our activities for next year which will begin with our presentation of $5,000 each to our Endowed Scholarship holders, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA); University of the District of Columbia (UDC); Montgomery College; and The Universities at Shady Grove.

Karuna Charities wishes you all Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2023!