Our Charity Journey..

NSS of Chicago is proud to support local Illinois-based not-for-profit organizations like the Lazarus House. Our very first volunteering activity was at this homeless shelter in June 2019. We look forward to supporting local, mission-focused non-profit organizations. These engagements not only help us give back; it also helps in inculcating the basic tenets of charitable giving to our young volunteers.

August 16th, 2018. People of Kerala state in Southern India witnessed the largest flood in their lifetimes. Torrential rain did not stop for several days and nights. This, along with the opening of fifty-seven dams created the worst natural disaster in Kerala’s history. Over 480 people died. 100s went missing. 100s of thousands of people lost all their possessions – their homes, their livestock, their farmsteads, and their dreams.
Providing emergency relief and disaster support was a heroic task. NSS volunteers partnered with the resolve to rebuild Kerala, one brick at a time. We were on the ground. We handpicked the beneficiaries. We ensured that the most deserving received our help. We effectively partnered with local NGOs to avoid government red tape and to ensure that every penny that was contributed reached a deserving family.
We are enormously proud of the results of our collective efforts and our effective partnership with NSS of North America. With the limited funds we raised, we were able to rebuild several homes and help families get back on their feet. Please listen to two of the beneficiaries.

When the floods hit Kerala again the next year, housing was not the only need of the hour. Fresh water and food were scarce in several communities. Things were even worse in the tribal/Aboriginal communities who live in the remote settlements. Far away from the major cities and towns, these little villages were out of sight and out of mind for many. Several families suffered from the mudslides that wiped away their lifelong possessions overnight – leaving them with no roof over their heads and nothing to eat. Many of them were moved to nearby schools, which were converted to emergency settlement camps. NSS partnered with local NGOs to distribute food kits to hundreds of impacted tribal families.

Summer, 2019 – Schaumburg, IL. NSS of Chicago was successful in hosting a first-of-its-kind food festival, celebrating the culinary culture of Kerala named Chicago’s first “Taste of Kerala.” The event was a huge hit, with thousands of attendees savoring the delicacies from several food vendors. NSS of Chicago utilized the net proceeds of this event to initiate the “Athijeevanam” (Survival in translation) on February 27, 2019 – a vocational training and support project for unemployed women in rural India. NSS of Chicago purchased dozens of sewing machines, interlocking machines, and raw materials to start a small-scale commercial sewing unit. Twenty-two women joined the initiative and for the past four years, Athijeevanam has been the sole income provider for these women. Income from Athijeevanam helps these women support the daily needs of their families, especially the educational needs of their kids. They just did not merely “survive” – they thrive in their society, thanks to the attendees and volunteers of the 2019 Taste of Kerala event.

2020 January. NSS of Chicago was proud the support the only Government High School for the Blind in Kerala, India. With the help of local NGOs, the blind kids drew pictures. Those who were not fortunate to see the rainbows and dragonflies with their own eyes drew them from sheer imagination. The abundance of colors in their vivid creations made us spellbound! Who could tell that these young ones could never see with their eyes! NSS of Chicago created desktop calendars using these images and sold them in the US. 100s of calendars sold helped us fund Rs. 4,00,000 worth of improvements to the High School. We are so grateful that these images created by the blind kids helped us provide them with much needed comfort!

The list of charitable activities does not end here. There were dozens of other need-based supports that NSS of Chicago provided to deserving individuals and families. We are in the process of establishing a need-based and merit-based scholarship program for students. Please note: All our volunteers are working professionals who find their personal time for charity activities. We all see charitable giving as a passion and a duty. We work on these initiatives free of cost, so that every penny, nickel, and dime that is donated goes to the most deserving hands. Please support us – join us in supporting a deserving soul!