Sankara Healthcare Foundation Volunteer Appreciation/Fundraising Event

Report by

Smt. Bharathi Venkat, Smt. Vaibavi Gopal, Sri. T. R. Venkatesh

Sankara Healthcare Foundation (SHF) is a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to making quality healthcare accessible to all. The org held a memorable volunteer appreciation event/fundraiser concert on Sunday, the 14th of September, 2025 at Keefe Tech auditorium in Framingham, MA. The evening blended the rich traditions of Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam dance with devotion, storytelling, and community spirit. The event featured three accomplished vocalists - Vidushi Uma Sankar,  Vidushi Kamakshi Kalyanasundaram, and Vidushi Aparna Balaji, alongside three talented dancers - Vidushi Aishwarya Balasubramanian,  Vidushi Deepa Srinath Bungale and  Vidushi Sowmya Rajaram.

SHF aims at expanding access to quality healthcare and transforming lives in India. The foundation achieves this by collaborating with 60 vision centers and 12 general hospitals, offering free or subsidized healthcare to under-resourced populations across India. Additionally, the foundation organizes 100 health camps annually in rural areas to enhance healthcare accessibility. The foundation, directly and through its partners, has reached over 1,000,000 people and helped them with their healthcare needs. Through two colleges, scholarships and fully subsidized education to over 500 nursing students are provided. The foundation operates in multiple states in India including Assam, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh to name a few.

In the United States, Sankara Healthcare Foundation has two main projects. HEAL (Healthy Eating and Living), is one of the initiatives. This project is fully volunteer driven, serving over home-cooked vegan meals to homeless shelters across the country. To date, committed volunteers have served more than 200,000 home cooked vegan meals.

Medha is another Sankara project run by volunteers. This initiative was launched in 2019 to nurture neurodiverse children of Hindu origin by teaching them shlokas, bhajans, and stories from the Puranas and Itihasas, while also providing academic support in Mathematics and English. Medha students frequently share their learning through performances at temples and cultural events, embodying both devotion and inclusion. The foundation also fundraises through the year to support these meaningful projects.

The evening commenced with heartfelt presentations by students of Medha. The program opened with Chi. Keshav Arvind invoking the blessings of the Gurus with Sadguru Dashakam, supported by Kum. Vedhalakshmi Balaji, a Medha junior teacher. This was followed by a warm welcome address from Chi. Mukund Nandakumar, another Medha student. Their meaningful participation highlighted the inclusive spirit of the concert and set a joyful, celebratory tone for the evening.

The vocal performances were themed around Lord Krishna on account of Udupi Janmashtami and in praise of Goddess Devi by way of welcoming Navratri. Vidushi Uma Sankar opened with ‘Thatvamariya Tharama’, a composition of Papanasam Sivan, in Reeta Gowla and followed it with an elaboration of ‘Mamava Meenakshi’ in Varali. The first segment concluded with a soulful rendering of ‘Enna Thavam’ in Kaapi ragam, which  deeply touched the hearts of all the listeners with its spiritual message conveyed through it. Vidushi Uma was accompanied by Vidwan Mahalingam Santhanakrishnan on mridangam and Vidushi Smitha Krishnan on the violin.

Vidushi Kamakshi Kalyanasundaram continued with the second part of the vocal segment with an elaborate rendering of ‘Marivere dikkevvaru’, a composition of Sri Patnam Subramanya Iyer. in the ragam Lathangi. This was followed with a serene “Krishna Nee Begane” in ragam Yamunakalyani and concluded with a thillana in Mand. She was accompanied by Vidwan Pravin Sitaram on the mridangam and the 10 year old Kum. Lalitha Kalyanasundaram on the violin.

Vidushi Aparna Balaji, accompanied by Chi. Tarun Bangalore on the mridangam and Chi. Yash Ravish on violin, started with “Chinna Chinna Paadam” a tender ode, composed by Smt Ambujam Krishna in the ragam Kapi, welcoming little Krishna on his tiny feet. The main piece, ‘jālandhara supītasthe’, a composition of Shri Harikesanallur Muthaiah Bhagavatar on Goddess Parvati in the ragam Valachi, was in praise of the Goddess, seated in Jalandhara bandha a pose employed in Hatha yoga and comparing her radiance to billions of young suns. The caraṇam “bhava roga nivāriṇi’ was so aptly elaborated to reflect the mission of Sankara Healthcare. The vocal segment ended with a briskly paced Tiruppugazh, ‘Thullamuda velkai’, in ragam Hamsanandhi, set to anga thalam. This was matched both adeptly and admirably by the accompanists Tarun Bangalore and Yash Ravish Ravish,.

The Dance segment that followed the vocal segment added a powerful visual dimension. Vidushi Aishwarya Balasubramanian opened with a ‘Pushpanjali,’ a graceful invocation offering flowers and devotion followed by ‘namo namo raghukula nayaka’, a composition of Annamacharya dedicated to Lord Rama, narrating His great deeds. Vidushi Deepa Srinath Bungale followed this with a Surya Kauthvam, a dynamic piece on the Sun God, who energizes the whole universe, blending vibrant footwork with expressive abhinaya. This was followed by a Yathi, a rhythmic phrase in which different groups of syllables are arranged in a beautiful combination giving a particular shape to music. Vidushi Sowmya Rajaram expertly presented the six yathis, Sama yathi, Vishama yathi, Mrudanga yathi, Damaru yathi, Gopuccha yathi and Srothovaha yathi. A piece on Appar’s Thevaram choreographed by Smt Karuna Sagari was the next delightful item presented by Vid Deepa Bungale. Vidushi Aiswarya presented ‘Indendu vachhithivira’ in the highly melodious and scholarly ragam Suruti ending her part with a Surdas bhajan ‘Maiya Mori’. Vid. Deepa Bungali’s presentation of ‘Kannan en sevagan’, a composition of the Tamil poet Subramanya Bharati was not only very touching but thought provoking as well. The finale of the dance segment was a thillana in the ragam Pahadi  by Vidushi Soumya Rajaraman. Both the vocal and dance segments were an absolute treat to the audience.

The event was a reflection of the strong and growing volunteer base that Sankara Healthcare Foundation has established in the New England region. Organized as an expression of gratitude, it honored the invaluable contributions of both adult and youth volunteers, many of whom were in attendance.  Smt. Sujatha Iyer (Lead HEAL Coordinator, New England) and Smt. Jayashree Thirumalai (Medha Teacher and HEAL Volunteer), together with youth volunteers Kum. Anagha Visak (Medha teacher) and Kum. Kaulini Kanakagiri (Medha Teacher and HEAL Volunteer), shared some inspiring personal reflections. Their heartfelt stories underscored the impact of volunteerism and served to further encourage active engagement from the wider community.

A collection of cards, bookmarks, keychains, and magnets, handcrafted with care by Medha students and their families were made available for purchase outside the hall. The talent and creativity behind these items resonated with the attendees, and all proceeds were dedicated to supporting the mission of Sankara Healthcare Foundation.

A spiritually and culturally rich evening drew to a wholesome closure with a formal vote of thanks by Shri Rajesh Vaidheeswarran followed by a sattvic dinner for all attendees. This fundraiser stood as a testament to Boston’s thriving Indian classical arts scene. The event was more than a performance; it was a celebration of artistry, devotion, culture and inclusive community.  All proceeds collected went to support the Sankara Healthcare Foundation.

To learn more about our initiatives—or to join us as a volunteer or supporter—please visit www.giftofhealth.us. Your engagement and contributions are invaluable in helping us expand our mission of service.

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