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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JANUARY 17, 2025 | The Indian Eye 22

FIA Brings Warmth to Hundreds in Need,

Uniting Hearts Against the Chill

OUR BUREAU Floyd Kettering (Co-Founder) and
Bridget Dooley (Operations Coordi-
Chicago, IL
nator) for making it all happen.
he Federation of Indian As- The Coat Drive was not just
sociations (FIA), Chicago, about distributing clothing; it was
Tmarked a momentous day about fostering hope and building a
with its third annual Coat Drive. On brighter future for the underserved
a cold, snowy winter day, the Feder- members of our community. “Togeth-
ation of Indian Associations (FIA) er, we’re not just donating coats; we’re
united in an extraordinary act of sharing kindness,” said Anu Malho-
kindness, bringing light and hope to tra (President Elect) of the FIA. To
those who need it most. With hearts this Founder Chairman of FIA added
full of compassion and hands carry- “This was about sending a message:
ing warmth, FIA’s third annual Coat FIA Team and Team from Humanitarian Services Project Carol Stream you are seen, you are cared for, and
Drive delivered over 400 coats and you are not forgotten. It was about
blankets to shelters in Illinois, ensur- wrapping people in love, one coat at
ing that hundreds will face this winter a time.” In emotional voice Pratibha
with comfort, dignity, and the knowl- Jairath (President) said, “Proud that
edge that they are not alone. FIA came together and worked tire-
Under the visionary and inspir- lessly in the wintery Chicago, and we
ing leadership of Founder Chair- successfully ensured many would be
man Sunil Shah, President Pratibha shielded from the biting cold.”
Jairath, and President-Elect Anu This achievement would not
Malhotra, the FIA Chicago success- have been possible without the un-
fully completed two impactful coat wavering commitment of Team FIA
drives. Donations were delivered to volunteers, who braved snowfall and
Hesed House Shelter in Aurora, IL heavy traffic to reach both venues.
and the Humanitarian Service Proj- The dedicated team who donated,
ect Shelter in Carol Stream, IL, both volunteered, and supported this noble
of which are beacons of hope for cause included: Sunil Shah (Chair-
those battling poverty and homeless- man), Pratibha Jairath (President),
ness. More than 400 jackets and blan- FIA Leadership and HSP Lead from Right to Left: Sunil Shah (Founder Chairman), Anu Malhotra (President Elect),
kets were donated by FIA to these Annu Sidhu, Anu Khetarpal, Ashwini
two organizations, bringing warmth, Bridget Dooley (Operations Coordinator-HSP), Anu Malhotra (President Elect), Mahajan, Bharat Malhotra, Chandi-
hope, and upliftment to individuals Falguni Sukhadia (Secretarial Team) ni Duvvuri, Daljit Sabharwal, Dinesh
and families during the challenging Kapoor, Falguni Sukhadia, Harry
winter months. The procurement of Sidhu, Hitesh Gandhi, Manjoo Sri-
these essential items was made possi- vastava, Nilabh Dubey, Shelly Gupta,
ble through the dedication and efforts Vipul Srivastava, Virendar Gupta.
of Executive Vice President, Chandi- FIA would like to acknowledge
ni Duvvuri, whose hard work ensured the benevolent members who donat-
the success of this noble mission. ed vital funds to procure the coats and
The day commenced at Hesed blankets; Abir Maru Anu & Bharat
House Shelter, located in Aurora, Malhotra, Chandini Duvvuri, Daljit
IL, at 11:30 AM. Hesed House is a Sabarwal, Hemendra Shah , Jitendra
national model for ending home- Bulsara, Mahesh Kumar, Murugesh
lessness – one person, one family at Kasilingam, Nache Mayuri, Naresh
a time. Their mission is to feed the Shah, Nidhi Mishra, Prashant Mehta,
hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the FIA Team and Team from Hesed House Shelter, Aurora, IL Raj & Sonia Dhingra, Ramesh Puna-
homeless, and give people the chance tar, Sharda Jain, Sheila Shah, Shirley,
to hope again. Volunteers gathered rector-Family Shelter). age and Kane counties. Their pro- Sonia Luther, Sunil Shah.
in unity, working together to unload The afternoon saw the team grams are designed to further their The Federation of Indian Asso-
donation boxes filled with coats and extending their outreach to the Hu- mission and provide much-needed ciations is a leading nonprofit organi-
winter essentials for the shelter’s res- manitarian Service Project Shelter in services for their constituents. Once zation dedicated to serving the Indian
idents. The collaborative spirit was Carol Stream, IL, at 4:00 PM. The again, the collective effort and heart- diaspora and broader communities
palpable, as every participant played Humanitarian Service Project (HSP) felt determination of volunteers across the United States. Through its
a crucial role in ensuring the seamless is dedicated to alleviating the burdens made it possible to provide warmth diverse initiatives, FIA fosters cultur-
delivery of these much-needed items. of poverty by providing food, cloth- and comfort to those facing the harsh al integration, social responsibility,
The entire coordination and support ing, and other necessities to senior Midwest winter. FIA sincerely thanks and humanitarian efforts, building a
was provided by Karen Swandby (Di- citizens and families in need in DuP- Kristine Senne (Executive Director), strong and united community.

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