In our 118th week of Saturday Sangamam, we celebrated Deepawali with our elders and continued our distribution activities across various locations to support elder communities in need. Our team traveled to Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, and Seranmahadevi. At Seranmahadevi, we visited the CAST Foundation (Community Action for Social Transformation) on Singikulam Road, Nanguneri (TK), Padmaneri. CAST is an integrated NGO supported by the Tamil Nadu State Welfare and Women Empowerment Department and is managed by Mrs. Susila Pandian. The foundation cares for 25 abandoned elders and 14 children. We have been supporting CAST since November 2020, particularly from the COVID period onward.

Our trustees, Mr. Sundaram, Mr. Muthukumarasamy, Mrs. Vasanthy Kumar, along with the VAMA team, distributed Deepawali dresses and sweets to the elders, children, and their caretakers at CAST. Many of these elders have families but have lost contact with them and were brought to CAST by police from various public places. These elders and children lack financial support and mental wellness. Receiving new dresses and sweets brought them immense joy, and they expressed their gratitude with tears, blessing all of us for our kindness.

This year, our support extended to frontline workers, including sanitary workers in Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi. In each location, we distributed dresses and sweets, adding special ghee burfi to our usual selection. Around 200 individuals in each of these locations, totaling approximately 1,000 people, benefited from VAMA Trust’s outreach this Deepawali season.

Additionally, our sweets and snacks were prepared by more than 10 elders over five days, incorporating their traditional flavors and providing them with an opportunity to earn.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Kalyana Raman and his family, whose generous donation made this possible, as well as to Mr. Kumar, the dedicated trustee of VAMA Charitable Trust, who has worked tirelessly to connect with donors and bring support to those in need.