Guest guest Posted January 6, 2005 Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 Posted on Thu, Jan. 06, 2005 'Hugging Saint' runs huge relief effort By Linda DavisBy Linda Davis CONTRA COSTA TIMES CASTRO VALLEY - While Indian spiritual leader Amma, known worldwide as "the Hugging Saint," directs relief efforts in south India's villages, her Bay Area followers work feverishly to ship thousands of pounds of medical supplies to the stricken area. Volunteers and donations of supplies or cash are needed for the Indian tsunami relief effort, say followers of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi or "Amma." Amma is asking for help, but she has also pledged $23 million to rebuild homes destroyed by the tsunami, the largest private relief donation in India, said Dayamrita Chaitanya, director of the M.A. Center in Castro Valley. Amma has pledged 1,000 rupees for each family in the decimated southern Indian villages, and has promised to adopt all orphaned children who will be cared for in orphanages she established. The M.A. Center on Crow Canyon Road was founded in 1989 by Amma. It is one of three in the United States. The centers provide volunteers, funds and projects for humanitarian aid to India, Chaitanya said. The centers, also in New Mexico and Michigan, are spiritual gathering places as well, where Amma's followers gather weekly to pray for global peace and love. At least once a year, the Holy Mother Amma visits Castro Valley as part of a national tour dispensing therapeutic hugs to thousands. At a warehouse at the M.A. retreat center in Castro Valley's foothills, hundreds of boxes of bandages, surgical gowns, latex gloves, syringes and other medical necessities are being packed for quick shipment, said coordinator Lela Kudritzki. Sengida Warich, manager of Healthcare Charities Inc., which oversees collection of medical supplies, said Amma's support systems are in place to help Indian tsunami victims, but supplies are severely depleted. Donations of new crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, doctor stools, gurneys and examination tables would be welcomed. Also needed are oral antibiotics, hand-held inhalers, IV sets, scalpels and thermometers. Since 1997, 90 huge ocean shipping containers of medical supplies have been shipped to Indian hospitals from here, Warich said. The center works closely with several Bay Area hospitals such as Kaiser Permanente, Summit/Alta Bates, John Muir Medical Center and Stanford Medical Center to receive donated supplies and equipment. The humanitarian network of Amma, whose followers number in the millions, is vast. She established in 1998 an 800-bed medical research center in Kerala. The center has treated 57,000 inpatients and 590,000 outpatients. Medical camps in remote villages offer clothing and medicine, eye services, and health care. Her ashram or temple in Kerala, 1,000 feet from the ocean, was hit by the tsunami and filled with five feet of water. Miraculously, 20,000 people in and around the ashram were not injured, Chaitanya said. Amma began serving hot meals to refugees, sheltered 10,000 people from destroyed villages and put up shelters on the ashram property. Amma has hardly slept since the disaster, having "no time to eat, drink or breathe," Chaitanya said she told him. "She is personally involved in directing the relief effort," he said. "Many times on the telephone she is in tears, but consoling the people." TO DONATE OR VOLUNTEER/TSUNAMI RELIEF Drivers, packers, sorters and data entry workers are needed 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, or by appointment by calling Lela at 925-989-7674. Aid donations may be sent to M.A. Center, P.O. Box 613, San Ramon, CA 94583 or visit www.amma.org. CASTRO VALLEY - While Indian spiritual leader Amma, known worldwide as "the Hugging Saint," directs relief efforts in south India's villages, her Bay Area followers work feverishly to ship thousands of pounds of medical supplies to the stricken area. Volunteers and donations of supplies or cash are needed for the Indian tsunami relief effort, say followers of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi or "Amma." Amma is asking for help, but she has also pledged $23 million to rebuild homes destroyed by the tsunami, the largest private relief donation in India, said Dayamrita Chaitanya, director of the M.A. Center in Castro Valley. Amma has pledged 1,000 rupees for each family in the decimated southern Indian villages, and has promised to adopt all orphaned children who will be cared for in orphanages she established. The M.A. Center on Crow Canyon Road was founded in 1989 by Amma. It is one of three in the United States. The centers provide volunteers, funds and projects for humanitarian aid to India, Chaitanya said. The centers, also in New Mexico and Michigan, are spiritual gathering places as well, where Amma's followers gather weekly to pray for global peace and love. At least once a year, the Holy Mother Amma visits Castro Valley as part of a national tour dispensing therapeutic hugs to thousands. At a warehouse at the M.A. retreat center in Castro Valley's foothills, hundreds of boxes of bandages, surgical gowns, latex gloves, syringes and other medical necessities are being packed for quick shipment, said coordinator Lela Kudritzki. Sengida Warich, manager of Healthcare Charities Inc., which oversees collection of medical supplies, said Amma's support systems are in place to help Indian tsunami victims, but supplies are severely depleted. Donations of new crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, doctor stools, gurneys and examination tables would be welcomed. Also needed are oral antibiotics, hand-held inhalers, IV sets, scalpels and thermometers. Since 1997, 90 huge ocean shipping containers of medical supplies have been shipped to Indian hospitals from here, Warich said. The center works closely with several Bay Area hospitals such as Kaiser Permanente, Summit/Alta Bates, John Muir Medical Center and Stanford Medical Center to receive donated supplies and equipment. The humanitarian network of Amma, whose followers number in the millions, is vast. She established in 1998 an 800-bed medical research center in Kerala. The center has treated 57,000 inpatients and 590,000 outpatients. Medical camps in remote villages offer clothing and medicine, eye services, and health care. Her ashram or temple in Kerala, 1,000 feet from the ocean, was hit by the tsunami and filled with five feet of water. Miraculously, 20,000 people in and around the ashram were not injured, Chaitanya said. Amma began serving hot meals to refugees, sheltered 10,000 people from destroyed villages and put up shelters on the ashram property. Amma has hardly slept since the disaster, having "no time to eat, drink or breathe," Chaitanya said she told him. "She is personally involved in directing the relief effort," he said. "Many times on the telephone she is in tears, but consoling the people." TO DONATE OR VOLUNTEER/TSUNAMI RELIEF Drivers, packers, sorters and data entry workers are needed 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, or by appointment by calling Lela at 925-989-7674. Aid donations may be sent to M.A. Center, P.O. Box 613, San Ramon, CA 94583 or visit www.amma.org. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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