Updates on Hurricane Relief Efforts

October 8, 2005

A Report from Seattle

Seattle satsang came together for Amma's Birthday in prayer and celebration. It was an inspiring evening filled with devotion, singing and dancing. The food was plentiful and tasty, and it was fun to see the children and adults dancing together in the back of the room. Many wrote letters to Katrina Survivors and we raised $1,476 for Katrina Relief. Videos of Amma were being shown throughout the evening, so it felt like Amma was present.

Other Katrina focused activities in our area include:

1) Items that were left over from our Spring Auction were sold at a satsang meeting, for proceeds of $200.

2) The Washington and Oregon satsangs met together for a Northwest Regional Retreat on October 1-2. Direct donations of $220 were collected. We had a prayer vigil for Katrina Survivors and a brainstorming session was held to gather ideas and make plans for our regional response to Katrina.

3) We are holding a Regional Craft Weekend October 21-23. We will be making handmade items (meditation pillows, Amma dolls, amulets, etc.) for Amma's bookstore as well as hats, scarves and afghans for Seattle's homeless. Some of the knitted/crocheted items will be given to Katrina victims who chose to relocate in the Seattle area. (For more information contact Karuna at karunap@oz.net)

4) In conjunction with the Craft Weekend, Seattle Satsang is holding a fundraising dinner and talent show. A delicious Indian dinner will be served while Satsang members showcase their talent for this evening of fun to raise money for those impacted by the tsunami and hurricanes. This event will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 22. Participants will be able to decide whether their donations will go to Katrina relief or Tsunami relief. (For more information contact Rose at rose.calderon@comcast.net or Visala at hohlbeins6@comcast.net.)

5) Eminent ghatam virtuoso Sri T H Subhash Chandran has put together a group consisting of the following artistes including him: Ganesh Kumar - kanjira, George Brooks - saxophone, John Wubbenhorst - flute, Steve Zerlin - bass guitar, Ramakrishna - violin and Shankar Vishwanathan - mridangam. The concert is being called Global Harmony and is slated for November 13th in Seattle. Time is 6pm -8pm. It is sponsored jointly by Amma's Portland and Seattle satsangs. All proceeds will go towards Katrina Relief efforts. (For more information contact Arunima in Portland at arunimamenon@yahoo.com or Nirmala in Seattle at nirmala@nwlink.com)

Gujarat Video