What they call their work
What they do
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Community-Based Educational Programming 1 activity
- Delivers educational programs and scholarships for disadvantaged studentsRuns daily library reading sessions to support English language development in two schools, provides annual scholarships to 800 low-income students for tertiary education, and operates a nursing college established in 2006 that offers degree and diploma programs for women from low economic backgrounds, with 100% of graduates continuing to further education and 70% being the first in their families to achieve literacy.
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Women's Microenterprise and Livelihood Development 1 activity
- Empowers women through employment and skills developmentEmploys over 50 women in the SAMMM Women's Empowerment Program and over 70 women in producing organic pooja products and sewing traditional Indian clothing, promoting economic self-sufficiency.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Facilitates volunteer engagement across multiple service areasOffers volunteer opportunities in education, healthcare, animal care, environmental programs, food service, and temple maintenance at its centers.
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Child & Youth Meal Programs 1 activity
- Implements school nutrition programsProvides daily multigrain breakfast porridge to school children to support nutrition and academic performance, funded by an annual allocation of approximately $33,000.
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Tree Planting and Reforestation Initiatives 1 activity
- Manages environmental conservation and tree planting initiativesRuns the Green Sakthi Club for student-led tree planting and maintenance, conducts year-round tree planting and watering during sunrise and sunset, sells saplings and compost through the Green Sakthi Shop, and raises funds for fruit tree sapling distribution to farmers to support reforestation in Tamil Nadu.
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Guest Lodging for Members and Affiliates 1 activity
- Operates guest accommodations for spiritual visitorsRuns a guest house with 52 air-conditioned rooms, ensuite bathrooms, filtered water, and three vegetarian meals daily for visitors to Sripuram and Sri Narayani Peedam.
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Operates large-scale food distribution and meal service programsServes 5,000 free meals daily at Sr Narayani Peedam from 8am to 8pm and extends food distribution to local schools, shelters for children and adults with special needs, and government-run orphanages; supports program sustainability through an endowment fund whose interest finances food purchases and operations.
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Religious Worship and Spiritual Instruction 1 activity
- Operates spiritual meditation and worship programsConducts daily spiritual practices including meditation sessions, pooja rituals (such as Gho Pooja, Gaja Puja, and Putthu Pooja), fire rituals (yagams) on full and new moons, and Narayani Dheeksha spiritual initiation programs at Sri Narayani Peedam and Sripuram, open to locals and international visitors.
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Community Service and Charitable Outreach 1 activity
- Provides community outreach and humanitarian aid in rural areasOrganizes outreach camps in surrounding villages featuring makeshift clinics that serve hundreds seeking medical checkups, and delivers school supplies, clothing, and basic health services to tribal communities near Sri Narayani Peedam.
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Comprehensive Primary and Specialty Care Networks 1 activity
- Provides medical care and health services to underserved populationsOperates two hospitals and clinics offering comprehensive medical services including pediatrics, neonatal care, dialysis, intensive care, cardiology, obstetrics, gynecology, urology, ENT, radiology, oncology, physiotherapy, and surgical specialties; runs a pathology lab for cancer detection, a mobile clinic for rural outreach, and the first healing center in India dedicated to Siddha Medicine, providing free consultations and treatments to poor and impoverished communities in Vellore, Tamil Nadu.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Distributes clothing and essential goods to vulnerable populationsDistributes 10,000 saris annually through the Vastra Dhaanam Program and provides clothing and school supplies to tribal communities and low-income families.
- Hosts cultural and environmental education programsOrganizes artist-in-residence programs, such as one led by an Irish artist who taught design and color principles through an environmental poster competition, and multi-day festivals like Pongal that honor nature, farmers, cattle, and food producers to promote gratitude and coexistence.
- Supports animal welfare and cultural preservation through cow sanctuary operationsMaintains a cow shed housing 400–500 cows, including rare Indian breeds, cleaned twice daily by volunteers, with rescue operations from slaughterhouses, and performs daily Gho Pooja (cow worship ritual) in observance of cultural and spiritual practices.
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Who runs it
- CATHERINE GAYNOR — Secr./TREASURER
- LYNN SCHNEIDER — President
- SONYA BEKKERMAN — Vice President
Who they work with
- Daniel Partner — Filmmaker from Australia who created a video with students, including a song developed in a collaborative workshop.
- Green Sakthi Partner — Partner organization conducting reforestation work in Tamil Nadu since 1998.
- Rebecca Devaney Partner — Artist from Ireland who conducted a month-long artist-in-residence program with students on environmental themes.
- Sri Narayani Holistic Centre Partner — Healing center dedicated to Siddha Medicine, offering holistic treatments.
- Sri Narayani Hospital & Research Centre Partner — Operating hospital providing comprehensive medical services in rural Tamil Nadu.
- Sri Narayani Hospital & Research Centre Partner — Partner institution delivering medical services and research, supported through donor funding
- Sri Narayani Hospital & Research Centre Partner — Partner institution supported through charitable initiatives.
- Sri Narayani Peedam Partner — Associated with the legacy of compassion and service through the Annadhanam program.
- Sri Narayani Peedam Partner — Collaborates on humanitarian and charitable initiatives including school nutrition and women's empowerment programs.
- Sri Narayani Peedam Partner — Collaborates with Sri Narayani Peedam in Malaikodi, India to support guest accommodations and volunteer programs.
- Sri Narayani Peedam Partner — Headquarters organization established by Sri Sakthi Amma to materialize her vision of spiritual and social upliftment.
- Sri Narayani Peedam Partner — Location base for outreach to tribal communities and reference point for program geography.
- Sri Narayani Peedam Partner — Partner organization supporting humanitarian and charitable programs
- Sri Sakthi Amma Partner — Spiritual leader who conducts rituals, delivers discourses, and guides the organization's devotional practices.
- Sri Sakthi Amma Partner — Spiritual leader whose teachings are central to the mission and programming at Sripuram.
- Sripuram Partner — Collaborates to establish and manage the Annadhanam Endowment Fund for providing free meals.
- Sripuram Partner — Location where the meditation hall is situated and where sevarthis are recognized.
- Sripuram Golden Temple Partner — Collaborates with Sripuram Golden Temple to host anniversary events and promote spiritual transformation.
- Tamil Nadu Dr M.G.R. Medical University Network — Sri Narayani College of Nursing is affiliated with Tamil Nadu Dr M.G.R. Medical University in Chennai.
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Holistic Community Development Integrating Spiritual and Material Needsmethodology: holistic_community_developmentBy integrating spiritual, educational, medical, vocational, and environmental initiatives, communities are uplifted holistically because sustainable development requires simultaneous attention to inner values and outer infrastructure.
- Pay-It-Forward Model to Sustain Educational Supportmethodology: pay_it_forward_modelBy encouraging scholarship recipients to support future students after entering the workforce, educational access becomes self-sustaining because individual success is recirculated as collective investment in future generations.
- Perpetual Endowment Model for Sustainable Meal Programsmethodology: perpetual_endowment_modelBy preserving principal donations and using only interest income to fund meal services, the program ensures long-term sustainability because financial resilience allows uninterrupted service delivery regardless of short-term fluctuations in giving.
- Service as Spiritual Practice (Seva) to Cultivate Inner and Communal Well-beingmethodology: selfless_service_sevaBy performing selfless service (seva) without expectation of reward, individuals cultivate personal joy and spiritual growth while strengthening community bonds, because service is itself a devotional act that purifies the mind and connects one to the divine.
- Spiritual Transformation as Catalyst for Social Changemethodology: spiritual_transformation_for_social_changeBy facilitating spiritual transformation through initiation, meditation, and ritual, individuals realize their life purpose and become enlightened contributors to society, producing positive social change because inner awakening naturally leads to selfless service and ethical action.