Meet the Ahmednagar shopkeeper who has been supporting Snehalaya for over 30 Years!
Many think that Snehalaya's funds come from corporates and foreign donations. In contrast, the reality is that our work is founded on the incredible support we receive in our local city and district. Sunil Sahani is just one of the thousands of our supporters who give a whole new definition to the concept of ‘charity begins at home.
We are incredibly grateful to all our donors but would you help if someone you didn’t know came to you and asked for financial aid? Maybe not, or you might think twice before giving even the most minor note. Donating money or in-kind items to an NGO makes us feel satisfied that we have contributed, and we feel good as we move on with our lives.
However, a few people, like Sunilji, dedicate their whole lives to helping the needy. The shopkeeper and librarian earn his daily bread and butter from his small shop while also donating to different NGOs and spreading the message of charity. When a family member dies, we immediately get together to share our grief. Instead of spending money on advertisements and rituals, Sunil encourages people to provide financial support to the needy in memory of the deceased. In this way, his actions are ensuring permanent financial support to many organizations in our town.
When visiting Ahmednagar's Tarakpur neighborhood to collect the donation boxes businesses display for us, our team member Omkar was surprised to find an old donation box filled with cash in Sunilji's shop. Sunilji immediately invited Omkar to sit and respectfully offered him tea and water. Omkar was amazed when Sunilji showed him the certificate given to him by Snehalaya in 2005. Framed and proudly displayed in the shop represents his long love and relationship with Snehalaya. Listening to his stories and strategies for fundraising for us, Omkar swapped the old donation box with a new one, thanked Sunilji for his support and left with his heart bursting with pride and admiration for Sunil and others who love Snehalaya and have been steadfastly supporting our work since the start of our journey.
Thanks to such great people, we can continue our work to support the most needy within our communities to live their lives to the fullest.