Make your special days more memorable!

‘A joy shared is a joy doubled.’

As individuals, we have our share of joys and sorrows. But, there is no doubt that during our lifetime we encounter innumerable reasons to celebrate and cherish. And, we celebrate these special occasions in many ways – parties, get-togethers, going on holidays, exchanging gifts, giving surprises and the like. Well, at the end of this short blog you will know that there is another way of celebrating our special days too!

Often times we get so tangled in our daily routine that we hardly get a chance to think anything beyond it. Thus, when joys knock at our door, we remember to open it only for our near and dear ones. Well, here is a person who opened the door for few extra guests:

Manoj Kumar is a Marine Pilot with Reliance Port and Jamnagar Terminal Ltd., Sikka Gujarat. Recently, he had generously donated to an NGO and said, “For me, charity means sharing with my fellow human beings. I had once heard Mr. Narayan Murthy talking about Akshaya Patra and its functioning. I liked the concept and hence got engaged with the NGO. I will keep donating a minimum of 10% of my salary to Akshaya Patra on special occasions such as on birthdays of my wife and sons, wedding anniversary of my parents and the like.” When I heard about Manoj Kumar, I delved into it a little more only to discover that there are many humanitarians like him who choose to make a difference by including the not-so-privileged ones in their lives.

Here, Manoj chose to get involved with Akshaya Patra because he wants to bring about a positive change in the lives of children. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a mid-day meal NGO providing nutritious school lunch to children of government and government-aided schools across 12 states of India. The Foundation has been in the service of children since 2000 and over the 17 years, it has by far sustainably impacted the lives of more than 1.7 million children. The mission of this NGO is to feed 5 million children by 2020. Humongous task indeed but is possible to achieve if we all pitch in for this cause. Akshaya Patra provides several opportunities for everyone to participate in its cause such as online donation, sponsor a school, charity fundraising, along with donating on special occasions, celebrations, events, and festivals. In this way, the NGO welcomes you to be a part of their mission at any time and from anywhere.

In conclusion, it was an eye-opener for me because I never thought of charity as a way of celebrating special days. So, all I would say is let’s make our special days more memorable. Let’s spread joy and goodwill by choosing to donate for special occasion.