The Value of Friends Helping Friends Comes Together at Annual Fundraiser

By Manu Shah

HOUSTON: Har ek dost zaroori hota hai  (Every friend is important) – goes the jingle of a well know Indian Hindi commercial and no one can attest to this better than some of the people who have been  helped by Friends Helping Friends, a non-profit organization that helps those who need medical care and medical financial assistance.

FHF had an innocuously interesting beginning and was born in the living room of the Ahluwalias in 2001.  Their daughter, Dimple, needed a stem cell transplant and despite insurance, the mounting medical bills were nothing short of a nightmare. A visit by three friends – Panna Bhatia, Shobha Wenger and Dr. Neera Bhutani turned into a discussion on how to raise the money for the surgery and a fundraiser was planned to raise these much needed funds.  Without losing any time – the three set to work getting in touch with friends and thus was born the name – Friends Helping Friends.  To their pleasant surprise, the first fundraiser was a runaway success with the community coming together in a show of solidarity and the evening raising $80,000!

Dimple’s treatment began in full earnest and today Dimple is, as one Board Member put it “the driving force behind FHF”. From being a friend who was helped, Dimple became the friend who was now doing the helping, but due to health reasons she was sorely missed at this year’s fundraiser organized.

Held at the group’s traditional venue – Maggiano’s on Post Oak – on Sunday, August 25, almost 180 people gathered to raise funds and show their support for the work that FHF does. Board Member Bhatia, started the evening off with an apt quote from Mother Theresa about giving generously. The popular Meena Datt, host of the long-running Music of India and Ghungroo radio shows, was the emcee for the evening. She welcomed the gathering and with her easy, breezy style lightened the mood with a few well-chosen jokes.

President Jason Borillo gave a short presentation about the work FHF does and noted that Texas has the dubious distinction of being the most uninsured state in America!  With budget cuts and reduction of uncompensated care, medical help for the uninsured is a huge stumbling block.  In a PowerPoint presentation, several people who had been helped by FHF with medical and financial aid to tackle their problems spoke emotionally about being given a second lease of life and as one lady put it, “FHF saved my life”.

Dr. Bhutani, the first President of FHF also thanked the gathering for their support and recognized people like Dr. Rajinder and Prabha Bhalla and Dr. Ravi Mani who helped the organization with their pro-bono support.  She urged everyone to “open their wallets and hearts and give generously, as every little bit helps”.  Her plea didn’t go in vain as $45,000 was collected during the evening!

After dinner, the evening ended with Comedy Central stand-up comedian Erin Jackson, who took just a few seconds to connect with the crowd and have them laughing at her sparkling humor.   Her inspiration is Bill Cosby and a testament to this claim was her one-hour routine that was good clean fun.  She poked fun at herself for losing 33 pounds calling it “meeting Jesus halfway” and kept the jokes coming on a range of topics like her embarrassing dates, black stereotypes, her large riotous family and gymnasiums which offered a “free pizza night” to keep their clientele coming back!

A silent auction was also organized which attracted a fair bit of attention.  There were tickets to various shows, beauty products and a host of other items but as usual the wine baskets had the most bidders! At the conclusion of a highly successful evening the winners were announced by Board Member Jonjie Bernardo.

For further information, call 281-488-0124 or check their website FriendHelpingFriend.org