GSSWH Donates $40,000 to Mayor’s Harvey Relief Fund

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston, Prithvipal Singh Likhari (center with head scarf) with members of the Board and donors at the Gurdwara last Sunday, August 15 at the check donation ceremony.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston, Prithvipal Singh Likhari (center with head scarf) with members of the Board and donors at the Gurdwara last Sunday, August 15 at the check donation ceremony.

HOUSTON: Mother Nature has her own ways but when she gets angry, she comes down with a heavy hand. That’s what Hurricane Harvey did to Houstonians. Widespread flooding brought many parts of the metropolitan area to a grinding halt. The destruction caused by floodwaters was immense, and its impact on the lives of those affected will be felt for quite some time. As the disaster was unfolding and post-flooding, one bright spot was the effort that people made to help each other. Community organizations took up the challenge helping people by providing a variety of assistance, from food to shelter, medical aid to moral support and the financial aid to rebuild.

On Sunday, August 27 as the floodwaters were rising, the Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston sent a mass communication to the community offering shelter and food to anyone affected by flooding and shortly thereafter launched fund raising efforts. The sangat members were requested to donate to the Harvey Relief Fund (HRF) to support rehabilitation efforts undertaken by the city and state.  In an attempt to motivate people to open their hearts and donate generously, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prithvipal Singh Likhari and the Director, Punjabi School of GSSWH, his wife Manmeet Kaur Likhari offered to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000.

The response was overwhelming, and involved not just the local sangat but also that of the gurdwara in Cleveland, Ohio. On behalf of his organization, Guru Nanak Foundation trustee Ash Chawla sent a check for $10,000 towards the HRF, and Chairman Likhari provided the matching funds to a total up tof $40,000. This donation will go a long way to project the Indian community as caring and willing to be a partner in rebuilding what has been lost to the force of Hurricane Harvey. Facilitated by the Consul General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray, the funds will be channeled to the Houston Mayor’s and Texas Governor’s Funds set up to receive proceeds of the relief donations and will be noted as coming from the Indian diaspora.

The GSSWH is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity organization located at 14811 Lindita Drive, Houston, TX 77083. It has been providing socio-religious services for almost ten years, open 7 days a week from 7 am to 7 pm. Religious services are offered every Friday evening at 7:30 pm and on Sundays at 11:30 am. Visit www.gurdwaraswh.com or email secretarygsswh@yahoo.com