Assist with SHRI's COVID-19 Response Efforts

Dear Friends and Family, 

I hope that this note finds you all doing well and keeping safe. The COVID-19 situation in India has improved since I last emailed you all. Nevertheless, there are still major vaccination and medical supply shortages plaguing the health care system. Additionally, many of SHRI' beneficiaries have had to endure a very heavy monsoon season that has caused major flooding, further cutting communities off from essential services. 

As such, SHRI's team in Bihar prioritized distributing rations to 200 households that were severely impacted by the flooding. Many of these families had to relocate from their villages to higher ground - often the side of the road - and were living in tents. We provided these families, which had already been deleteriously impacted by the pandemic, with food, plastic tarp covering, and other essential goods in order to help them through this time. 

We also just received six oxygen concentrators that were generously donated to us by the Heart to Heart International. There was an extreme oxygen shortage in the midst of the last COVID-19 spike in India. As such, we will be donating these devices to primary care health centers in the area where SHRI works. We hope that this very modest contribution will help clinics better serve patients in the event of a third wave this fall. 

Moving forward, we are going to be saving the left over funds we have raised for our COVID-19 response in case there is a third wave this fall. We want to be able to support families with food and supplies in case there is another spike. We are also going to continue distributing masks and spreading awareness about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the importance of social distancing and getting vaccinated. 

As always, thank you for your ongoing support, and for taking the time to read our updates. Take good care, and enjoy the day. 

Anoop