SURENDRA ULLAL / RAMESH SOPARAWALA
CHICAGO: Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS), a nearly three decades old and one of the most patronized facilities by seniors from India and Asia is now set to expand its reach with a hefty plan to have its presence on Chicago Devon Ave, knows as mini India Town.
The fact that the Indian-American community backs this effort and is solidly behind the MAFS management team was quite evident when hundreds of community leaders and activists turned up at its recent fundraiser drive held in Waterford Banquet hall in Elmhurst, a Chicago suburb.. The community backing and the success helped MAFS team raise $150,000 with promises for a steady back-up.
Santosh Kumar, executive director and founder of the organization and a front-ranking woman community activist speaking to India Post said that “the future plan is to open a new center in Devon area at the same place where earlier existed an Indian restaurant, Viceroy of India”.
The success in Chicago has also spurred the MAFS management team to expand to other US states. Indicating this, Kumar said that “ we are also planning to open out in other areas and branching out to states like Indiana, California and Texas .
“Community leaders and members from these states impressed by our addressing seniors’ interests and concerns have been approaching us from quite some time and now we are ready doing something in this regard,” she said.
The MAFS team headed by Kumar, CFO Sagar Kumar, Dr Asthana and Prashant Kumar had recently hosted a fundraiser-cum-reception celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the community at large responded magnificently. Those who attended included Indian Consul General in Chicago Sudhakar Dalela, Lalitha Kumarmangalam and elected officials like Congressman Raja Krishnamurthi, Congressman Bill Foster, Cook County chief Tony Preckwinkle, Senator Laura Elman, and Paul Basta.
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