Newsroom

Lansing Rotary grant funds Grace repairs

2011-04-07T13:04:30Z

Bridging the gap between southern Michigan and Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, the Lansing chapter of Rotary Club International is financing long-needed repairs to the septic and sanitation system at the Grace Care Center.
Lee Kliebert, the chapter's Foundation President, appealed to the club to help finance the project with a donation of $2,100, which will be arranged through the Rotary Club of Trincomalee.
"The Lansing Rotary Foundation is happy to provide funding for such an essential project," said Kliebert. "The circumstances surrounding the orphanage and the work being done there make it easy for me to advocate on its behalf."
Funds were provided in early April to the Trincomalee Rotary Club, and the project will be supervised by Mr. A.A. Jayaratnam, a past president of the Trincomalee chapter and advisor to the Grace Care Center.
"We are really glad to join hands with your Club to help the Grace Care Center," Mr. Jayaratnam wrote in a letter of introduction to fellow Rotarians. Mr. Jayaratnam explained the pressing need to improve the infrastructure for the health and welfare of the residents. "Our Club is prepared to help out the Center; we have been helping people affected by war by building houses, schools and health centers."
The Grace Care Center children's home and elder care facility houses more than 100 residents and is managed and sponsored by VeAhavta, a Michigan-based 501 (C) (3) nonprofit organization.

Starving children seek assistance at Grace

2010-09-20T17:26:59Z

The war may be over, but the crippling poverty in northeast Sri Lanka continues to threaten the lives of families and children.
One family -- Mrs. Ranjini Sivansan, her three daughters (ages 10, 9 and 2) and 7-year-old son -- were discovered in a small cottage with no food, no income and in desperate need of medical attention.
The children suffered from extreme malnourishment; often their only sustenance was sugar mixed with sand.
Ten-year-old daughter Lavaniya frequently scrounged the nearby beaches and forests to find and prepare food for her sisters and brother. (Earlier this year, Lavaniya was given emergency medical treatment, although there was no follow-up to include the removal of stitches from her stomach.) Nine-year-old Shalini is of infant-size and weight.
The family was referred to Grace by the Trincomalee office of Child Welfare after learning of their eviction from a temporary roadside shelter.
Two of the children were taken to Trincomalee General Hospital. A local attorney, Mr. Jegasothy, provided funding for transportation and food for the family. A volunteer physician, Dr. Kohulan, treated the children at Grace, and said he had never seen (even in northeast Sri Lanka) children in such a critical condition.
"I thought there were only children like this in Somalia and other countries," the doctor told Hiram Labrooy, who manages the Center's programs.
At Grace, temporary lodgings were offered to the family, and VeAhavta is working toward providing the support needed for these children.
The family will receive nutritious meals, shelter and medical care while the Grace management works with local social service organizations to help the family make a fresh start. Please help VeAhavta as we help these needy children by making a one-time donation, available at http://www.you-shall-love.org/contribute/index.html.

For more photos of the family at Grace, please visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Grace-Care-Center/170280098968?ref=ts.

Foundation for the Future

2010-07-13T15:31:47Z

Help Grace Prosper in Post-War Sri Lanka

By any definition, the girls of the Grace Care Center didn't have much of a childhood. A brutal civil war dominated their lives, harsh poverty crippled the region, and prospects for the future were rare or nonexistent in northeast Sri Lanka.

The war appears to be history; the future now to be written. Our friends at Grace need help that can be provided for as little as 30 cents a day.

The challenges facing Sri Lanka's children -- the first generation in 30 years to come of age in peace time -- are many: Civil rights, equal opportunities, education, and coming to terms (psychologically) with the tragedies of the past. The Grace Care Center has the opportunity to empower these young women, to offer a better future for themselves ... and their children.

Peace offers many opportunities, yet brings new challenges to be met. Prices have gone up, for everything from staples (rice, milk powder) to school fees and educational needs. On the plus side, signs of economic improvement bring employment and trade opportunities that were simply not possible a few short years ago.

VeAhavta and the staff at Grace are working toward self-sufficiency for the compound and its programs (Grace and Mercy Homes, Vocational Training and Day Care), and a sustainable future for the children. Working with local businessmen, service organizations, non-profit groups and others, projects have been identified for Grace to develop the resources and skills needed to provide for itself.

Grace's challenge is our challenge. For Grace to provide opportunities for its residents, VeAhavta needs to increase our monthly support to Grace by $5,000. To reach this goal, we've launched the 'Trinco 500' campaign, a grass-roots effort to add 500 'friends' to the Grace family ... each 'friend' being a person who makes a $10 monthly contribution. We're asking our extended family of supporters -- new and old -- to reach out to their friends and colleagues and build a truly global support network for these children.

Our friends at Grace need a hand up, not a hand out, which can be provided for as little as 30 cents a day. What can $10 a month do? In Trincomalee, that amount can purchase shoes for 15 girls, supply two seniors with medicine, or pay school costs for 10 children. Your support will allow VeAhavta to plant the seeds for self-sustaining programs at Grace.

Post-war Sri Lanka offers possibilities and promise for the first time in a generation. Help us make sure that the next generation can enjoy the benefits of peace. Please share this message with your friends, and visit the Trinco 500 page at www.you-shall-love.org/Donation/Trinco500.aspx.

Thank you,
James Mitchell
President, VeAhavta

New era begins at Grace

2010-05-19T20:28:22Z

VeAhavta forms new partnerships in Sri Lanka

Since its inception, VeAhavta has operated the Grace Care Center with the help of an Overseas Agent, Rev S. Jeyanesan. Initially, Rev. Jeyanesan was affiliated with the Church of South India which operated children's homes and vocational training facilities throughout Sri Lanka. In 2007, he and other pastors separated from the parent diocese, and formed the Church of the American Ceylon Mission (CACM).
Over the past year, VeAhavta concluded that working with the CACM was no longer the best way to fulfill our goal of providing a home for needy Sri Lanka girls and seniors, and to promote inter-faith harmony in Sri Lanka. In May, VeAhavta dissolved its relationship with the CACM, and now partners with a religiously diverse base of individuals, organizations and other resources. VeAhavta recognizes the contributions made by our previous associates, who provided valuable administrative assistance during Grace's early days.
VeAhavta has appointed Mr. Nimal Perera, a retired executive with the Noritake Porcelain Company, as our new Overseas Agent to assist with administration and oversight. VeAhavta looks forward to his - and others'- expertise to help the Grace Care Center fulfill its mission: To lovingly nurture the physical, emotional and spiritual well being of orphans and destitute elders in a secure home; to provide hope for unemployed young adults through vocational training; and to provide nourishment and education to refugee children; all without regard to the race, ethnicity, religion, or social circumstance of those in need.
Sri Lanka has undergone dramatic changes in recent years - particularly in the north and east. The final years of the quarter-century conflict sent many non-profit agencies away from the region; priorities for relief and rebuilding efforts adapted to new, post-war realities. At Grace, management concerns and policy disputes with the CACM made it difficult for VeAhavta to operate the Center as envisioned by Eric Parkinson and the organization's mission statement. The board and officers of VeAhavta concluded that it was in the best interests of the children and elders at Grace to end the relationship with the church; a court order affirming the separation went into effect in May 2010.
Grace will be most successful with the help of many people. Grace needs both its volunteers in the United States and abroad and a growing base of connections in Sri Lanka (individuals and organizations who are stepping up to help the cause). Grace also continues to need financial support during very difficult economic times. By putting together a "village" of such helpers, we can continue to provide hope and refuge to the nation's neediest children and elders.
In spite of the many, historic changes in Sri Lanka, the vision of Grace remains what inspired its establishment in 2002: A center where people who have been divided for centuries can meet in peace, and COEXIST in mutual respect.

New board prepares Grace, VeAhavta for peaceful future

2009-11-07T17:41:00Z

The island nation Sri Lanka now faces a future where peace is a condition, not a wish. In the impoverished, war-torn northeast, opportunities to help a struggling population have never been greater.
A diverse range of Michigan talent and experience will guide the nonprofit group VeAhavta in supporting and administering the Grace Care Center children's home and elder care facility in the northeast port town, Trincomalee. Victims of poverty and survivors of Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war, the children and elders of Grace are in greater need than ever of educational and vocational opportunities.
In October 2009, VeAhavta relocated from California to Ypsilanti, Michigan, with a five-member Board of Directors providing oversight to a hands-on team of operating officers. Reporter James Mitchell, author of "But For the Grace: Profiles in Peace From a Nation at War" chronicling the story of Grace and VeAhavta, was unanimously chosen to serve as President of VeAhavta USA.
"It is both an honor and challenge for us to continue the work started by Eric Parkinson," said Mitchell. "His astonishing efforts for these past seven years leave pretty sizeable shoes to fill; it will take many of us to live up to that challenge."
Along with Mitchell, the five-member team of officers includes: Dr. Naresh Gunaratnam, Vice President of Community Outreach; Dr. Cheryl Huckins, Vice President of Operations; Lynn Helland, Secretary; and Lori Kostoff, Treasurer. Each of the officers has been to Grace; Mitchell recently spent a total of three months at the compound.
Oversight will be provided by a five-member voting Board of Directors. Chaired by Dr. Doug Edema, a vice president with St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and past visitor to Grace, the panel includes retiring anesthesiologist and VeAhavta donor Siraj Alseri; internist and Grace visitor Dr. Mohammed Nadeemullah; donor and MBA Rosemary Esch; and geriatrician and infectious disease specialist Dr. Preeti Malani.
Parkinson said that stepping aside from VeAhavta was a difficult decision, but his journey has taught him that the VeAhavta imperative, "You Shall Love," is more than just a phrase.
"Love is the best thing that any of us can offer to another human being," Parkinson said. "Economic support may fill a belly, but it won't fill a soul. Only love can do that."
Of the volunteers, board of directors and friends and supporters, Parkinson said he is confident that their commitment will keep Grace living up to its promise.
"Your love has built a home," Parkinson said.

Find us on Facebook

2009-09-14T14:18:48Z

News, photos and more about the Grace Care Center orphanage in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka can now be found on Facebook. Friends of the orphanage from around the world are becoming fans of the Grace page, and we invite VeAhavta supporters to join the truly global network.

On Facebook: Search 'Grace Care Center' to find our page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Grace-Care-Center/170280098968?ref=ts

Please take a moment to join. There are many changes facing our friends in Sri Lanka's northeast, and we expect to soon have announcements regarding management, oversight and plans for the future.

Grace at the forefront of children's homes

2009-08-17T21:07:21Z

As the island nation Sri Lanka enters a new chapter of peace after a quarter century of conflict, our friends at the Grace Care Center orphanage and elder care facility begin a new period as a home for children focusing on education and connecting with the surrounding community of Trincomalee.

During the past few months, Grace volunteers have identified weaknesses in the way Grace was administered. Several management changes were made to ensure that Grace provides an excellent home for its children and elders. The recent changes include appointment of Mrs. Angela Wigneswaran as warden of the children, a new bank account offering the VeAhavta oversight committee better monitoring of donations and expenses, and a more pro-active effort to engage the local community. A Leadership Class was held at the Center last month, conducted by the Trincomalee Rotary Club and welcoming honor students from the Methodist Girls College, the primary school attended by the children of Grace.

VeAhavta is committed to working in close coordination with the Sri Lanka child welfare authorities in the operation of the Grace Care Center. To that end, social services workers from the office of Probation Commissioner N.P.K. Nelumdeniya, head of Child Welfare for the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, have made repeated visits to Grace in recent weeks. The visits included a formal home inspection on Aug. 6 and several informal sessions facilitated by VeAhavta volunteer James Mitchell, who spent two months at Grace beginning in mid-June.

During his stay at Grace Mitchell met frequently with Carole Jones, a British volunteer serving with the Commission, as well as the Commissioner and Probation Officer Ms. Suthashini, who spent time with many of the children. Jones said that Grace was among the finest children's homes in the Eastern Province, an opinion shared by the Commissioner.

"I am pleased to report a significant improvement in the management of the homes," Jones said on behalf of the Home Monitoring Team. "Clearly these children are now experiencing a period of calm whereby their rights are being respected. The environment in the Home is now one of openness and honesty."

Since the end of the conflict in March, Social Services has imposed new guidelines on homes for children in Sri Lanka. According to their recent visits and reports, the social services office was pleased with improvements made to Grace, from management to scheduling to education. Given the turmoil in Sri Lanka of recent years, particularly in the northeast, Grace represented the best opportunity for its young residents who call it Home.

"It is good that this Department has the full support of VeAhavta and that the joint work being undertaken has resulted in a safer environment for the children of Grace," Jones said.

Changes made in Grace management

2009-07-16T07:08:17Z

In order to improve efficiencies, VeAhavta is making some changes in management. Rev J. Gnanapragasam will be stepping down as administrator of the Grace facilities, and returning fulltime to his work with his church. We wish him well.

We are pleased to report the appointment of Angela Wigneswaran as warden of Grace Girls Home. As part of our effort to continually improve accountability, we have enhanced our onsite financial operations, including fund transfers that Angela will maintain from VeAhavta to the Grace Care Center.

With the war ending, the Child Welfare service has increased its efforts in the Northeast region of the country. We are actively partnering with the government office to make Grace Care a model children's home. Angela has reviewed the most recent list of Child Welfare requirements of children’s homes, and we are pleased to report that the Grace Care Center is meeting or will soon meet or exceed all government expectations.

Miss Yancy will serve as director of the Vocational Training Center, and Miss Krishantini will supervise the Center’s day care operations.

Online report features Grace Care Center

2009-06-06T14:36:04Z

The post-war situation in Sri Lanka, and its impact on the Grace Care Center and community of Trincomalee is now featured on iReports, an independent news site affiliated with news organization CNN.

VeAhavta volunteer James Mitchell will return to the Grace Care Center on June 14, and during a five-week stay in Sri Lanka will post several online videos introducing the world to the people of Grace and their many friends in Trincomalee.

Please visit http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-267065 to view this report. Our friends in Sri Lanka face still more challenges; please consider donating to help them find a peaceful future.

Thank you.

War ends, battle for peace in Sri Lanka begins

2009-05-25T14:28:18Z

May 2009 may be remembered as the month when the 25-plus year civil war in Sri Lanka came to an end.
News reports indicated that, while there was dancing in the streets in capitol Colombo, there remained a humanitarian crisis in the northeast. Just north of the Grace Care Center orphanage and elder home in Trincomalee, the final battles between government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam left tens of thousands of civilians in desperate need of medical and humanitarian assistance.
VeAhavta volunteer Bonnie Nuzum was in Trincomalee when the government declared victory, and said the news was treated with caution.
“It’s somber,” Bonnie said. “There’s been so much killing.”
The end of the war has been anticipated for months. In January 2009, government troops took control of Killinochchi, said to be the primary base of the LTTE. A determined effort continued, in spite of growing international calls for a cease-fire to allow civilians safe passage from the battle zones. By April, the United Nations cited a “human avalanche” of people trying to leave the north as the Sri Lankan military closed in around the final LTTE stronghold near Mullaivaikal, about 30 miles north of Trincomalee.
It is unknown how many civilians were killed in the final weeks of battle. The weekend of May 10 included what the New York Times called a “bloodbath,” in which more than 300 civilians – among them 100 children – were killed. Two more days of intense artillery attacks left hundreds of civilians dead, including patients at a makeshift hospital. International leaders, including President Barack Obama, demanded an immediate cease fire to allow safe passage for the civilians.
On May 18, the government formally declared a victory; that proclamation was confirmed two days later with a surrender by the LTTE, and the body of Tiger head Vellupilai Prabhakaran was reportedly discovered among the casualties.
The news was certainly cause for celebration; a generation of Sri Lankans (including every child at Grace Care Center) has never known peace.
“Trust will be hard to have,” said Bonnie Nuzum. As it has often been in the past, the Trincomalee area is again populated with camps housing displaced civilians seeking a fresh start for their families.
VeAhavta will continue to work with local non-profit, humanitarian and government agencies in hopes of peace. Please consider making a donation to VeAhavta so that our efforts can help save lives where it’s needed most. Thank you, and peace.

'Grace' book makes SL news

2009-05-03T13:56:07Z

Publication of "But For the Grace: Profiles in Peace From a Nation at War" was featured in the May 1 edition of the Sri Lanka Daily Mirror, an English-language newspaper with a circulation of 30,000.
Reporter Jennifer Rodrigo interviewed "But For the Grace" author and VeAhavta communications officer James Mitchell for this report via email. The published report offers a flattering view of the Grace Care Center as a place for peace in a region of war.
"But For the Grace" is the story of the orphan children of Grace Home, the elders of Mercy, and their American friends, from its establishment in 2003, through the devastating tsunami the following year, and the tragic return to war within a few years.
We're pleased to see the Grace message of providing a peaceful future for all Sri Lankan children being recognized by that nation's press.
Please visit the Daily Mirror site for the full report:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=47580

'Grace' book now available

2009-03-11T22:18:17Z

Visitors and friends of the Grace Care Center orphanage and elders home in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, are well aware of how special those seven acres of hope can be.

That story is now told in "But For the Grace: Profiles in Peace From a Nation at War," by VeAhavta volunteer and journalist James A. Mitchell. Published March 25, the book is now available for order on www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk.or through the publisher's site at www.mansionfield.co.uk.

For a direct link, visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905021119/thegrimsaypre-20

The story of Grace is, in many ways, the story of Sri Lanka itself. Established the same year a cease-fire agreement offered the brief promise of peace, the orphans and elders of Grace and Mercy Home are orphans of war and poverty, and survivors of a war that placed civilians in the path of an ever-shifting cross-fire.
BBC war correspondent Paul Harris, author of two books on Sri Lanka, composed a foreword to "But For the Grace" that highlights the accomplishments of the Grace Care Center and VeAhavta:

"The author writes affectionately, and not a little movingly, about the extraordinary work and achievements at the Grace Care Center, north of Trinco. The difficulties of working in the area have meant that it has been largely abandoned by the agencies of outside assistance, and this book tells a real success story for a change. This book may also enrich the reader if it serves to convey the message propounded by one of the participants [Justin Yax] in the Grace Care Center, "Life is not about what surrounds you, it's about who you're surrounded by.""

"But For the Grace" chronicles the establishment of the orphanage, its expansion into clinic operations and the development of the Mercy Home elder residence. Along the way, Grace and its friends survive the threat of child soldier recruitment, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and a return to conflict.

VeAhavta volunteers in Michigan are planning a release celebration and benefit dinner in April, and further engagements are expected to help tell these long-overlooked stories.

Grace Home responds to refugee crisis

2009-02-15T14:21:37Z

A humanitarian crisis dominates news reports from Sri Lanka this week. VeAhavta and the Grace Care Center are in a unique position to help, and have been asked to do so.
The recent confrontation in the northeast between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam may be, some believe, the final days of the 25-year civil war. However, the latest clash, in which the government believes it has contained the final areas secured by the LTTE, places more than 200,000 civilians in the crossfire. Many are wounded, and thousands are leaving their villages as their homes are uninhabitable.
Trincomalee, home of the Grace Care Center, is forty miles south of the conflict area. Displaced families and injured civilians are arriving here, seeking help. More than 700 patients are expected to soon fill the schools and public properties.
Reports from the northeast only hint at the humanitarian crisis that is brewing. Most international organizations and journalists are unable to access conflict areas, and information is slow to reach the world. Our friends in Trinco allowed us to learn early of this situation.
An emergency appeal has been issued by the Office of the Provincial Director of Health Services for medicine, clothing and basic necessities. Grace Care Center Manager Rev. J. Gnanapragasam and Mercy Home Director Hiram Labrooy are looking to VeAhavta for help. VeAhavta administration is pledging $2,000 for the effort. Much more assistance is needed, and volunteers are trying to raise a requested $5,000 for immediate, critical relief.
Please help us help them during this time of crisis.

Grace Care makes local news

2009-01-08T16:05:12Z

A recent trip to the Grace Care Center by Ann Arbor-area volunteers, and plans for the upcoming benefit concert featuring Blues Infusion and special guest Mitch Ryder, are featured in a newspaper report in the metro Detroit area.
"From Sri Lanka, with love" appeared in the Sunday, Jan. 4 Observer newspapers covering Plymouth, Canton and western Wayne County.
The story is available on the Hometown Life web site:
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090104/NEWS27/901040376/1032/NEWS15
Please take a moment and learn about the continued efforts to help our friends in Trincomalee.

Grace benefit finds funds, friends ... and cows

2008-11-26T12:42:20Z

A dinner held Friday, Nov. 21 at the home of Naresh Gunaratnam and Aruna Sarma was an unqualified success, bringing in donations of more than $24,000 and adding more than 20 sponsors to the network of VeAhavta friends and supporters.
The donations will greatly help the mission of the Grace Care Center orphanage and elder home in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, which has struggled in recent months against escalating costs resulting from the renewed civil conflict.
In spite of the challenges, VeAhavta volunteers believe that the benefit dinner marks a new beginning for the orphanage. Those who attended viewed a video assembled by Ben Weatherston that provided an overview of Grace Care Center, the challenges of third-world poverty and a 25-year civil conflict, and VeAhavta's ongoign commitment to our friends in Trincomalee.
"Many who had never heard of Grace were moved by the concept," Naresh said after the event. Attendees were very generous, at times making contributions of $1,000 each or "sponsoring" the purchase of cows that will help reduce expenses at the orphanage."I think we got our heads above water, and it's now time to swim to shore to the beautiful beach called Grace Home."
Beginning with the December "Through Their Eyes" newsletter, VeAhavta's new-and-old friends will learn more about the children and elders being sponsored, and upcoming events to further assist the orphanage. A benefit concert is being planned for Jan. 18 featuring Blues Infusion, a group including doctors from St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, with special guest star Mitch Ryder, who will appear at a meet-and-greet "V.I.P." reception before the show.
VeAhavta would like to thank the invaluable contributions and efforts of The Moveable Feast Catering and Bombay Boutique in helping make this event a tremendous success.