Save Grace Home

by Dr. N. G.

Greetings,  

The international crisis in feeding the poor is hitting Sri Lanka as well.  Some of you may be aware the price of rice and other essential food items have escalated such that the functional poor in Sri Lanka can no longer afford to feed themselves.  The  increased emphasis on biofuels, decreased agricultural production worldwide and an ongoing war has resulted in the "perfect storm" in Sri Lanka such that an astonishing number are going hungry daily.  We have noted that at Grace Care Center in Trincomalee, where the children and elders there now have restricted rations and are desperately short of food due to the escalating cost of food.

Grace Care Center located in Trinco was established in 2002 by California attorney Eric Parkinson.  It is an orphanage to 94 children (average age 10 yrs), 43 elders at Mercy Home, 85 students in the Vocational Training Center, and the day care program welcomes 49 little visitors daily from  the nearby displaced persons camp.  It is funded and run nearly entirely by American donations (the vast majority with no links to Sri Lanka).  

Grace Care has hosted over one hundred American visitors who have supported the facility, but have also been awakened to plight of those who have been affected by the ongoing conflict.  These people have subsequently  become staunch supporters and advocates for human rights upon their return to the US.

I have visited Grace Care multiple times and strongly support the programs there financially and with my time.  It is one of the few good things in Sri Lanka for me.

Grace Care now is in a financial crisis given the dramatic escalation in cost due to ongoing violence and decreased donations.  The  children and elders there now have food rations, such that they have limited days where they are served vegetables and meat.  Rev.  Gnanapragasam who oversees the facility recently remarked:

"The country situation is very bad," Gnanapragasam said. "Problems exist outside of here, but it doesn't come in here directly. When people see the place, they thank us for operating it so nicely. The children have a future, and the elders have a place where they are protected and cared for. They just want a future life for the children."  

We are now faced with the prospect of closing some of the programs down and limiting food and activities to those at Grace further.  

We need your help in keeping Grace Care running.  Please click on the link below to learn more and consider sponsoring a child ($30/mo) or Elder ($40/mo). 

This is a tax deductible donation.  

www.you-shall-love.org  

Thank you for the consideration.