What We Do

Friends of Sparsh connects within the community for the community. It works year round highlighting needs for donations and services to help underprivileged families and children.  Often these families are living in shelters and are in transition to permanent housing. Many essential items like food, clothing, kitchen essentials and household furniture are required to help them get started with their daily life. Friends of Sparsh manages the donation of money and items from communities to provide these families with the very basic essentials.

Some of the donations and events managed by Friends of Sparsh are highlighted below:

• Ongoing Sunday dinners that feeds about 30-35 shelter residents. Food is provided from local grocery stores, restaurants, volunteers and friends and families. The community comes together to volunteer and provide service at this event.
• Due to the Covid epidemic we have tripled our daily volunteer and food supply efforts so we can provide to the underprivileged of the community.  Due to this in the last 7 month we were able to arrange and provide full meal dinners mostly every day. Friends of Sparsh has provided about 145,000 meals to our homeless community since November 2019. We are now serving dinners to up to 3 shelters.
• Via the food pantry and other donations we have presently stocked and distributed about 80,000 pounds of food for the homeless community.
• This month we were able to collect about 200 tents, blankets and sleeping bags to give it to our homeless community. We also provided them with firewood so they can keep warm in cold nights.
• Charity holiday gift giving event for children with games, food and activities.
• Canned food drive collection for the benefit of food pantry for the local shelters.
• Many times a homeless family is moved from shelter to permanent housing. We help these families with transportation to their new homes and also arrange to provide furniture, kitchen appliances and clothing as per the needs of the family.
• Monetary donations are accepted all year round to provide for essential items for underprivileged families.

Our Future Goals

We have continued to create a community of many volunteers, organizations and donors who believe in our mission to serve the homeless community around us.  With this, ever growing compassion and kind touch (Sparsh), we are hoping to grow our non-profit charity organization to serve even more individuals and families.

• We aim to provide more shelters with dinners every day of the week.
• Friends of Sparsh will continue to maintain through donations and provisions bought the food pantry at the shelter stocked with nonperishable items and personal hygiene items.
• Many homeless residents face harsh living lifestyles in cold weathers, this year we were able to set up a “Tent City” for many such individuals. We hope to provide them with tents, sleeping bags, blankets, socks, gloves and food every day.
• During the current pandemic our world is facing, we at Friends of Sparsh have tripled our efforts to provided sustenance to the many who are in need during this difficult times.
• We hope to grow our organization in the next few years to add on more volunteer engagements, donations, and thereby serve many more shelters where a touch of kindness is needed.

Friends of Sparsh couldn’t have been able to provide to so many in need without the continued contribution of supplies, food and donations to the many who are in need.

Current Statistics as of November 2020:

• Providing daily dinners to residents of up to 3 homeless shelters every day since past 7 months.
• Friends of Sparsh has provided about 145,000 meals to our homeless community since November 2019.
• Our food pantry has stocked and distributed about 80,000 pounds of food for the homeless community.
• 200 tents, blankets, sleeping bags and socks were collected to give to our homeless community.

Friends of Sparsh is hoping to provide more each year to these families with your help. Please stay connected on our Facebook Page, “Friends of Sparsh” to be a part of this wonderful charity organization. You can message and contact Mr. Prakash Saraf at friendsofsparsh@gmail.com if you would like to donate at any time.

Awards:

Mr. Saraf has received many awards and recognition for his community services.

Below are a few to be highlighted.

• In 2017, Mr. Saraf received the “Baltimore Community Service Award” from “Family and Children Services”.
• In 2018 Mr. Saraf was presented the Cecil B. Day Community Service Award at the Las Vegas from the world largest hotel chain In Wyndham Convention.
• In Nov, 2019 the Baltimore city bestowed Mr. Saraf with the Mayor Office Award for Outstanding Community Service.
• In 2020 Mr. Saraf was given the “Community Philanthropy Award” by “Asian American Hotel Owners Association” (AAHOA), a 15,000 member organization.