Raising Hope
Raising Hope (RH) of St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Somerset, NJ is a charitable organization formed within the church with the goal of encouraging young people to take leadership in helping the underprivileged. We raise funds and donate that money to specific organizations both in India and America.
Patron Saint: St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Our mission: Share. Care. Grow Together.
History
Raising Hope started out as a group of friends from St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, in East Millstone, NJ, who felt the call to help their struggling brothers and sisters. We heard of a group of girls in Pala, Kerala, close to our homes in India, who were studying and living with a group of sisters at a center known as Infant Jesus Balabhavan. We started to visit them and spend time with them during our visits to India. Since then, our group has branched out to the members' schools and other activities, collecting members for its committee and organizing itself to make the group more effective. We brought the intention to serve these children back home with us, and we organized a group to better our efforts. Thus began Raising Hope.
Events
Raising Hopes Projects
2022
May 2022: Raising Hope BBQ
All proceeds went to support:
Helping Hands Food Drive in Bronx
Missionaries of Charity Asbury
Nursing Students in Lissiuex Sadanam, Kerala
April 2022: Helping Hands Soup kitchen in Bronx
Fr. Meena is the director of the soup kitchen
We would either help serve food, or help with the food pantry where families will come to collect food, or help with food packing.
2021
Jun 2021: Syro Soccer
July 2021: Car Wash
-all proceeds went to the Helping Hands Food Drive in Bronx Nursing Students Tuition, and Lisieuxsadanam
August 2021: Raising Hope BBQ
-all proceeds went to the Helping Hands Food Drive in Bronx Nursing Students Tuition, and Lisieuxsadanam
August 2021: Donating School Supplies to Help Kids
-providing school supplies to Hispanic students
December 2021: Giving Christmas Gifts to Helping Hands Homeless
-Raising Hope food drive
December 2021: Dropping food items to Missionaries of Charity Asbury
-Missionaries of Charity, Asbury
Raising Hope Leadership Team
2022-2023 RH Executive Committee
President
Josh Joseph
Josh Joseph
Co-President
Meera James
Meera James
VP
Alexis Thoonkuzhy
Alexis Thoonkuzhy
Secretary
Alena Thomas & Chris Thayil
Alena Thomas & Chris Thayil
Treasurer
Alyssa Simon & Austin Joseph
Alyssa Simon & Austin Joseph
Historian
Michael Mathew
Michael Mathew
Web Designers
Jeff Thayil & Anju Mangan
Jeff Thayil & Anju Mangan
International/Outreach Coordinators
George Manianchira & Ashley Simon
George Manianchira & Ashley Simon
Fundraising leads
Maria George & Terissa Alex
Maria George & Terissa Alex
PRO/Recruitment Leads
Edwin Benny & Melvin Thoompunkal
Edwin Benny & Melvin Thoompunkal
Parent Volunteers:
Adult Animators
James Mathew & Sheena Joseph
Treasurer
Simon Joseph
Outreach Coordinators
Smitha Manoj & Smitha Tony
Fundraising Leads
Tomi Thoonkuzhy and Marydasan Thomas
Web Design
Tony Mangan
Adult mentors
George Varkey & Remy Chirayil
May 2022: Raising Hope BBQ
All proceeds went to support:
Helping Hands Food Drive in Bronx
Missionaries of Charity Asbury
Nursing Students in Lissiuex Sadanam, Kerala
April 2022: Helping Hands Soup kitchen in Bronx
Fr. Meena is the director of the soup kitchen
We would either help serve food, or help with the food pantry where families will come to collect food, or help with food packing.
Mariyasadanam
Since Jan 2019, Raising Hope has worked to serve the children and needs of Liseiuxsadanam--a group that's part of Mariyasadanam, a registered NGO in Pala, Kerala that rehabilitates and empowers socially disadvantaged individuals through education, training, and promoting awareness. Mariyasadanam models a unique mindset in tackling mental illness. Art, music, yoga, handicraft works, group activities, prayer, gardening, animal husbandry, mediation and counselling and the like are employed here in treatment and rehabilitation. Even cooking is a joyful experience here. Love and care are the basis of all these initiatives. People who make a recovery from homelessness and mental illness make different choices about their future course of life. Some want to go back to their families; some may have resistant families. Others might have no families to go back to or may not want to go back to their families, so they seek employment. Others require long term support due to age or profound physical or mental illness.