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Monthly Project Highlight!
Internship for US students
US students connect to their roots serving the under-privileged by sharing their knowledge and experiencing a world their parents support to make better!
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Looking ahead - 50 and beyond!
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I am delighted to connect with all of you with this initial communication as the new President of TNF. It brings me a great joy to lead this organization, which has been well-managed by a dedicated leadership focused on the well-being of the beneficiaries of TNF's services. I am proud to see that we have maintained a strong sense of integrity, service, and inclusivity for the Tamil community. Over the next two years, with the assistance of the board, life members, and well-wishers, I am honored to guide TNF towards continued success.
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I would like to express my gratitude to the outgoing board led by Murugan Kannan for their exceptional work in steering the organization towards improved awareness, participation, and financial growth. As a result, the organization now holds a favorable position among those who contribute and support our endeavors back home. I am thrilled to inform you that all 76 projects are currently running successfully, and I sincerely thank all of you for your support. I also kindly request your ongoing support and guidance in all aspects of our growth.
Our vision is to uphold the organization's values while enhancing our brand and creating greater awareness among our target populations. We aim to attract more corporate and entrepreneurial donors, ensuring the sustainability of our organization and its service to our community for generations to come.
Our roadmap for the next two years is currently under development, and once the board review process is complete, I will be delighted to share it with everyone. Additionally, as some of you may already know, next year marks TNF’s 50th anniversary. We are planning to hold the celebrations in Chicago during Memorial weekend from 25th to 27th of 2024. Please mark your calendars and we will be sharing further details soon. The convention will focus on two key objectives: raising sufficient funds to support the local center's operational costs through interest from corpus funds and identifying youth leaders who can guide the organization into the next 50 years.
If we successfully raise our reserve funds, we will be in a strong position to maintain a level of minimized administrative costs benefiting our donors and stretching their contributions effectively. Our new team is fully dedicated to serving our community and increasing awareness among the Tamil diaspora residing in North America.
It is my pleasure to introduce the new board for years 2023-2025.
Mr. Veera Venugopal, President
Mr.Shanmugaprakash Natarajan, Vice President – Projects
Mr. Muruganandan Palanisamy, Vice President – Chapters
Mr. Lakshmi Munugoor, Vice President – Membership
Mrs. Nagammai (Usha) Bhaskar, Secretary
Mrs. Meena Natesan, Joint Secretary
Mrs. Valli Raghavan, Treasurer
Mr. Prabhakar Santhanakrishnan, Joint Treasurer
Mrs. Seetha Krishnan, Director – Technology & Communications
Mr. Mannar Dhandapani, Director - Youth
Mr. Mani Periakaruppan, Director
Dr. Padmini Ranganathan, Director
Dr. Kalai Parthiban, Director
Mrs. Brahashitha Gupta, Director
Mr. Murugan Kannan, Past President & Chennai Liaison
With your continued support, I am optimistic about taking this organization to new heights. We value your feedback and suggestions as we strive to improve our service to you. I look forward to hearing your comments sent to president@tnfusa.org.
Cheers to all until our next communication.
Veera Venugopal
847-910-3684
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Dr Padmini Ranganathan is a retired physician living in Houston, Texas. She has spent close to four decades in community service & has served in leadership roles across many non profit organizations such as Sri Meenakshi Temple, Bharathi Kalai Manram, Daya & Udavum Karangal.
She has served in Tamil Nadu Foundation USA in the past as a Director and VP Projects. She also co-chaired the TNF annual convention at Houston in 2012
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TN Schools reopen after summer break
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Schools reopened the week of June 12th 2023 across Tamil Nadu. In spite of a week's delay in the re-opening, a total of 117 TNF teachers swung into action conducting baseline tests to identify slow learners. So far, a total of 3422 students across 60 schools in 18 districts have completed the tests and the rest of the schools are working on getting it completed. Once the students who need coaching are identified, ABC project classes will commence.
TNF's nutritional supplement project that benefitted 600+ students in the past academic year was resumed in 10 schools for the year 2023-24. Students attending 6th grade will benefit with the project.
Under the VTK Memorial fund project, a total of 100 students attending classes at Panchayat Union Primary School, Kovilur, Thiruvannamalai District received school bags procured at a cost of ₹ 33,275/-
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Educational Scholarships - June 2023 update
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During the month, 5 students received scholarships totaling an amount of ₹1,71,120.
| Description |
# of Beneficiaries |
Scholarship Amount
(in Rupees)
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| Educational Assistance to the Destitute and socially abandoned school children |
2 |
₹ 47,600.00 |
| Essvee Foundation Educational Scholarship |
2 |
₹ 1,00,000.00 |
| TNF TN Chapter |
1 |
₹ 23,520.00 |
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5 |
₹ 1,71,120.00 |
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Vocational training empowers women
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Per the MoU signed between Tamil Nadu Foundation & Apparel Training Design Centre (ATDC), a reputed vocational training provider by Apparel Export Production Council started a training program to train 25 women who live below poverty line in acquiring tailoring skill. The three month long training was conducted in the basement of TNF Chennai office building concluded in June 2023. 8 out of the 25 trainees have already been shortlisted to work in a garment company with a starting salary ranging from ₹ 9,000 to ₹ 10,000. A few trainees have expressed interest in starting their own boutique. We wish them all good luck in their professional careers and entrepreneurial endeavors.
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Buy a T-shirt! Donate a Uniform!
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Arun Arunachalam, a rising High Schooler from Austin, TX, inspired by other charities raising funds through merchandise, has initiated Buy a T-shirt, Donate a Uniform. He believes enabling children in Tamil Nadu schools wear uniform will help them feel a sense of empowerment and instill a sense of dignity, which will boost their morale to perform well in studies. Since the launch of the campaign, he has raised $ 2500, which will provide uniforms to 100 deserving children.
As schools re-opened in June, this is a great time to lend a hand to help. You wear a t-shirt for day, a student wears uniform for an year. Email Arunachalam Arunachalam at ar.arunachalam469@gmail.com to order your TNF shirt!
Have a local chapter event coming up? That is a great opportunity to wear TNF T-shirts and show your TNF pride! If that isn't enough, you could sell the T-shirts during the occasion to raise funds for uniform project.
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Click on the image to register for the event.
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US High Schoolers begin summer internship in India
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High school students from TNF life member families look forward to their summer break in India for many reasons and TNF internship is certainly one of them. Students visiting India in June/July get an opportunity to work in TNF's ABC schools as interns and/or get trained at Center for Medical Genetics.
The first batch of three students began their training at Center for Medical genetics on 19th June 2023 and one student began on 26th June 2023.
On July 3rd, many of the interns will begin their internship at ABC Schools across Tamil Nadu.
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TNF Youth LOVES Summer Essay Contest underway
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Click on the image for more details! Encourage your children to participate!
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Presidential Volunteer Service Award - 2023 registration is open
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TNF is a certifying organization to recognize volunteers. More than ten youngsters across three chapters spent hours volunteering in TNF activities and in their local community and qualify to receive the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. We are now opening registrations for the year 2023. Encourage your children to register, volunteer and get recognized for their efforts. Learn more and register at https://tnfusa.org/tnf-presidents-volunteer-service-award-pvsa/
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