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2012 Annual Report
Consciously or unconsciously, every one of us does
render some service or other. If we cultivate the habit of
doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will
steadily grow stronger, and will make, not only our own
happiness, but that of the world at large.
—Mahatma Gandhi
OUR MISSION
The Indo-American Center provides
HISTORY
an array of direct service to immigrants, regardless of race, religion,
or creed, based on their need to
integrate into the community. Some
of our clients have just arrived to
the U.S. and others have been here
for quite some time. We welcome
individuals to our center to receive
language training, meet new friends,
bring their children to events, and
receive job readiness assistance.
Beginning in a one-room apartment
in 1990 to provide family-based
immigration services, our programs
have grown tremendously and now
operate from a large center with
nine distinct programs for immigrants from all areas of South Asia
as well as the Middle East, Eastern
Europe, Haiti, and Central and
South America.
At the Indo-American Center,
grandparents can relax and enjoy
a movie with their peers while
children compete in cricket during
classes while mothers learn English
skills and fathers learn how to write
a resume. Serving each individual
strengthens each family and each
family served makes the immigrant
community stronger, member by
member, family by family. We invite
you to read about the IAC’s distinct
and comprehensive programs and
see how our commitment to serve
has enriched our community on
Devon Avenue and beyond.
Sometimes a dream can start very small and grow
to be a community phenomenon. That’s just how
the Indo-American Center began serving South
Asian immigrants. The dream to provide a support
system for immigrants- young and old, regardless
or creed or religion- quickly outgrew the small
apartment where we started 22 years ago.
Expanding from providing immigration assistance, the IAC spread its mission to support, assist,
and stabilize immigrants throughout the community. The Center started with the goal of providing
a home away from home for immigrants, but those
who supported its mission understood that they
needed to help new residents transition to seeing
the U.S. as home.
Very early on, the offerings of the IAC grew
from immigration assistance, to senior gatherings,
to classes teaching English as a Second Language,
to classes offering U.S. Civics lessons. The core
mission of the IAC is to make each immigrant
stand strong, on his or her own and in the community. Thus, filling in a few forms for clients was
not enough. A robust class structure of Civics and
Adult Literacy helped each person become more
confident in his or her ability to pursue the dreams
that so many immigrants share.
From there, Computer Literacy, Youth Programs, and the Cyriac D. Kappil Legal Clinic
(among others), grew. The mission of the IAC is to
meet immigrants where they are, who they are, and
transform them to where they want to be, and who
they want to become.
The programs grew from this need and goal.
Each person who comes through the door to use
our programs and services becomes an integral
part of our larger community, all the while growing
more independent. As M.K.G. Pillay, IAC’s first
president said, “in [such] unity lies our strength
and our ability to realize our own fullest potential.”
We welcome you to learn more about us, come
join us at our Center, and support our mission.
WHO WE ARE/WHO WE SERVE
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The Indo-American Center (IAC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3)
status organization engaged in promoting the well-being of
immigrants through services that facilitate their adjustment,
integration, and friendship with the wider society, nurture
their sense of community, and foster appreciation for their
culture and heritage. The Center offers a range of educational programs, resources, and social services that address
the common challenges that our clients face after moving to
the United States, including social isolation, limited English
and computer skills, and limited knowledge of the resources available to them. The Indo-American Center strives to
become the premier social service organization for low-income immigrants and their families seeking to integrate into
the Greater Chicago area.
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It has been my privilege to work with, and to lead the Indo-American Center
as the President of the Board of Directors this past year.
As a physician, my practice embraced my entire community. My patients
came to me sometimes in health and sometimes in illness. As I worked with
my patients to give them the care they needed, I’ve always felt honored to
be a part of other people’s lives, and to help them and guide them through
challenges.
A fellow Indian physician first asked me to come to the Indo-American
Center to help her on a couple of projects, and so I joined the Center as a
volunteer. As I continued to work at the Center, my appreciation grew immensely for our history, purpose, and nature of work.
As a first-generation immigrant from India, the diversity of the America
is very familiar to me, and the spirit of providing services for all who need
them is very American and very Indian. The Center represents this spirit in
our volunteers and staff, and in the communities we have served since the
beginning of our organization in 1990.
In that time, we’ve grown from providing services out of a one-room apartment, to providing a wide variety of services through nine main programs
that serve the unique needs of our South Asian communities growing in our
beloved city of Chicago.
In 2012, in response to many clients’ needs, we started a Workforce Development Program, to prepare people for new jobs or better jobs. We train our
client not only with technical skills, but educate our clients with job-seeking
skills of resume writing, online communications, and effective interview
techniques.
In the coming year, we will continue to focus on the needs of all of our
programs, with a special emphasis on the adolescent community, particularly high school students. These students need guidance and supervision
in developing socially, mentally, academically, and physically. We want to
educate and motivate them to be successful, and to be positive leaders of
our community.
We have found that the best way to survive during current economic difficulties is to make the community stronger and more independent. Our
efforts to educate, support, and build our community will continue to make
us stronger.
Lastly, we sincerely thank our team from Taproot Foundation for all of their
dedication and talent in helping us illustrate the services we have delivered
through the hard work of our programs over the past year. This year was
a success, we will continue to make strides toward more successes for the
Indo-American Center.
Regards,
Basanti Sen Banerji
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Board of Directors
LETTER FROM
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
Greetings!
President
Basanti Sen Banerji
Vice President
Rajendran Raja
Secretary
Ralph Nicholas
Treasurer
Ravi Shankar
Members
Bapu Arekapudi
Rajeev Bahri
Nitin Bajaj
Prem Balani
Netta D’Souza
Ranjit Ganguly
Kamal Hans
Ashref Hashim
Ram Kelkar
Mafat Patel
Sher M. Rajput
Shobhana Sanghvi
“As you know, I am the Executive Director of Indo-American Center and am
very happy to be working there. I may have mentioned before that we help
South Asian immigrants integrate better within the broader American society.
We do this with nine main programs designed for Youth, Adults and Seniors.
As you can see, we cover the entire life cycle. Last year we had over 40,000
client service contacts.
Recently, we started a new program, one I am particularly proud of, our Workforce Development Program. We help folks find jobs in this down economy.
All of our other programs have expanded as well to accommodate increased
demand for our help.”
As we reached the ground level and headed for the parking garage, I continued,
“Earlier this morning, given the weather, I was thinking of taking a day off and
spending it at leisure. Then I thought of the 150 or so clients that will walk
through our doors today seeking help. Providing assistance to that many people beats a day of leisure every time in my book, so I am headed to work.
I invite you to visit the Center and see our programs in action. You may check
out indoamerican.org for more information. If you visit us during mid-day, we
will sit down with the seniors and have some lunch cooked on premises that we
serve them daily. You have my contact information; please give me a call.”
Then we headed for our respective cars.
I extend the same invitation to the readers of this annual report and those who
would like to support our work, as we continue to strive to help those in need
within our community.
Jay Luthra
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MESSAGE FROM
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
On a recent rainy morning, I stepped into the elevator of my high-rise building
headed down on my way to work. My neighbour from one floor up was already
there, also headed down. After exchanging pleasantries, he asked me “what’s
up?” I thought about it for a moment, and responded with:
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ADULT LITERACY
PROGRAM
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To truly integrate into their new communities,
many new immigrants need to improve their
English skills. The Indo-American Center fills this
need by providing student-focused ESL classes
for four levels of language development offered to
adults at our Center. ESL teachers and volunteers
teach classes that build upon language skills revolving around basic learning, conversation skills,
and job seeking. Language learning is provided
during two-hour classes offered six days per week.
Each student who attends daily is also enrolled in
the CONNECT program (Creating Options Needed
Now Through English and Career Technology),
which will assist them with job seeking and technology. The Adult Literacy Program is one of the
IAC’s most successful in attracting a diverse client
based in respect to age, income, and background.
LITERACY BRIDGES THE GAP
For many immigrants, literacy in the English language
is the first hurdle to attaining normal, functioning lives
in the United States. This program strives to match
this challenge. Volunteers are highly trained through a
partnership with Literacy Works that includes a 12-hour
training program. Last year, our Adult Literacy Program
saw a total of 178 students in all four levels of the program, which occurs on a 13-week quarterly basis. Phenomenally, over 80% of these students were retained. The
IAC supplements regularly scheduled ESL classes with
one-on-one learning with volunteers. In 2011, this program was truly a success: 12 students enrolled in one-on-
one tutoring sessions for a total of 144 one-on-one hours.
The impact can be measured by hours, but also by lives
changed. Students leave with higher levels of confidence
to hold conversations, the skills to interact in their environment, and the ability to more fully participate in what
goes on around them.
WORKING TOWARD A BETTER LIFE
Another Another vital part of the Adult Literacy Program
is the focus on providing clients with job readiness as they
gain language and career skills to apply for work in the U.S.
Our Level-2 Adult Literacy course teaches supplementary
skills to prepare our clients with job readiness, how to
write resumes, and teaches interview skills. All of these
lessons are available to students with specific job skill
needs. As immigrant talent can be a key to success for U.S.
businesses, our Adult Literacy Program compliments our
Workforce Development Program to stop brain waste and
equip talented immigrants for their new jobs in the U.S.
FUTURE CHALLENGES
Because the IAC serves so many clients through this
program, the challenges are great as we continue to serve
our base and attract and retain volunteers. Since this
program has such a huge success rate, and attracts clients
who then utilize other needed services at the Center, the
IAC would like to expand its reach. The IAC needs more
support to maintain and expand the basic needs of a
classroom, including laptops and a projector so that classes can serve more students through programs such as
CONNECT. The Adult Literacy Program also suffers from
a high volunteer attrition rate. Though there were 45+
volunteers in 2011, keeping those volunteers is sometimes
difficult and can contribute to an interruption in service
while new volunteers are trained. With your support, we
can gain, train, and maintain these volunteers as well as
obtain the supplies that make the classroom function
better for all.
Maganbhai came to the U.S. to live with his daughter,
son-in-law, and two grandchildren. Coming from a
simple life in the village of Chikhli, India, he saw more
temples than skyscrapers. Now, moving halfway across
the world to live with his family meant that he left his
whole life behind: friends, traditions, and home. His
daughter, understanding this, recommended that he
come to the IAC for community and to make use of their
programs in 2010.
Maganbhai eagerly signed up for the English classes
at the Center. He wanted to speak confidently in his new
home and, most of all, help his grandchildren with their
homework. Learning about American culture, geography, and history meant that he could lend a helping
hand to his grandchildren as they start toward their own
“American dream.”
When he was growing up, Maganbhai’s parents
emphasized reading and play. Now, he had the chance
to pass on those values to his own grandchildren, but a
“We are very thankful for the Center.
I encourage all the people I meet to
come to the Center and take part in
”
the programs and enjoy.
PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE
Maganbhai Patel
language barrier needed to be broken down first. Understanding the language his grandchildren spoke in most
frequently was the bridge to becoming a more active
caregiver and involved grandparent.
He and his wife, Gajaraben, also come to the Seniors’ Program to see new and old friends and to make
use of their cultural programs. “We are very thankful for
the Center,” he says, “I encourage all the people I meet to
come to the Center and take part in the programs and
enjoy. The staff at the IAC are very nice and helpful.”
One thing he hopes for the IAC is that it can expand to a larger building to help more people. In fact,
Maganbhai identifies “living a better life” as a big reason
he started to come to the IAC and he wants the Center
expand to help more people achieve what he has: social
community, communication with those in his new home,
and the ability to help his family be more closely knit.
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FROM ISOLATION TO WELLNESS
FUTURE CHALLENGES
This program is one of the most popular that IAC offers,
and last year we served 321 unique senior clients and
provided more than 20,000 hot meals at the Center to
those in need. Other organizations that address immigrant needs often don’t have a program specifically
geared toward senior immigrants and the loss they
often feel through isolation in a new, unfamiliar setting.
Because our elders are an important foundation of our
community, the IAC wants to address their wellness
and integration. Through surveys, both at the beginning
of the program and throughout, gauging their mental,
physical, emotional and social well-being, the IAC found
a 75% increase in overall well-being of the surveyed
Seniors’ Program participants.
This program is often a gateway for others in senior
clients’ families to learn about the many services of
the Indo-American Center. This means that spreading
the word about this program can dramatically affect
families who are welcome to take advantage of the
multiple services that we offer. Also, since the problem
of senior isolation and loneliness is not addressed by
any other charitable organizations that serve immigrants, this program fills a gap that is clearly necessary
and valuable. The IAC expects this program to increase
in popularity, which means we can increase the impact
among immigrant families. Funding for food and
programming for our seniors must keep pace with the
need of the community.
SENIORS’
PROGRAM
Seniors face unique challenges when emigrating to
a new country: isolation, loneliness, and a lack of familiar cultural activities. The IAC provides a pleasant
and welcoming place for seniors in the Devon Avenue area with the daily “Milan” or “gathering” sessions. Seniors meet others like them, make friends,
and enjoy movies, games, and cultural and educational workshops. They also participate in yoga and
other light exercise. Engaging seniors means hosting events that are pertinent to them, such as health
fairs conducted in partnership with local healthcare
providers, and program-related field trips to educational sites around the city of Chicago . Seniors are
welcomed for a taste of home: hot, ethnic lunches
cooked on the premises five days per week. Seniors
begin and strengthen friendships through these
meals. This programming helps our seniors feel less
isolation, more social participation in their community, and increases mental and physical health.
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PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE
Mangesh Satam
Mangesh used to live in the heart of Mumbai. As the
economic center of India, something was always happening and people were always everywhere. Life was
good for Mangesh in India, he got a coveted top-ranking
position in the government, he had a great salary, his
own house, and a great standard of living. However, being a researcher meant that he had to wait for months to
get materials from the U.S. So, he decided to move.
When he came to the U.S. (against the wishes of his
mother since he was the baby in the family), his science
career continued to progress. He’s had an exceptional
career here in the U.S., but now that he is getting older,
he is looking for more activities to do in his leisure time.
Though he amused himself at the library, he found it boring after a few hours. He was introduced to the IAC when
his daughter was searching for a volunteer position.
Mangesh was delighted to find all of the programs.
He started with the Seniors’ Program. “The library gets
boring after a few hours. The Seniors’ Program is great
for company. Don’t stay alone at home, you’ll go crazy!
It’s better to go out, get some fresh air. Come to the Center and meet a few friends,” he advises. From the Seniors’
Program, Mangesh has started to take advantage of
more of the Center’s offerings, enrolling in the Computer
Program to learn more and connect. He also joined the
Workforce Development Program. His desire? “I want to
go back to work. Return to the research field.”
The investment of time and energy in this top-notch
scientist means that, instead of having a man, sitting
alone waiting for his family to come home, we have an
engaged, forward-thinking participant in society with so
much left to give. He joined for the company and made
a few friends, but he saw the potential of learning and
bettering himself with the other programs.
As we all know, moving across the world can be
hard. Mangesh is a certainly success story in the traditional sense of the word, but as his life slowed down,
he found he didn’t want to slow down with it. The
Indo-American Center provided the gateway for him to
have a bustling social life, interact with his peers, learn
new skills and sharpen old ones. Mangesh is one of the
faces of the IAC because, like many of our clients, he
came for one thing and ended up with so much more!
“The Seniors’ Program is great for company. Don’t stay
alone at home, you’ll go crazy! It’s better to go out,
get some fresh air. Come to the Center and meet a
few friends.
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”
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YOUTH
PROGRAM
Now, more than ever, the way we serve and assist our children directly relates to our future.
The IAC offers multiple programs to children
from ages 6-18 to assist their growth intellectually, spiritually, creatively and physically.
At the IAC, we know that children have many
needs and that integrating them into their new
communities is a number one priority for all
emigrating families. Our programming provides
options to adult members of families, who are
often the primary caregivers of youth. Though
our Youth Development Program, we provide
out-of-the-home enriching activities for youth,
giving adults the opportunity to perform other
duties worry-free, knowing that children have
a place to go that is safe, promotes education,
and gives them a community. This means adults
can continue their studies and integration
without interruption while their children are
out of school. During the summer, childcare is
provided from 10am-12pm for students enrolled
in U.S. Civics and Adult Literacy classes. The
services offered to engage and enrich children
include: an after-school program, a Summer
Fun camp, and a Spring Teen Cricket League.
Each gives youth opportunities throughout the
year to participate in positive play while promoting learning. Not only are these programs
entertaining, they are absolutely free to participants: an after school program, a Summer Fun
camp, and a Spring Teen Cricket League. Each
gives youth opportunities throughout the year
to participate in positive play while promoting
learning. Not only are these programs entertaining, they are absolutely free to participants.
LESSON LEARNED: INTEGRATION
In all of our youth programming, we place child development as the core focus. Our enrollment, typically near
100% of our capacity, shows how highly the community
prizes these offerings. The IAC’s Youth Development
Program was recognized and received an award in 2010
for Outstanding Performance in Youth Opportunities
from the Department of Family and Support Services.
Here are some of our services:
After School Program
This program serves youth between 6–12 years old with
academic assistance, recreational time, and physical
fitness activities every weekday from 3pm–6pm. After
a healthy meal provided by the Greater Chicago Food
Depository, students participate in 30 minutes of
physical fitness activities, 60 minutes of homework, and
60 minutes of structured recreation. The day-to-day
assistance and monitoring of homework completion
helps to increase overall academic performance, while
the recreational and fitness aspects help to promote
youth fitness, health, and teamwork skills in a positive
environment.
Summer Fun Camp
Catering to the same age group, the IAC’s Summer
Fun Camp runs Monday through Thursday afternoons
during the summer months to prevent learning deficits
that often happen when students are out of school, The
Camp promotes physical fitness and healthy eating
through organized recreational activities and free,
healthy meals. Students in the program also participate
in several field trips throughout the summer to local
cultural and educational institutions in Chicago. For the
teenagers, the Summer Fun Camp gives opportunities to
participate in summer internships in the youth development field. These teens facilitate all summer camp
activities, allowing them to try on leadership roles for
size while also promoting the value of public service.
Teen Cricket League
What could be more fun than cricket? One of the IAC’s
most popular programs also allows communities who
are not of the South Asian heritage to connect with the
passion of the South Asian community: cricket. The
IAC’s teen cricket league operates Monday–Thursday
from 4:30pm–9:30pm in the summer months. Open to
Chicago Public School students between the ages of
14 and 18, the program promotes diversity and provides
recreation in the West Ridge neighborhood.
FUTURE CHALLENGES
The programs offered for youth are some of the IAC’s
most popular, leading to skyrocketing enrollment and
attendance rates. The Youth Program consistently meets
and exceeds program enrollment goals with a daily
attendance of 40-50 youth and a full waiting list for youth
wanting to enroll in the program. Children and teens,
happy and making new friends, is a goal we can all agree
is worthwhile. Studies have shown that children who are
more engaged in their communities (in school, civics,
community sports, etc.) feel more integrated and show
more dedication to perform well. As we continue to grow
our services to youth, we want to offer more targeted
training for age-appropriate activities. The IAC also
wants to expand classroom infrastructure to help youth
do homework and learn skills that will help them in the
classroom. We want to accommodate any child or teen
who wants to be part of the program, making waiting lists
a thing of the past.
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17
WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM
The Workforce Development Program, the newest
program at the Indo-American Center, began in
January 2012. Focused on assisting clients as they
gain the skills needed to find, secure, and retain
self-sustaining jobs, this program is completely
free to our clients. In this time of economic uncertainty, many immigrants face similar challenges
as citizens who are performing a job search, but
without the same kinds of resources or knowledge. Staff at the IAC assist immigrants who have
lost jobs or are in the job search by educating
our clients with career-based English-language
learning, computer literacy, transferable job skills,
and job-readiness skills. This program emphasizes contextualized English as a Second Language
(ESL) learning, with focus spent on goal planning
and career exploration, development of career-related terminology, and practicing workplace interactions with a special emphasis on digital literacy. WHO THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM SERVES
In the economic downturn we currently face, people
need the services of our Workforce Development Program. It is available to residents of Chicago over 18 years
old, who are looking for sustainable employment, including populations such as students with an equivalent
of at least a high school diploma, public housing resi-
18
dents, unemployment recipients, low-wage incumbent
workers, dislocated workers, and immigrant and refugee
populations. Before enrolling, clients must complete
a computer literacy pre-test, supply a resume or list of
work experience, and provide proof of their ability to
work in the United States. Upon client intake, Workforce
staff assesses listening comprehension, oral communication, reading, and writing skills among students,
to determine their job readiness. Since the program is
free to the public, our programs have been increasing in
popularity along with need.
PROGRAMS OFFERED
The challenges of integrating into the workforce faced
by many immigrants and displaced workers can be
addressed by a multi-leveled approach. English literacy
classes, offered as part of the Adult Literacy Program,
has a separate career-based literacy track at Level 2,
after a client has demonstrated a basic understanding
of English. Clients will then continue to take classes in
ESL, computer education, and be integrated into finding
employment, enrolling in higher education, or receiving
sector-based job training. Additionally workshops covering topics like Resume Writing, Interview Skills, and
Financial Planning are offered to students, as well as the
broader community.
ONWARD AND UPWARD
This program began with a clear set of goals and
objectives and we are pleased to say that we have seen
encouraging results. In the first six months of the
program, 49 clients enrolled in the program. Of this
number, 35% are currently employed, 27% are enrolled
in job training programs, and 18% are studying at higher
education institutions. Students who have completed the IAC’s Workforce Development Program will be
trained in U.S. Workplace Customs, and will be prepared
with job-readiness skills, such as eligibility assessment,
resume writing, orientation practices, workplace professionalism, effective communication skills, customer
service, problem solving skills, self-management and
dependability. Additionally, program participants have
access to the essentials to apply for jobs: use of computers, printers, and fax machines at our facility as well as
our resource rooms where they can learn to read and use
labor market information.
FUTURE CHALLENGES
These services are sorely needed by our target community, to provide a stable environment for their families. The
IAC continues to build our relationships in the community to educate our clients about additional learning opportunities to build upon their skill sets, and to establish
workplace skills that are relevant to their career goals.
But, as need increases, we will need more staff who share
our passion for providing clients with skills to achieve a
sustainable wage; and who can help equip our program
participants with financial literacy and workforce etiquette training. 19
20
Our commitment to our clients does not stop
with the test. Once students pass the exam, advocates
encourage them to register to vote once they become
eligible. Having a client become not only a citizen,
but an invested citizen in the process of democracy
means that they will likely feel more of a tie to their
new home. It will also mean that the immigrant’s voice
is heard in politics and represented in the Illinois and
U.S. legislative body. In the future, the IAC may expand
this program to establish a condensed (8-10 day long)
course to maintain client interest.
FUTURE CHALLENGES
Since this program helps our clients become citizens
in every sense of the word, the IAC wants to grow the
program from its current success rate. In the coming
year, we would like to not only keep our current pass
rate of 97%, but expand our service to serve more individual clients in need. The IAC also hopes to provide a
new class in the evening every day of the week (except
Sunday) from 6 PM-8 PM. This will better serve our
clients who cannot come to the time slot we offer now.
Of course, this means retaining and adding to our staff
so that we have the capacity to increase much needed
educational opportunities.
CIVICS
EDUCATION
The U.S. Naturalization Exam and Interview is a
crucial step in becoming successful citizens. The
Civics Education Program addresses the needs
of clients of all ages by introducing learners to
relevant vocabulary, reinforcing important grammatical structures, and reviewing U.S. History and
Civics topics pertaining to the exam. Students also
learn from USCIS 100 Questions flash cards, as
well as N-400 form learning in daily lessons. This
program has been so successful that, 172 students
enrolled during the last fiscal year. Out of the 60
students who took the U.S. Citizenship Test after
completing the Civics Education Program within
this time, there was astounding 97% pass rate.
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OTHER PROGRAMS
22
CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES
PUBLIC BENEFITS ASSISTANCE
Becoming an American Citizen is a dream of many immigrants, but there
Filling out forms for benefits programs can be daunting for anyone, but this
are many steps to attaining that dream. The Indo-American Center is here
to help overcome those barriers. Accredited by the Board of Immigration
Appeals (BIA) , the IAC’s Citisenship and Immigration Services helps many
individuals with limited economic resources navigate the legal process for
U.S. Citizenship and some family-based immigration services. Our on-site
staff, including a licensed immigration attorney, provides information and
assistance regarding immigration forms and procedures for nominal fees,
eliminating the problems some immigrants face of receiving erroneous
information from unauthorized sources. This program partners to conduct
citizenship workshops with other community-based organizations for those
who want to get on the road to citizenship.
is especially true when you are new to the country or English isn’t your first
language. The Public Benefits Program exists at the IAC to help clients in
need of obtaining public benefits including: Medicaid/Medicare, SNAP Benefits, Disability Benefits, Social Security/Supplemental Income, LIHEAP, and
Health Care coverage. Since many of the clients who use our Public Benefits
Program are overlooked by other agencies, this service is a crucial need to
help them provide for themselves and meet their medical, disability, food,
and daily needs.
FURTHER CHALLENGES
The IAC has developed a process to implement U.S. mandated requirements,
ensuring compliance without further liability. Our successful partnerships
with other community service organizations means that we can expand our
reach to those who need our services and legal advice. Streamlining our service to an appointment-based process has helped clients be served in a timely and efficient way, but the IAC would like to reduce its dependence on free
marketing channels. Also, as demand is high for citizenship and immigration assistance, the IAC would like to improve professional development for
our Citizenship staff by increasing training and participation in workshops
while improving employee retention. Every trained employee we retain will
help deliver accurate and effective information to those seeking our services,
and helps ensure that we are able to better serve our clients.
HELPING THE NEEDIEST
Most of the clients who use the IAC’s Public Benefits Program are below
the poverty line. They are often seniors and people who have disabilities.
These individuals have great needs, but are often not the first concern of
many programs. Typical government agencies may not be equipped to help
with language needs and the knowledge of how to apply and receive these
benefits in the U.S. is often vastly different from how to receive the same
services in their home country. That’s where the IAC can help. This program
provided case management sessions with clients in need of benefits assistance to 1,000 unique visitors. Additionally, the program provided 1,737
interpretations and translation for clients to assist with letters, phone calls
to the Illinois Department of Human Services, and other service agencies.
Those who use the service for obtaining public benefits are often coming to
the Center for the first time and find out about many of our other programs,
thus helping to integrate them into a community.
FUTURE CHALLENGES:
This is one of the most successful programs of its kind, enjoying a huge success rate with SNAP and IFRP programs because of the substantial experience of the program in handling applications. However, the service provided
to over 1,200 unique visitors last year is heavily dependent on a single funder.
The promotion of this incredibly useful program is also limited to free marketing channels. Since this service is for our most vulnerable citizens who
often don’t have other recourse, losing this program would affect them and
their families in a significant way. The IAC would also like to expand this
service to help others who lack the knowledge and language skills, but have
plenty of need, access the programs that provide for their daily basics.
23
OTHER PROGRAMS
Often, immigrants can face legal barriers caused by
language or cultural differences and not know where to
turn for help. The Cyriac D. Kappil Legal Clinic collaboration between the Indo-American Center, the Indian
American Bar Association (IABA), and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) The Clinic occurs at the
IAC every second Saturday of the month, and provides
free legal advice and representation to income-eligible
members of the community on a broad range of legal
issues. This program serves clients on immigration,
public benefits, family law, landlord-tenant, and employment discrimination issues to provide up-to-date and
correct legal advice. The program also published a set
of informative brochures for the community in 2012 in
partnership with the technology program. In the future,
the IAC will continue this outreach and strive to broaden our client base.
For the Year Ended June 30, 2012
Unrestricted
Temporarily
Restricted
Total
58,915
58,915
Government Grants
335,018
335,018
Non-Government Grants
135,341
135,341
Special Events
89,568
89,568
Facilities Rental
28,300
28,300
2,491
2,491
179,274
470,359
649,633
577,484
577,484
Fundraising Costs
39,363
39,363
Management & General
89,183
89,183
706,030
706,030
INCOME
Direct Public Support
Other
Total
EXPENSES
Program Costs
Total
COMPUTER EDUCATION
When most of your family and social network is across
the globe, having access to email and computers is
incredibly important. The IAC’s Computer Education
Program offers technology training and access to online
information, such as setting up an online back account
or conducting a web-based job search. This program is
highly integrated with the Adult Literacy, Civics, and
Workforce Development Programs and serves technology needs of each of these programs. A combination of
closed-enrollment classes, open internet café time, and
a volunteer mentorship program allow students to gain
the computer skills they need. Last year, the Computer
Education Program provided computer-usage skills to
136 individuals. Each client got an average of 20 hours of
computer training.
EXCESS INCOME OVER EXPENSES
(56,397)
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
CURRENT LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
Accounts Payable
Unrestricted
736,002
Security Deposits Payable & Deferred Revenue
2,150
Temporarily Restricted
207,025
Total Liabilities
Total Net Assets
943,027
949,229
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
4,052
6,202
Direct Public Support
Government Grants
Non-Government Grants
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
CYRIAC D. KAPPIL LEGAL CLINIC
Special Events
Facilities Rental
Other
Program Costs
Fundraising Costs
Management & General
24
25
OUR PARTNERS
After School Matters
Asian American Institute
BMO Harris Bank
Chicago Bar Foundation
Chicago Community Trust
Chicago Community Development Block Grant
Chicago Department of Family and Support Services
Chicago Golden Diners’ Program
Circle of Service Foundation
City of Chicago Office of the City Treasurer
Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European, and Latino Immigrants of Illinois (CAAAELII)
Fry Foundation
Greater Chicago Food Depository
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Illinois Community College Board
Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Illinois Dept. of Human Services
Illinois Secretary of State
Kids in Distressed Situations
Niles Township
North American South Asian Bar Association
Peoples Gas
Polk Bros. Foundation
26
PLATINUM CIRCLE ($25,000-$50,000)
Air India
Prem and Neena Balani
Charles and Mary Clemonds
Fifth Third Bank
Narinder and Renee Gauri
Household International / HSBC
ILA Foundation
Rattan and Bharti Khosa
McKinsey & Co.
TEKchand, LLC (Rajeev and
Monika Bahri)
FOUNDER’S CIRCLE ($10,000-$24,999)
American Airlines
Basanti and Manatosh Banerji
BMO Harris Bank
Larry and Netta D’Souza
Roshan and Indra Goel
Dr. Kallol Guha, Saint James School
of Medicine
Heller Financial Inc.
Holiday Inn Skokie/Skokie Banquet and Conference Center
India Medical Assoc Charitable
Foundation
Valsa Kappil
Mohammed Mirza
Mutual Bank
Ralph and Marta Nicholas
Babu Patel, Patel Realty
Patel Bros
Pepsico Company
Samir Financial Services
Manoj and Shobhana Sanghvi
Sunil and Shabnum Sanghvi
Harish and Nalini Thakrar
Jody and Florence Wadhwa
GRAND BENEFACTORS
($5,000-$9,999)
Panna and Bharat Barai
William Beck
Vijay and Ranjan Dave
Horace J.P. De Souza
Dominick’s Charitable Foundation Federation Of Indian Associations (FIA) Ram
Gajjela
Ranjit and Ilora Ganguly
Ramesh and Vijayalakshmi Gaud
In Memory of Narinder “Ned” Gauri Gaylord
India Restaurant
Shalini and Sanjeev Lulla
Siddarth and Swati Mehta
Arvind and Lakshmi Menon
New York Life Insurance Co
Upendranath and Usha Nimmagada Peter
and Rita Noronha
Premnath and Patricia Pahwa
BENEFACTORS ($2,500-$4,999)
Bob Achettu
Allstate Insurance Company
Arthur Andersen
Gerard and Rosemary Aranha
Vinod and Promilla Bansal
Bhupen and Bhadra Bhuva
Sham and Pushpa Dabadghao
Deerpath Inn
Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin Robbins
Exotic Journeys
First Midwest Bank
Ramesh Gaud
Sarla and Arun Goel
Madan and Madhu Gupta
Vishal Jain
Vijay and Aruna Jha
Ann Lata Kalayil
Hasmukh and Ila Kamdar
Ram and Uma Kelkar
Dolar Koya
Roshan and Santosh Lal
Brij and Prema Malani
Medstar Laboratory, Inc.
Kantilal Patel
Mafat Patel
Patel & Sons
Hari Rabadia
Hema and P. Rajagopalan
Raj and Usha Rajaram
Padma and Krish Rangaswamy
Karanmal Salgia
Depak Sathy
Manu and Ila Shah
Siddharth Jewellers
Asta Simon
Birendra Sinha
Prabha and Anita Sinha
SMJ Universal Management, LLC
Diwan Soni
State Bank Of India
Ponnambalam Sundram, M.D.
Korathu and Dolly Thomas
LIFETIME DONORS
The programs and services at the Indo-American Center are made possible by
the generous donations of individuals and funding from grants, including:
Prabha Parameswaran
Kernal and Chetna Parikh
Sushila Patel
Private Bank and Trust
Vasudevan Rajaram
Sher Rajput
Meenaxi Sanghani
Vikram Sanghani
Surendra and Dorothie Shah
Naren and Daksha Soni
Through July 1, 2012
DIAMOND CIRCLE (OVER $50,000)
Bapu and Vijaya Arekapudi
The Blackstone Group (Kathi Rose and Ashref Hashim)
Dayal T. Meshri
National Republic Bank
PATRONS ($1,000-$2,499)
A-1 Carpet King
A J Patel Food Service, Inc
Aakash Chemicals And Dye-Stuffs, Inc
Prem Advani
Lakshman and Veda Agadi
Gyan and Sadhana Agarwal
Uma and Pawan Agarwal
Albany Park Neighborhood Council
Ketu Amin And Komalbala Patel
27
LIFETIME DONORS
Mr. Samyurta Koppula
Robert Koewler
Sudhir and Jyotsna Kumar
Lake Shore Health Care and
Rehabilitation Center
Krishna and Kalpana Lall
Hector and Gertrude Lobo
Laj and Rekha Madan
Malema Kishen and Kanta Manglani
Ajay and Priti Mehta
Metlife Financial Services
C.M. Naim
Sandeep Nain
North Town Pharmacy
North Water Market
James H. and Jean Nye
Kanu Panchal
Niru Parikh
Sara Jean Parikh
Amit Patel
Amrit J. and Mariben Patel
Ashok and Daksha Patel
Bhaghu Patel
Ray and Manju Patel
Varsha Patel
Peter Pedersen
Anil Pillai
MKG Pillai
Satyen and Anu Pitroda
Quaker Oats
Tara Raghavan
Rajendran Raja
Sridhar and Binu Ramamoorti
Sainath Reddivari
S.R. and Cherie Reddy
John and Jacqueline Roberts
Rogers Park One Day Surgi-Center
In Memory of Claire Rose
Mausumi and Sumantra Roy
Royal One Hour Photo
Mridu and Chandra Sekhar
Ashish and Colleen Taylor Sen
Satish and Kinna Shah
Iftekar Shareef
Thomas and Nancy Sharp
Senator Ira Silverstein
Mohammed Sirajullah
Sukhdev and Saroj Soni
Paramasivam Subramani
T. V. and Asha Subramanian
Sukhadia’s Sweets And Snacks
Sumit Construction Co.
Pandurang and Rohini Thukkaram
Universal Accounting Services, Inc. Rohit
Gupta and Shalini Verma
Sangita and Gul Wadhwani
Mohan and Padmasree Warrior
Western Union
DONORS ($500-$999)
Manish and Vaishali Acharya
Gyan and Sadhana Agarwal
Rishi Agarwal
Diljit and Mohina Ahluwalia
Ramesh and Luella Ajwani
Iqbal Akhter
All-American Bank
Andersen Consulting
Jerome and Bhimla Antony
Ram Aribindi
Rishi Kumar Arora
Associated Services Insurance Agency Inc.
Sunil and Sheetal Balani
Rajan Barad
Michael Barrett
Basingers Pharmacy, Inc.
Marshall and Barbara Bouton
R H Chandrana
Manisha and Sudipta Chaudhri
Muhammad and Ejaz Chaudry
Vasant Raj Cherukonda
Sameer and Shakuntala Chhabria
Chicago Home Healthcare
Chicago Import, Inc
Chinese Mutual Aid Assoc.
Cyberbridge International
Vinod and Suniti Dalal
Prem Jay and Happie Datt
Bruce and Laurie Davidson
Pravin Dedania
Bhavini and Samir Desai
Prakash and Alice Desai
Manju and Satish Dhanda
The Drake
Selma D’Souza
Oswald and Dorothy D’Souza
Ronojoy and Sree Dutta
Gafari Associates
Vipin Gandhi
Asim Gangopadhyay
Pankaj and Swati Garg
Krishan Gauri
Anubhav and Mita Goel
Goyals Donuts Inc.
Shakeel Abdul and Anjali Gurnani
Gulam and P.M. Hajat
Elissa Efroymson and Adnaan Hamid
Bhim Hans
Rob Held
Sanjay Holay
Home Carpet One
Indian Catholic Association
Indian Community Of Skokie
Indian Muslim Education Fndtn. of North America
Interbank Financial, Inc.
International Financial Consultants
J.K. Grocers
Madhu Jain
Vijayalakshmi Jayachandran
Manu and Rama Jogani
Indira and Karl Johnson
Shiva Singh Kalsa
Omprakash and Usha Kamaria
Kishore Kamdar
Joseph Kannankeril
J D Khandekar
Ravi Kukadia
Manish Kumar
Judge Maria Kuriakos
Brij Lalmalani
Lincolnwood Schools
L.S.A. Limited Partnership
Akshay Madan
Aaditya and Priti Khanna Mahajan
Santosh Malik
Khurshed Mallick
Ashraf Manji
Rohit Maniar
Leo and Jacintha Martis
Ramesh Mehra
Rashmi and Kirit Mehta
C. Louis Meyer Family Foundation
Dawn H. Miller
Anantha Murthy
Suryaprakash and Raja Nadimpalli
Sharon Naidu
Prabhavati Nama
National Bankcard Corporation
O’Hare Hospitality, LLC
Arun Ohri
The Palmer House Hilton
Ghanshyam and Leela Pandey
Paramount Realty, Inc.
Amita and Radha Parekh
Sheetal Parikh
Chirag Patel
Indrajit Patel
Mayur and Nimesh Patel/L.A. Tan
Rashmi Patel
Shasha and Pragna Patel
Vallabh Patel
Azher Quader
Veena Raghavan
Ratnakar and Shoba Rajanahally
Leena and Sumant Ramachandra
Mohan Rao
Ramesh P. Rao
Althuru S. and Sarada Reddy
Ravindranath Reddy
Republic Bank
Rilwala Group Inc.
Ritz-Carlton
Claire K. Rose
Ruby Trading Inc.
Jagriti Ruparel
Sachi Construction, Inc.
Ram and Indira Saladi
Peter Shirley Saldhana
Pulin Manoj Sanghvi
S. and D. Saxena
Prabir and Rajashree Sen
Shirish and Ansu Shah
Prem Sharma
Rajesh and Paru Sharma
Roop R. and Rajan Shivpuri
Manoj and Rita Singh
Sntial Technologies
In Memory of Tripta Soni
South Suburban Medical
Mariyana Spyropoulos and
Paul Vasilakos
Star Motel
K Sujata
Sumit Group
Judge Sunjay Tailor
Venu Talanki
Padma and Anand Talcherkar
LIFETIME DONORS
28
Amrit Inc.
Mallikarjuna Rao Anne
Apache Motel
Arun Enterprises
Avani Trading, Inc
Ravi Baichwal
Ram and Padmini Sai Bala
Nafisa and Abdemannan Bandukwala
In Memory of Nilmani Banerji and Sailabala Devi
Rajeev and Radhika Batra
John Benjamin
Jayant and Shailaja Bhalerao
Nikhil and Anjali Bhatt
Virendra and Bala Bisla
In Memory of Muktipada and Nirupama Chatterjee
Sumitra Chande
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Bulls
Chicago Council On Global Affairs
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Treatment And Counseling Center, Inc.
Sunil and Maria Cristina Chopra
Thomas Chowattukunnel
Citigroup
Club of Indian Women
Vandana and Gopal Dalal
Rupal Dalal
Rahul Deepankar
Virendra and Rani Desai
Devon Bank
Anil and Jennifer D’Souza
Prafulla Dunung
East Balt. Commissary, Inc
East West Trading Corp. Ltd
Enas A. Enas
Satish (Sunny) Gabhawala
Andre J. Gauri
Kanwal and Kamala Ghaey
Anjali Goel
In Memory of Indra Goel
Granite Innovations
Robert Griffiths
Hem and Asha Gupta
Gurudwara Sahib Of Chicago
Kamal Hans
Harrison and Held
House Of Spices (India) Inc. Chicago
Human Resource Dev. Services
Indian American Bar Association (IABA)
J. Gill & Company
Amit Jain
Rani and Jagjit Jain
Ashwin and Chandrika Janakiram
Chandra and Hekmat Jha
Sohan and Sushila Joshi
JP Morgan Chase
Phillip and Annamma Kalayil
Kamdar Plaza
Deepak and Febe Kapoor
Surindar Katyal
Janardhan and Amita Khandekar
Kirat APAC-Northwestern University
29
LIFETIME DONORS
FRIENDS ($250-$499)
ABC7 Chicago
Shakeel Abdul
Vasant R Acharya
Sukresh K. and Veena Aggarwal
Shaan Ahluwalia
Allstate Giving Campaign
Arora Associates - Nagpal Jenny Arwade
Asia Insurance
Raj Bagga
Vimal and Bulbul Bahugana
Milan and Saroj Baidya
Bala Balachandran
Bhasker Baman
Bakul and Subrata Banerjee
Barisura, Inc.
Mukund Acharya and Soni Basi
Suresh K Batra
Judge Michael Ian Bender
Naveen and Janu Bohra
Bredemann Lexus
Greg Brewer
John and Mary Jane Bruketta
Cardiovascular Clinics, P.C.
Cerenti Marketing Group
Rick and Vishali Aggarwal Chadha Krishna
and Ananda Chakrabarty
Jerry Charnota
Manoher and Amarjeet Chawla
Chennikkara Jewelers
Chicago Auditorium Theater
The Chicago Tribune Company
Kavita Choksi
Tushar Chotalia
Community Insurance Agency
Robert Cronin Trust
Venu Dalanki
Ishver Desai
Diageo North America Foundation
Agit and Arati Divgi
Joseph and Christabel D’Mello
Foster Medical Center
Four Quarters Entertainment
49th Ward Citizens Services
Eliyazar Gaddam
Paru P. Galani
Kanti and Renu Gandhi
30
Tushar Gaonkar and Shubhangi Deoras Nimit Aggarwal and Manjot Gill
Poonam Gupta-Krishnan
Bimal and Sunila Goel
Viren M Gohil
I. and R. Gokani and Desai Nina and Kerry Griffith
GTE Internet Working Group
Amar and Usha Gugnani
Tapas K. and Judy Das Gupta
Mohammad and Ayesha Hamid
Pankaj and Marella Hanumadass Iftikhar
Hasnat
Jai Hind Foods Video Inc.
Asha and Jatin Hira
Syed Mohammed and Rubina Hussain India
House
Stasha Jain
Tarun and Ruchi Jain
John Buck Co.
Devaki and Deven Joshi
Noman Junejo
Atri Kalluri
Deven S. Kane
Kanro Engineering Inc.
Jaya Kasturi
Mohammad W. Khan
Neeru Khanuja
Lance Khubchandani
Ram Koduri
Praful and Ila Kurani
Noel Kuriakos
Tariq A. Laliwala
Michael and Scarlet Lama
Paul R.and Christine Landauer
Lemke Screw Products
Samson and Shanta Macwan
Sanjoy and Manjusri Majumdar
Anil and Kantu Malhotra
Pratibha Malhotra
Harendra Mangrolla
Laurie and Sujata Marks
Mega Circuit Inc
Mansukh Mehta
Suresh Mehta
Mansukh Mistry
Amrit and Shashi Mittal
Syed Mohammed and Rubina Hussain Alderman Joe Moore
Dipankar and Alpana Mukhopadhyay Sameena Mustafa
NAAAP
Nationwide Holdings, L.L.C.
V. Tellis Nayak
NBC5 Chicago
Za Noorani
Northbrook Ace Hardware
P. Pai
Colathur K. and Vijaya Palani
Varsha Pancholi
Kirit Pandya
Abha Pandya
Paras Parekh
Ketki Parikh
Prameshkumar Parikh
Sara Parikh
Kajal Patel
Kantibhai and Jaya Patel
Pankaj and Malini Patel
Raman and Anjana Patel
Sitaram and Savita Patel
E.V.S. and Soumini Pillai
Shankar Planjery
Playboy Enterprises
Prairie Grass Cafe
Pulloma Paints
Krishna and Sunita Puranmalka
Surinder and Saroj Puri
Rambha Radhakrisnhan
R. S. Rajan
Chitra Ramani
Francisco Ramos
Pradeep and Taposhree Rattan
Rupal Raval
Asok K. Ray
M. H. and Janice Razaq
Sendhil Revuluri
Anthony Ribaudo
Cyrus Rivetna
Neil Rochlani
Maria and Arturo Rojas
Girin and Gauri Roy
Mukul Roy
Alphonsus and Blanche Saldanha
Nishay K. Sanan
Anita Sethi
Aakash and Purva Shah
Dipak and Hemangini Shah
Kanu Shah
Neil and Charu Shah
Pramod and Usha Shah
Rupa Shah
Sanjiv Shah
Sunil and Rita Shah
Yogesh and Rita Shah
Sardar and Obaida Shah-Khan
Sudarshan K. and Nirpuma Sharma Ramananda Shetty
Bela Mehta and Adhir Shroff
Sant and Premlata Singh
Vinay and Shabnam Singh
Joseph and Mary Sinnappan
Shastri and Tara Swaminathan
Dave and Karyn Taeyaerts
Kai Tao
Tap Giving Campaign
Ranjana Taxali
Naru Thadani
Marco and Mary Jo Tozzi
Tranergy Corporation
Lhakpa Tsering
Anand and Nandini Upadhyaya
U.S. Road Sports & Entertainment of Chicago
John Van Renterghem
Mohan Venkataraman
Anand and Ami Vora
Piyush Vyas
Aisha Wadhwani
White Crane Wellness
Wines for Humanity
LIFETIME DONORS
Shital and Lisa Thakkar
Douglas and Annette Twells
Khutb and Fahneeda Uddin
Udupi/Tiffin/ISP
United Central Bank
United Liquor
Uptown National Bank Of Chicago
Raghavendra Rao and
Dharini Villivalam
Rohit Vishnoi
Vitha Jewelers
Raghu Vollala
Poonam Wadhwani
Prakash and Tejal Wadhwani
Darsh and Usha Wasan
Secretary of State Jesse White
Women’s Comprehensive
Abbas Zarif
Plus many more donors. We apologize for
any inadvertent omissions.
31
IAC STAFF
32
Name
Title
Email
Ext.
Loknath Agarwal
Civics Coordinator
[email protected]
108
Renee Brown
ESL Instructor
[email protected]
104
Rachael Bruketta
Development Coord.
[email protected]
114
Susan Chaudhri
ESL Instructor
[email protected]
104
Gita Chawla
Seniors’ Program
Coordinator
[email protected]
Sunitha Doma
Public Benefits
Coordinator
[email protected]
109
Naureen Fidai
Admin. & Fin. Coord.
[email protected]
114
Pauravi Hefner
Citizenship & Immig.
Services Coordinator
[email protected]
110
Kemal Huric
Maintenance
(Translator- John 312-404-0079)
115
Kamlesh Kaur
Golden Diners Cook
109
Baljeet Kaur
Golden Diners Helper, Seniors’ Asst
109
Muhammad Jafar Khan
Citizenship & Immig.
Services Associate
[email protected]
103
Lakshmi Lakshmanan
Citizen. & Immig. Svcs.
Attorney
[email protected]
111
Jay Luthra
Executive Director [email protected]
101
Mansi Majithia
Workforce Dev. Asst.
[email protected]
105
Bharati Patel
SNAP Associate
[email protected]
109
Bhartiben Patel
Title V, Client Intake
115
Jai Ramos
Literacy Volunteer
Coordinator
[email protected]
104
Chirag Shah
Computer Instructor
[email protected]
107
Indravadan Shah
Title V, Client Intake
115
Kusum Shah
Title V, Civics Asst.
108
Tanvi Shah
Workforce Dev. Coord.
[email protected]
106
Renuka Sharma
Literacy Coordinator
[email protected]
104
Lindsey Trent
Youth Program Coordinator
[email protected]
112
Rekha Wadhwa
Citizenship & Immig.
Services Assistant
[email protected]
110
105/109
This annual report was created with the support of the Taproot Foundation.