Children’s Hope India, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to lifting children from poverty to prosperity in India and the United States, announced the honorees for its first-ever Gratitude Awards, recognizing individuals who have made bold civic and charitable contributions in a particularly challenging year.
CHI co-founder, board member and journalist, Lavina Melwani, hosted the virtual event on Thanksgiving Day. “In these uncertain times of the pandemic, we may be isolated from our loved ones and unable to share the joy of a Thanksgiving meal in person but we can still warm ourselves by sharing thanks,” Melwani said.
Children’s Hope India’s inaugural Gratitude Awards honored the heroes around the world who contributed to helping the community weather such uncertain times. The list included: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for being the voice of comfort, reason and science; Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of the CNN show Sanjay Gupta MD and co-host with Anderson Cooper of global town halls throughout the pandemic, for coming into our homes and giving us wisdom and truth; Deepika Padukone, actress, producer and founder of The Live Love Laugh Foundation, for her bold and courageous championship around mental health issues; Chandrika Tandon, Grammy-nominated artist, humanitarian, and business leader, for her calming chants and dedication to helping children succeed; Hindu Singh Sodha, Rajasthan-based activist working on refugee rights, conflict resolution and peace movements, and founder of the Universal Just Action Society, for his passionate advocacy and support of the refugee communities in Jodhpur, providing them hope for a new life.
Dina Pahlajani, Cofounder and President of Children’s Hope India added that this year’s awards were also dedicated to, “the braveheart children of Children’s Hope India for adapting in such difficult times and staying committed to learning despite the challenges of the pandemic.”
