Reflections of the past 18 Years and hopes for the future!

Authored by – Mr Girish Mehta, Founder and Executive Director of ICC

As many of you know, ICC and its team of volunteers have completed eighteen (18) years of services to the community.  On this milestone, we pause, reflect and envision the future.

Family Support Services

In this founding initiative,  our modest expectation was to serve an individual and family during unexpected or unplanned life event such as serious illness at home or hospital, family crisis, accident and its after effect as well as death of a loved one.

Under this initiative we have learned:

• Life events do not discriminate between rich and poor, educated or not, young or old, well established or a new immigrant.
• We cannot change the outcome, but we can and do make the journey manageable.

Preparing for Critical Life Events

has touched many and made a difference in the outcome. Over the years we have provided a lot of different services in this initiative that included Retirement planning, exercises for people with Arthritis to Health Care Proxy. Healthcare proxy remains the most active and frequently requested service.

We have learned the following:

• Our busy lives get in the way by neglecting or delaying important things since they may not be urgent!
• Planning and preparing in a timely manner give peace of mind and eliminate disasters.

Lifestyle Program for Health care and self-care  

Our journey in Health education started in February 2010, when we planned and conducted our first health education program with a seminar “Beat the heart disease” where a renowned cardiologist Dr.  Enas Enas of Chicago conducted three Seminars in Boston area, one of which was organized by ICC.

Subsequently, we were introduced to lifestyle program at the South Asian Heart Center, and we became their consortium partner.  We have been able to bring proven lifestyle program AIM to Prevent™.  This important initiative is continuing.  Most recently, during the weekend of August 23 and 24, 2025, we had New England premier of the Heart Health documentary called The Brown Heart at four different locations to make it accessible and available to our community.  Several hundred attendees learned about the reasons why we as South Asian carry undue burden of this epidemic and the steps an individuals and families can take to reduce the risks, and which can lead to healthier and longer life.   This watershed event has prepared us to take this further with a deeper impact and greater benefits for our community members.

We have learned the following:

• We have learned that neglecting health has been proven to be most costly and avoidable mistake!
• Avoidable loss of life and / or ongoing health challenges has deep impact on the person as well as the entire family unit.

Your role in this journey:

To convert all this possibility into reality every one of you can play an important role.  At the minimum your awareness about ICC will help someone in need of learning about the resources and be able to get support in time of need.

As a volunteer organization, we depend on good-hearted individuals to bring their skills, energy and desire to serve a fellow community member.  Please join hands and convert your desire of service into meaningful journey.

Many of you in the past have expressed gratitude for ICC’s work but absence of time led them to support ICC with financial support instead.

Summary

what ICC can do for you?

• Participate in programs to prepare for critical life events
• Engage in lifestyle and wellness programs

What can you do to serve our community?

• Share ICC’s mission with your network of family and friends.
• Volunteer to support a fellow community member in crisis and empower ICC to be able to serve better.
• Support ICC and community with your time and skills.  Your skills, energies, and care will be a welcome addition.  In other words, find an opportunity to give back.  Find your calling!

My dream and hope are “Together, we can build a future where no one faces life’s challenges alone.”

Join Us in Shaping a Caring Future.  Your support reaffirms the power of community.

When we care for one another, we strengthen not just individuals, but the very spirit of our community.  That is the heart of Indian Circle for Caring USA (ICC).

Girish Mehta, Founder and Executive Director and ICC team

Directors: Rajan Jhaveri, Chetan Mepani, Jayanti Patel, Harshad Sanghvi, Sangeeta Saxena, Hemant Shah, Neeta Shah, Manoj Turkhia, Bindu Vyas and Samita Apte