Friday, April 25, 2008

Standing up for what is right!

This one's a post about a cause very close to my heart - CRY.
Right from the time i've been in college, i've been inspired by this cause. In college, we were asked to participate in a concert raising funds for Child Relief and You! (Now called Child Rights and You) We did and got hooked!
CRY (www.cry.org) is a non-profit organization started in the year 1978 by 7 friends who were passionate about making a difference. Led by 25 yr old Ex-Flight Steward Rippan Kapur, CRY started with a capital of 50/- and one old Dining Table. Today, it's a Multi-Million Dollar NGO which supports Hundreds of other smaller organizations.
Rather than starting an orphanage or a grass-roots level venture, CRY chose to form a link between people willing to donate and the thousands of existing service organizations which did not have the means to raise funds.
The thing i love about CRY is that rather than just showcasing teary stories of under-privileged children to get in sympathy donations, CRY went a step ahead and created an image which connected people from all walks of life. With Tie-Ups ranging from Giant companies like Amway (which offer co-branded greeting cards with CRY) to Credit Cards (Co-branded with Citibank) to Merchandise available on the website (including Games, Cards, Clothing, Gifts, Accessories, Home furnishings, Knick-knacks and Stationery), CRY has created a youthful image which is very appealing.
But through it all, CRY hasn't deviated from the baseline - To create a brighter future for today's under-privileged children.
Sadly, Rippan Kapur is no longer among us today. He passed away at a very young age of 40 in 1994. However, there are many people who've got ignited by his dream.
One couple like that are Vijay and Madhuri Vemulapalli, who were working as Software professionals in the USA. They reached out to CRY in India and offered to take the company into the USA. Today, CRY America is a Huge entity encompassing many many activities and supporting their Indian partner too!
In each and every person, there is an innate desire to serve the society. However, most of us remain as spectators because of not finding the right vehicle.
CRY provides that vehicle to us.
And their new motto says it all - 'Standing up for what's right'
Get involved guys! Either as Donors or as Volunteers or atleast as Well-wishers.
Cheers to CRY!