THE KISHNA FOUNDATION
The Kishna Foundation, in coordination with
The Kishna Foundation will also provide food,
clothing and other basic necessities to those living at the Dharam Sala --
We will coordinate trips to
In the spirit of selfless service and compassion, The
Kishna Foundation is dedicated to providing assistance in this area of
About The Kishna Foundation
The Kishna Foundation first began in 2001 through
Sandy Sooknanan-Kriz who is a Citizen of
Sandy, with the help of her father, brother and
sisters, rebuilt their grandparent’s home to accommodate people from the US and
other countries who would want to visit Guyana in order to donate their time
and money to help provide assistance to those in need by cooking and serving
foods, doing minor household repairs, and any kind of specialized assistance
they could provide such as nursing, medical, dental, nutrition, as well as
spiritual practices and education.
Who we are:
SANDY SOOKNANAN-KRIZ is interested in the Healing aspects of Yoga that include a
focus on stress reduction, weight loss, study of yogic techniques that reduce
anxiety, increase sense of total wellness and of self physically and
spiritually.
Anil
Sooknanan has been part of this project since 2005
Allison
Donahue decided to be part of this project after completing
her first missionary trip in
While putting together the brochure for the
"Lending a helping hand to a neglected
soul, feeding the hungry, a compassionate smile towards the sad and dejected,
this is the real service, a manifestation of true Love. We should invoke God's compassion in our own hearts and hands."
--Mata Amritanandamayi
“Ammachi”
The Hugging Saint
The Kishna Foundation
Journey to
The Kishna Foundation will be scheduling small
groups (20 people or less) to travel to, from and within
What you need to do if you want to participate:
1.) Contact Sandy Sooknanan-Kriz at 845-849-2795 to briefly discuss your
interest and qualifications for attendance (see Qualification Requirements
below).
2.) Once you have been "pre-qualified", complete the registration
packet and other related documents **Please note that even after
pre-qualification, a final decision on your ability to participate cannot be
made until we have received your registration packet, supporting documentation
and registration fee.
3.) Send in your registration packet, supporting documentation and registration
fee. (If you do not qualify, your registration fee will be returned).
4.) We will contact you within a few days to begin helping you with your travel
arrangements.
Qualification Requirements-
The Kishna Foundation Journey participants can be:
1. Certified
healthcare providers (nurses, doctors, dentists, counselors, etc.)
2. Repair
specialists such as Plumbers, Carpenters and Electricians
3. Spiritual
Educators such as Monks, Yoga Teachers, Priests,
4. Indian
Musicians (tabla, harmonium, sitar, singers)
5. Computer
specialists and teachers
6. Teachers
of music, and any other skills.
7. Anyone
with a sincere desire to donate food, clothing, and/or their time.
Financial Requirements:
Donation from Volunteers: The Kishna
Foundation and Sandy Sooknanan-Kriz
will donate accommodations, food and laundry services to provide you with a
comfortable stay. We ask that you
consider bringing charitable donations to give to those in need. A regular 7-10 day vacation in
Donations can be also in
any combination of the following.
1. $400 minimum amount to be donated to The Kishna
Foundation which will be used to purchase food, clothing and other items from
the farmers and vendors in
2. Choose
a family (info to be provided) and donate medicines, money, toys and clothing
for this family. You can bring clothing
from
3. Donate
your time and money for materials to perform minor repairs on old houses which
can include repairs to roofs, windows, stairs, and floors. Most of the hard
labor is done by the locals and we participate in their daily activities
assisting and overseeing. This further
helps the locals by creating jobs for them.
4. Bring over-the-counter
medicines, medical supplies.
5. Purchase
toys for the children of the Orphanages in
6. Donate
food and clothing and toiletries to those in Home for the Aging.
Monetary and Other Donations -
For those who do not wish to travel to
Mail to or drop off cash donations at:
The Kishna Foundation
1820 New
Suite 5
Poughkeepsie NY 12603
Donations Sites -
The following items are also needed:
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Anti-diarrhea medicine |
Personal hygiene products |
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Diabetic Testing Kits |
Flip-flop slippers |
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Sinus & Allergy OTC meds |
Vitamins |
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Aspirin, Tylenol |
Blood pressure kits |
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Antacids |
Children's vitamins |
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First Aid Kits, band-aids, etc |
Toys, coloring books, crayons |
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Medical Supplies |
Non-prescription reading glasses |
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T-shirts & underwear & socks |
Hair holders, brushes |
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You are allowed 100 pounds of items to be brought
into |
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Registration Fee - Our
registration fee is $50 and is required for all symposium participants. This is
how we keep ourselves funded and is tax-deductible. Our registration fee covers
the review of your application, help with making your travel arrangements, and other
basic arrangements in
General Costs:
The Kishna Foundations does not make a profit on your traveling expenses such
as hotel, flights, etc. Our registration fee is to help with operations of the
Flight from US to Guyana - Our
group normally flies out of JFK straight to
Housing: - The Kishna Foundation provides
modest housing in a private
You also have the option of staying at a nearby
hotel. Depending on the quality of the hotel, prices range from $50 and up.
Either way, we will help you make your arrangements.
Transportation: - In
Food: - The Kishna Foundation provides FREE on-site food and cooking
for the staff. (All Vegatarian)There
will be no beef served nor consumed in the house. You
are also able to eat in various restaurants which can cost anywhere from ten
dollars per day for eating three meals a day at moderately priced restaurants.
Incidentals: - We
suggest planning for $30 a day for incidentals such as eating out, nightly
entertainment, bottled water, taxis for after hours travel, etc. We will try to do everything as a group, but
if you wish to go out on your own, we will help you find transportation or help
coordinate additional trips for you.
However fees for these events are not included in your stay.
Total Cost of a 7-10 trip
including registration fee, airfare, transportation, accommodations, food, monetary/item
donations, and incidentals will range from $1050 to $1750 or more should you
decide to stay at a hotel. The total
cost will vary depending on how often you eat outside the house, take private
transportation and visit the surrounding sites on your own as well as how much
you decide to donate.
Program Partial Scholarship:
The Kishna Foundation is
setting up a partial scholarship program for those who have special skills but
might not have the funds to participate in the program. Some examples of scholarships could come in
the form of waiver of registration fee, partial payment of airline tickets, donation
items waived in exchange for special skills or work related projects, travel
expenses within
Those who would like to
fully or partially sponsor a participant, please contact Sandy Sooknanan-Kriz
at 845-849-2795.
Those who wish to be
considered for scholarships, please provide the following:
1. Registration (fee waived)
2. An essay describing your special skills, how you
intend to participate, why you want to participate in the program and how you
feel such a program will help you with your future plans.
3. Three letters of reference
4. A breakdown of the financial reasons and any
information you can provide with respect to why you are requesting a Scholarship.
Make all checks payable to The Kishna Foundation
and mail or drop off your registration packets including $50.00 registration
fee to:
The Kishna Foundation
1820 New
The Kishna Foundation Journey to
Typical Daily Itinerary
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
e.g. Kirtan,
Chanting Music, Satsang, Guest Speakers
Daily schedules will vary, and
there will be ample time for visiting the sites around the area. The Kishna
Foundation will plan and organize several group excursions and tours such as to
Sea Wall (beach), Shopping,
Typical Foods that are available in the
Country
Breakfast:
Coffee, Juice & Tea
Tropical & Regular Fruits
(mangos, pineapples,
bananas, grapes, etc.)
Bread, Rolls and Cheese and Cereals
Roti (Indian flatbread)
Various Vegetable Curries & Dal (lentils,
splitpea)
Snack:
Fruits
Indian Sweets
Cheese and Crackers
Sweet Biscuits
Lunch:
Rice, Rotis & Dal
Various Vegetarian Curries and
Stews
(Spinach, Pumpkin, Fried Okra, Potatoe Curry)
Fruit and Salads
Breads
Dinner:
Rice, Rotis & Dal
Various Vegetarian Curries and Stews
Kicherie & Local Guyanese Cuisine
Salads
Breads
Night Snack
Teas
Sweet Biscuits and Tennis Rolls (soft sweet rolls)
Pineapple tarts
Cheese & Crackers
Fruit is always available.
Dining or take-out from local restaurants is
available at participant’s own cost. No Beef is ever served or can be eaten on any
of the grounds.
The Kishna Foundation
Donation Drop-Off Sites
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The Kishna Foundation 1820 New |
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Peace Light Yoga Studio 145 Route 22 845-531-2208 |
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Photos
of
Gift
Giving at
