Background
The first to be created was in Mehendarda in 1994. With the experience of starting and running a home for few years, Pujya Bapu established Homes For the Elderly Trust (HFET) in 1999 with the following objectives
- To build homes for senior citizens who are unable to spend their old age with their families
- To provide welfare for the old and needy
- To provide medical care for the elderly
- To provide relief in accidents and in natural disasters
In each of the homes, the rules and regulations are maintained according to policies agreed for each home. All are run on a free basis – no fees are collected from the residents and they are cared for fully from boarding, clothes, medicine and any other expenses are born by the trust. Residents of Chaparda home are more fortunate as some of the visitors from the ashram give them gifts, food and occasionally take them on a holiday or a short trip nearby.
All the homes have their dedicated manager and staff and each home is funded by supporters who have some kind of connection to that area or home.
Another commendable project that takes place under this trust is supplying food kits which are prepared monthly and distributed to about 200 needy senior citizens in nearby villages of Visavadar. In the food kits, the following essential foodstuff is supplied: oil, sugar, salt, flour, tea, lentils, rice, etc.
