TOPEKA, Kansas: Sikhs Serving America, a Topeka based humanitarian organization, has announced that it will be providing financial backing for a new program offered by the Topeka Shawnee County Health Department. The program, which will begin shortly, will provide prescription drugs for people in the Topeka area who cannot afford medication. Daljit Singh Jawa, president of the organization, said patients of the health department, and those referred to the health department by other agencies, such as Let’s Help and the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, would have their prescriptions filled. At the end of each ‘month the health department will send the bills to the organization.
Jawa said the money for the project was provided by the members of Sikhs Serving America and by one anonymous contribution. SSA has members living in several states.
“America has given us basic human rights and dignity something we didn’t find in our native India,” Jawa said, “This is one ‘way in which we are trying to pay this great country back for the liberty which it has given us”.
He said Sikhs Serving America was dedicated to helping out less fortunate and oppressed. People and to educate US, citizens about the genocide of Sikhs in Northern India in the Sikh homeland called the Punjab.
“We started a program last year that was designed to feed the hungry in the Shawnee County area”, Jawa said, “but we found this area of need was being taken care of by many other agencies”. “However, many people suggested the need of medication for the poor people was one area that needed attention. Our organization decided this was a unique and important way to serve the community.
The Sikh faith has 15 million worshipers worldwide, most living in India. Its followers are dedicated to serving downtrodden and oppressed people.
For more information, please call: (913) 2670222.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 18, 1987
