Mission Statement: To disseminate information and resources related to health and human services to the community.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities:

• Identify, plan, and implement professional seminars (legal, financial, etc)
• Arrange health seminars/fairs, bone marrow and blood drives.
• Create, maintain, and communicate an outreach program consisting of professional volunteers from which the needy can benefit.

To volunteer please click here for sign up sheet or for any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Sarma Akkaraju at 215-914-0236 or via e-mail at akkaraju1@verizon.net

Following is a summary of Health and Human Services (HHS) short and long range plans.

• General help via BTI Telephone system? Call 215-997-1181 and follow the menu. HHS will refer to appropriate individual(s) within our community. Examples: Women in Distress to Women's Group. Persons that want to become citizens to Savera. Medical and related issues refer to community voluntary physician(s) etc. Vision Care to voluntary Optometrists/Ophthalmologists.
• To establish a database for rapid response groups. If someone becomes ill and needs say blood transfusions and related products, eligible volunteers to respond to this need.
• To Provide Hospital Visits. Visiting and holding their hands at distress time is one of the best medicines. HHS will request volunteers to visit these individuals and offer moral support.
• To help with Pastoral Care for Terminally Ill Persons with BCC Volunteers. HHS will soon inform the area hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, etc. indicating that these services to serve the needy are available. We can supplement these with Hindu and Jain perspectives.
• To make available verbal language translation services as we have 13 major languages and 500 dialects in India. We need volunteers to help. Provide your fluency skills and ability to translate.
• Help with Educational Advising and Mentoring Issues in cooperation with BT/BC Youth Group Organizers. We have a large corpus of very accomplished folks in our South Asian Groups that can help with mentoring services.
• Aging Issues and Disability Issues. We can consider a model like Philadelphia Corporation for aging elder related issues. We plan to explore with local senior citizen groups and organizations.
• Dental issues. Devotees / Patrons that need Dental Care will be referred to dentists, who are willing to help.
• Social workers, art therapists, alternate medical providers, and others that volunteer can sign up.
• Hosting Families. We have a number of World Renowned Medical Centers in Philadelphia. Many South Asians come for care and do not have places to stay. We hope many of BTI/BCC members will volunteer to help. We can send a note to local hospitals about the availability of these services.
• Mental Health Issues We have numbers of South Asian Psychiatrists and Psychologists. HHS requests volunteer Psychiatrist/Psychologist to give a hand in structuring this.
• Acute Leukemia cases for which the marrow transplantation (BMT) is the only treatment. A donor is more likely to be found in another South Asian individual, irrespective of age and sex. HHS can and will provide leads to others that can organize a drive, through The National Marrow Donor Program. Individuals to make much needed calls to mobilize people to participate in the project are solicited.