Dar E Mehr drive

Moving closer towards their goal of completing the construction of their new $ 4.6 million (Rs 294.4 million) Dar E Mehr in Pomona, New York by December 2015 and inaugurating it in March next year, yet another fund-raising campaign was launched by the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY). They are inviting contributions of Rs 10,000 or more from Zoroastrians globally with the lure that one fortunate donor will have an opportunity to make a complimentary trip for the launch in March 2016. "With the generous support of Air India, one lucky contributor will receive two free round trip economy tickets to New York as well as enjoy a complimentary three-night stay with a Zoroastrian family,” notes a press release issued by Madison India.
As explained by chairman of Madison World, Sam Balsara, when ZAGNY approached him for a contribution, "I thought rather than make a small contribution that I could afford, it would benefit the project a lot more if Madison contributed its communication skills” to promote the project among Indian Parsis with him paying for the advertisement.

"We used the insight that quite a few upper middle class and affluent Parsis would look forward to visiting New York on an occasion like the opening of the Dar E Mehr there if offered a free all-round trip. I am sure our efforts will pay off.”
"Our new building will be around for the next 100 years and more and will bring generations together by providing a strong sense of identity and belonging, a spiritual base, a home for continuing religion classes and adult lectures, a gathering place for festive occasions and solemn ones, and a center for the perpetuation of our Zarathushti community in the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut). This will be the legacy of our generation! Our gift to the next!” said Astad Clubwala, president of ZAGNY. He further added, "We talk, with a sort of resigned acceptance, of our dwindling numbers, but it is our next generation that will be crucial to whether we survive or not. We leave quite a burden for them – let’s do what we can, while we can, to make the start of their journey easier.”
The June newsletter of ZAGNY invites community members to the program on September 13 "to take a first look at your new Dar E Mehr building, which will be close to completion, while enjoying end of summer festivities. We could not have come this far without your support and without everyone digging into their pockets. But donor fatigue cannot keep us from realizing our dream now when the end is within reach.”
The dmzt.org website for the Dar E Mehr Zoroastrian Temple gives a monthly visual update on construction activities to donors from ZAGNY, the Iranian Zoroastrian Association (IZA) and other organizations. Against the project cost of $ 4,600,000, "the funding gap as of June 30, 2015 was $ 434,973 (Rs 27,838,272),” states Edul Daver who spearheads the new Dar E Mehr initiative, clarifying that donors have made pledges/contributions amounting to $ 4,165,027 (Rs 266,561,728). Appealing to community members who had yet not contributed, the Temple board declared, "It will be a proud moment when we cross the finish line with 100% participation from our local Zoroastrian community!”
Whilst contributions from ZAGNY and IZA members are always welcome, an unsolicited donation of $ 5,000 from Kaivan Chinoy of Vancouver intrigued the ZAGNY board until they learnt that Chinoy’s association with ZAGNY goes back to 2007 when he was a student in the UK. As he explained, "I was in desperate need of funds to complete my MSc degree course and no one helped me out, not even the Zoroastrian community in the UK where I had been residing for the past five years…It was then that ZAGNY stepped in and showed personal interest in helping me out (through the tireless efforts made by Yasmin Ghadially). The loan was to be paid interest free over a five-year period. However, once I completed my studies and went back to sea I was earning twice the loan amount per month so naturally I had the ability to pay off the loan in a short period. Without the loan I would have struggled a lot! So I’ll always be thankful to ZAGNY for their generosity!”
As reminded the ZAGNY newsletter, "If you ever wondered how your contributions to the various ZAGNY funds are used, this is a first-hand account of the difference your generosity makes to the life of another Zoroastrian/community member. Thank you for making it possible for ZAGNY to help out when need arises and validating the adage ‘As you sow, so shall you reap!’”
Even whilst the Association is striving to meet its own financial targets for its Dar E Mehr through individual donations, community events, merchandise sales, Lladro votives, inspiring children to dip into their pocket money and run errands in the house against payments from parents, in June this year it organized a fund-raising drive for the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital in Bombay.