Christmas collection

"To ensure that no one goes hungry on Christmas or New Year’s day,” many families affiliated with the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY) came to the Dar-e-Mehr on December 8, 2019 laden with provisions. They were responding to youth member Maya Mistry’s appeal for cash and food items to support the Holiday Lift food drive by Lifting Up Westchester (LUW).

Maya Mistry (l) and Anahita Kotval: supporting Holiday Lift

Over the last three years ZAGNY has raised more than $ 1,200 (Rs 84,930)towards this endeavor, stated Maya who was introduced to LUW through its chief executive officer Anahita Kotval. For nearly four decades LUW has been coming to the assistance of around 4,500 Westchester residents annually through its key program areas of emergency food and shelter, housing stabilization, vocational training and employment, and next-generation educational opportunities.
"When I look around at the community I live in Westchester, I don’t see only big homes and fancy malls but I also see homeless people and soup kitchens serving people every day,” noted Maya. With her parents Nina and Adil encouraging her to give back to the community, she has volunteered for social service projects from a young age wanting "to make a difference, however small… This is my way of actually practicing our tenets of good thoughts, words and deeds.”
An 11th grade junior in high school, Maya plays the cello at three orchestras, will appear for her third degree black belt test in Taekwondo in January and additionally volunteers for Afya Foundation to support its mission to salvage "surplus medical supplies and deliver them to underserved health systems around the world.”