By James A. ("Grasshopper") Mitchell
VeAhavta Press Officer

The Grasshopper Report is designed to provide a streamline flow of communication between VeAhavta volunteers, Grace Care Center and VeAhavta President Eric Parkinson. Contributions, comments, etc. should be e-mailed to Jim Mitchell.

April-May trip confirmed
VeAhavta board member Tom McLaughlin and Michigan Dr. Gina Amalfitano will travel to Grace Care Center on April 29, and will return May 10. Among other plans, Tom will conduct the VeAhavta audit, while Gina reviews training and medical needs at Mercy Home. Possible projects include visiting the Trincomalee Rotary Club to continue discussion started in February. There are considerations by several Michigan Rotary branches to fund projects through the Trinco chapter.
Also being discussed is a possible vegetable garden on Grace Care Center property, to be maintained by Hiram Labrooy and the elders of Mercy Home. If practical to implement and finance, this could provide food for GCC (and, perhaps, develop surplus to be sold). A similar program is run at Herman’s Home in Batticaloa.

August visit planned
Cheri Lovre and Linda Shoemaker are planning a trip in mid-July (possible joined by Tara Rondy). Linda's specialty involves organic gardening, for possible work on gardening (a prospect both for Grace and Father Lorio's Academy and Peace Home). Cheri (who visited Grace in Feb. '05) plans to speak with the principal at the Methodist Girls College, and continue to assess the psychological/emotional health of the Grace Home Girls.

English
Many volunteers have discussed establishing e-mail connections with the children of Grace Home. This is an idea that won't be practical until broader English skills are acquired by the children. Toward that end, Fr. Lorio offered to have the younger girls spend an hour a day at Academy, taking advantage of computer-provided tutorials. This project should be implemented, and those traveling to Trinco can review its status.

VTC products
It's been suggested that items made (and easily shipped) in the Vocational Training Center could be arranged for sale in the United States (notably a coastal store in Florida’s panhandle). Volunteers planning to travel could discuss the Lanka-side logistics, while stateside outlets can be considered.

Random Notes
Given the situation with escalating costs in Sri Lanka – an issue in much of the country and most severe in the north and east, where fishermen are allowed just a few days a month to try for a catch – VeAhavta volunteers are trying to re-energize campaigns to solicit funds or sponsors. Requests have been made to appear before church, Rotary or other groups in the Detroit-Ann Arbor area. Additional suggestions are welcome.

The "Grasshopper Report" will, President Eric Parkinson said, be posted on the VeAhavta web site. Those receiving this are welcome to distribute to those interested in helping the Grace Care Center continue to provide a small measure of hope against often overwhelming uncertainty.

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Miss Sauntharrathnam Swaminathen, a resident of Mercy Home, expired from heart failure on March 22, 2008. Her date of birth was unknown, but she was believed to be in her late 70's or early 80's.

Miss Swaminathen was welcomed into the Mercy Home family, along with her sister Indrani, on January 20, 2006. At the time of her admission, she had this to say: "My younger sister, Indrani, and I have spent our lives together. We were never married. We moved from Colombo to Trincomalee. Then we worked for a hotel. The owner moved to India due to the ethnic conflict. One of the hotel owner's friends referred my sister and I to Mercy Home. At first, I thought that we were going to live in another hotel, but when we moved in I realized it was a home for elders and we are very happy here."

When asked what she liked to do most as a hobby, Miss Swaminathen said, "Listening to the birds." And, indeed, listening to the sounds of nature, and to the Grace Home girls, was something she enjoyed and did frequently.

Mrs. Sugirtha, Mercy Home Nursing Assistant, had this to say of Miss Swaminathen: "Miss Swaminathen came in to Mercy Home with her younger sister Indrani. The sisters helped each other very much. Sauntharrathnam use to speak in a very kind and gentle way with everyone and was one of the most loved elders at Mercy Home. At the end of her life, she deserved a lot of care and attention, and we all did our part to provide a better life for her."

A memorial service was conducted for Miss Swaminathen at the Grace Care Center on March 23. Miss Swaminathen was a devout Hindu and so her memorial service and burial were conducted in accordance with Hindu tradition.

We are glad to have had an opportunity to get to know Mrs. Samathanam. Her presence at Grace will be missed by the other residents, staff and volunteers who had the privilege to spend precious time with her.

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