“Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely, right where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see.”

While Mother Teresa’s words soften the heart and create a desire to serve others, there is often no follow-through, and the good intentions fade into nice thoughts with no action. People complain that they don’t have the time or the wherewithal to connect the dots and begin serving their neighbors in need. Seeing these obstacles and realizing that the key to community engagement is to turn volunteering into a simple come-as-you-are process, Anand Bheemarasetti started Project Finding Calcutta.

Project Finding Calcutta engages ordinary people in extraordinary acts of service. Anand and his team partner with local organizations to provide corporal works of mercy, including feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, visiting the elderly, comforting the sick, and helping the poor.

The organization makes volunteering simple. Groups, individuals, and even families complete a simple online enrollment and sign up for their first day of service. The volunteers meet at a central location where they are given chai tea and bananas (just as Mother Teresa did for her team) before sharing in a time of prayer and reflection. The Project Finding Calcutta leaders then divide the group into smaller teams and match each with a service opportunity in the area. Volunteers aren’t put into situations they can’t handle. Still, they are encouraged to stretch their comfort zone and see past the initial concerns someone may have about working with their elderly or homeless neighbors.

The deeply impactful work of Project Finding Calcutta matches perfectly two of our core values at Undivided Life – Lead with Faith and Serve the Common Good. We are called to be in solidarity with the marginalized and to serve those in need through our time, talent, treasure, and prayer. With our emphasis on creating Shared Experiences, we partnered with Project Finding Calcutta last year for an unforgettable visit to a local nursing home. Once inside, no one was worried about checking their emails or hustling to the next meeting. Instead, we split into groups and spent part of the day encountering the residents, meeting each one where they were, and engaging in conversations, card games, and any care we could provide.

Project Finding Calcutta is more than just a charitable organization. In addition to serving the physical needs of those in the community, Anand recognized the plague of isolation in America. That is why Project Finding Calcutta also builds deep, meaningful relationships that serve the needs of everyone involved. Loneliness is not only devouring the people being served, but also rampant in our homes, schools, offices, and communities. Project Finding Calcutta fosters a culture of encounter among the volunteers, as they answer Mother Teresa’s call to “Find Your Own Calcutta.”
Questions for you to consider:

Are you ready to stop talking about serving someday in the future and get started on the actual work today instead?

Do you have the capacity to help Project Finding Calcutta continue to grow its impact by making a financial contribution to the ministry?

Are you ready to find your own Calcutta?