In New York, PRASAD CDHP offered a workshop entitled, “Oral Health of Patients in Long-Term and Acute Care Settings” to the student nurses at Sullivan Country Community College. It is important for nurses to be especially attentive to oral health because the mouth is a mirror that can alert them to systemic problems. Also, oral conditions can create or exacerbate systemic problems. The CDHP prevention team also has been teaching children about dental health by singing songs in the classroom, conducting toothbrush skills workshops, and supplying parents with nutrition guidelines.

In California, PRASAD CDHP is participating in “Dentists With a Heart” on February 21st in San Jose. Participating dentists open their doors to offer dental care to children and their families, free of charge. Last year 50 dentists took part. The children will be registered for follow-up care through the CDHP mobile dental clinic.

February also marks the public launch of Tour de Smile, PRASAD CDHP’s Trans-America bike relay! The Tour de Smile website goes live this month and brochures with applications for riders and volunteers will be available soon. [see next story for details.] Another event coming up right after the February observances will be on March 8th, when CDHP-CA hosts An Event Worth Smiling About, a benefit dinner and silent auction in San Jose, Calif.

For more about the Children’s Dental Health Program, visit: http://www.prasad.org/dental_usa.html

Tour de Smile riders, passing a toothbrush baton across 4,200 miles in 13 states (California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York) will partner with local and national media to highlight the dental disease epidemic that leads to pain and suffering in children.

The relay will begin on July 11th at PRASAD CDHP's California office in San Jose, and will finish in Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. on September 14th near PRASAD CDHP's New York office. There are many ways you can participate, both now and during the relay: ride a leg, sponsor a rider or offer in-kind donations, coordinate a region, or promote the event in your area. You can also join our "Penny for a Smile" campaign, buy a Smile-Mile (there are 4,200 of them), host one of our nationwide fundraisers (An Event Worth Smiling About), or become a PRASAD Pedal Partner and start a bike ride in your own community!

For more information about how to get involved, contact our Tour de Smile Coordinator, Liz Hoffner by email at: lizh@prasadproject.org or by phone at: 845.434.0376 ext. 111 or at 408.937.4858 ext. 3. Look for our website: www.tourdesmile.org, coming soon.

Dr. Sukhala Hamilton is a long-time PRASAD supporter and family physician who lives in Boulder, Colo. with her husband, Mark Sherman, and daughter, Grace. Sukhala worked on The PRASAD Project's Muktananda Mobile Hospital in India in 1987, when she was a third-year medical student.

Eight years later, Sukhala became the coordinator of the Rocky Mountain Region, the first satellite PRASAD team. The Rocky Mountain Friends of PRASAD have held numerous fundraising events for PRASAD.

On Christmas Eve, 2000, Sukhala and Mark returned from India with Grace Shanti, their newly adopted daughter. Although life has changed with the arrival of their child, Sukhala and Mark still find extraordinary ways to contribute to PRASAD. For example, at a blessings ceremony for Grace, the parents asked that gifts be given in the form of donations to PRASAD.

Sukhala's latest endeavor is a collection of 50 poems entitled, "In the Presence of Grace." She began writing these poems in 2000, during the adoption process, and now a limited edition of the book is being printed and handsewn in Boulder. The books will be available this month, and all proceeds will be donated to The PRASAD Project. For more information on how to purchase a copy, please email Sukhala at: drsukha@nilenet.com.

Sukhala and Mark have such strong dedication to PRASAD, and are constantly creating inspiring ways to support it. Sukhala says: "PRASAD is love in action and is always in our hearts…I intend to be committed to PRASAD all of my life."

To learn about how you can contribute to The PRASAD Project, please visit our website: http://www.prasad.org/giving.html or email Shelley Brandes, Director of Donor Relations: shelleyb@prasadproject.org.

PRASAD Children's Dental Health Program welcomes volunteers who wish to teach dental health education in Sullivan County, N.Y. schools. Various positions are available, with a range of time commitments. Training is provided. For more information, please call Gerri Wiley at 845.434.0376 x 102 or email gerriw@prasad.org.

We are printing our spring newsletter this month, and we request that you update your mailing address now. Please email us at prasad@prasad.org. Thank you!

There will not be an e-Monthly in March. See you again in April!

Prasad Chikitsa shared the following update about a new Community Development initiative:

A honey-making box

The Kelton group met with Vilas Shinde, Prasad Chikitsa's Community Development officer, to discuss the project, and he then contacted Mr. Gaikwad, the Maharashtra government officer from the Department of District Village Industries Development. The government officer evaluated the group's eligibility to participate in the Industries Development Program and, based on its demonstrated sustainability, confidence, capabilities and willingness, selected it to participate in the program.

Prasad Chikitsa then helped to facilitate a honey-making training program, which took place November 20th-December 5th 2002. In this 15-day training, the government beekeeper took the group members on field trips in the mornings and conducted theory training in the afternoons. During the field trips, members learned how to identify the queen bee and the different types of bees, how to catch the queen bee, and how to recognize various flowers.

Soon the group will visit established honey-making business in the city of Dahanu (approximately two hours from Ganeshpuri). Prasad Chikitsa will provide the vehicle and the group will pay for the petrol for the trip. Upon completion of the training, the government will provide the group with honey-making boxes at subsidy rates. Prasad Chikitsa will lend the group the money to purchase three initial boxes. The SHG can sell the honey to private customers at 100 rupees per kilogram, or to the government for 65 rupees per kilogram. The group can earn 1,000 rupees per year per honey-making box — indeed, a sweet result from this community development enterprise.

For more about the Community Development Program, visit our website: http://www.prasad.org/education.html

UPCOMING EVENTS

Event:	Drs. Robert Anderson, Gary Barth and the Eye Care Institute's Reception
Date:	Sunday February 9th, 4:00 PM
Place:	Flamingo Hotel Ballroom Santa Rosa, Calif.
Contact:	Yvonne Olivo Phone 888.840.6679 Email: yvonneo@prasadproject.org
Details:	Drs. Robert Anderson and Gary Barth are hosting a reception to thank the patients and staff of the Eye Care Institute who contributed to the sponsorship of the April 2003 Cataract Eye Camp. The doctors will describe their recent experience assisting with Prasad Chikitsa's eye camp in India, celebrate the fundraising success, and solicit commitments to annually support an eye camp.
Event:	Dream Dance 2003
Date:	Friday, February 14th, 8:00 PM - 1:30 AM
Place:	St. Paul the Apostle Church 9th Avenue and 60th Street New York, N. Y.
Contact:	Christine Kim, Benefit Chairperson Phone: 718.643.1817 Email: ckimnyc@earthlink.net To order tickets, visit our website: http://www.prasad.org/events/ dream_dance.html or please call the Dream Dance Hotline at 845.434.0376, ext 118, or email: prasad@prasad.org.
Details:	Come dance the night away at this fun and exciting evening — one not to be missed! Order your tickets today. Tickets purchased before February 7th cost $40.00 (for people age 25 and under), $60 (for those over 25). Tickets will cost $5 additional at the door.
Event:	An Event Worth Smiling About Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction
Date:	Saturday, March 8th Registration and silent auction begin at 6:00 PM
Place:	Mexican Heritage Plaza Pavilion San Jose, Calif.
Contact:	Laurie Kehl Phone: 408.937.4858 Email: laurieke@prasadproject.org
Details:	Janet Dobrovolny, Esq. will be the Master of Celebration at this year's event. Enjoy eating fabulous food and listening to smooth jazz from the Kevin Diebert Quartet. The "Courage to Care" award will be presented this year by PRASAD's first Executive Director, Catherine Parrish, to Katherine Wyckoff, secretary of the international PRASAD board of directors, for her tireless efforts and caring heart.
PRASAD e-Monthly is a monthly email newsletter that supplements our bi-annual print newsletter. It is emailed at the beginning of each month, except for the two months during which a print newsletter is distributed. To share this issue of PRASAD e-Monthly with a friend, paste the url below in the body of an email message: http://www.prasad.org/emonthly/jan03/jan03.html SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION To unsubscribe, please send an email to: e-monthly@prasadproject.org To change your email address, please send email to: prasad@prasad.org TO SUPPORT PRASAD'S PROGRAMS BY DONATION Please visit our website to make a donation online: http://www.prasad.org/giving.html Or, if you prefer, please send a check to the address below. You may contact Donor Relations via email at shelleyb@prasadproject.org or by phone at 845.434.0376 ext. 131. CONTACT INFORMATION The PRASAD Project 465 Brickman Road Hurleyville, NY 12747 Phone: 845.434.0376 Fax: 845.434.0377 Copyright ©2003 The PRASAD Project. All rights reserved. PRASAD™ is a registered trademark.