Udavum Karangal (Helping Hands) is a registered, non-governmental, non-religious and non-profit social service organization, established in 1983, with sole objective of serving people in distress who are orphans & destitutes.

Udavum Karangal's humble beginnings trace back to 1983, when Vidyaakar began his work in a voluntary counseling and guidance centre, as a professional social worker, in the slums of NSK Nagar, Chennai. A puny, dehydrated, wailing baby boy was brought by a rickshaw puller, who had found it, abandoned in a cinema hall, after a night show. Since then there has been no looking back, neither for Vidyaakar nor for Udavum Karangal.

Udavum Karangal extends help & succour and a new lease of life to nearly 2000 unfortunate persons from new born babies, abandoned or orphaned to old dying destitutes. The center provides individualized services, treatment, care, rehabilitation and education to those in distress. After 22 long years, the institution has grown from strength to strength and it now houses and cares for 2000 residents. As of Jan 2006, the roll of its extended family includes the following: 

The journey, for Vidyaakar , and for his volunteers , however, has been very arduous. At times almost unbearable but always immensely satisfying. Like a huge and sturdy Banyan tree, the family at Udavum Karangal  has grown around the qualities of dedication and compassion. Each of the homes for the destitutes was started out of sheer necessity and each began in a small way with just a few residents. Now Udavum Karangal's reach extends across 4 centres in Chennai viz; Tiruverkadu, Maduravoyal, Velappanchavadi, & Ambattur and also with two centres at Coimbatore.

 A constant and encouraging presence has been the increasing number of well-wishers whose financial, material and emotional support have been Udavum Karangal 's major sustenance. Your help and support can go a long way in sustaining its services.

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