Biography:

Sanjeevani 4 U is a 501c (3) non-profit organization with the id # 81-1722515.

Sanjeevani was started in 2015 with the objective to provide free support and first line of counselling to anyone who is going through mental health concerns or domestic abuse. The services are provided by trained personnel and are available 24 hours, 7 days a week through phone, emails and in-person interactions.

The target groups that Sanjeevani serves are men, women, senior citizens and youth.

Sanjeevani is supported by more than three dozen volunteers spread across the Chicago area. The volunteers are available to speak different South Asian languages and are trained to handle calls/callers facing the above mentioned issues. There are also doctors, lawyers and social workers on board for referrals. Sanjeevani also partners with organizations across Chicagoland including similar NPO’s for mutual help and support.

Through these endeavors, Sanjeevani forges ahead in its mission to build awareness on mental health and domestic abuse and provide actionable tools to people to make informed choices- choices which will bring smile to their lives.

Why vote for Sanjeevani?

The organization serves in following ways:

• Direct helpline service – Sanjeevani has a direct helpline number to offer free counselling services to the callers, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The personnel aiding are trained and dedicated to the cause. The callers are teenagers, men, women and senior citizens.
• Walk-in sessions – It conducts “Walk-in Help Clinics” for all age groups at 5 locations in Chicago area all year around. Trained personnel offer free counselling and support to people suffering from depression, abuse, relationship issues. Confidentiality is maintained which encourages people to walk in and seek help without any inhibitions.
• Awareness sessions – Sanjeevani organizes “talk events” to build awareness on a consistent basis. Guest speakers are experts/professionals who provide valuable information on myriad topics related to mental health and abuse.
• Outreach initiative – An annual donation drive throughout Chicagoland helps us to reach out and support the homeless in the area. Warm clothes and essentials are collected, bagged by the volunteers and distributed to different shelters.

There has been a significant increase in the call volumes and turn outs at our walk in clinics over the last two years. Call volumes have doubled from 2016 to 2017 and tripled to 2018. This clearly reflects that cases of depression, abuse and relationship problems are on the rise in the community and there is a need for greater intervention. As a response, Sanjeevani aims to expand its reach this year and empower more and more victims to lead better lives.

As of December 2018, the number of cases addressed were 300 and over 10,000 minutes of counselling in 2018 alone.

“We believe that each one has a right to mental health wellness and to have happiness as a choice”