Shankar Mugalkhod was born and raised in Kamathipura, Mumbai’s notorious red-light district. Growing up in that neighborhood, he was a daily witness to poverty and destitution from close quarters.
After having worked for HIV/TB patients in Kamathipura for a decade alongside various NGO’s, Shankar felt a strong need of starting a Care and Rehabilitation Centre for the destitute people.
He witnessed that families in poor condition sometimes abandoned individuals as they could not provide them with medical and basic care.
He then began to help destitute by finding them a suitable care center and also offered free ambulance services to the families in need.
Eventually in 2017, the Grace Foundation was founded with an aim to ensure that EVERY DESTITUTE has the opportunity to lead a healthy and productive life and have a place they can call HOME.
To serve the homeless, orphaned, down-trodden and oppressed.
To care, protect and empower the deprived members of the society.
People living on the streets face a number of challenges – feelings of isolation, mental health problems, drug or alcohol use, and physical abuse.
At Grace Foundation, we provide them with shelter and care. As soon as a destitute enters our premises, he/she becomes a member of our family. All the boarding, lodging, clothing, and logistic arrangements are entirely free.
We have 15 full-time workers and are also supported by many volunteers. We work with the local police to try and find out the families of a homeless destitute that we pick up from the streets. If not found, we arrange a permanent shelter for them and do their admission.
If a person dies within the home, the burial arrangements are made by the Foundation according to the religious rites of the deceased.
We are also involved with the relocation and rescue of homeless, minors and psychiatric patients and in the transferring of unclaimed deceased, family reunification.
