COVID-19 and Cyclone Amphan Update

BASC stands with our less fortunate brethren as they brave the dual ravages of COVID-19 and Cyclone Amphan

This page is your one stop destination to learn about the ways in which BASC is coordinating relief efforts to help those affected the worst by COVID-19 and other myriad natural calamities. You will also find updates about the future of BASC programming here.

Together with Bengal fundraising

Vast parts of south Bengal, our beloved Kolkata, and the Khulna and Satkhira districts of Bangladesh were recently devastated by the strongest cyclone to have made landfall in West Bengal in nearly two hundred years. Both the 24 parganas, and especially the Sundarbans have sustained extreme damage. The need is huge and BASC is stepping in to offer some assistance to those affected worst by the tragedy, the effect of which has been compounded with the presence of the pandemic. We are requesting our membership to contribute generously to this fundraiser. Please use Zelle (pay@bascweb.org) and PayPal using the link on our website (https://bascweb.org/). If you are against electronic transactions you can send your checks drawn in favor of BASC to Soma Sarkar, President, BASC 16287 Magenta Terrace, Chino Hills, CA 91709. Since the need is immediate and huge, we will disburse the funds regularly to organizations working on the ground in West Bengal.

COVID-19

BASC ran a sustained fund-raising campaign to help those affected the worst by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the duality of our identities as South Asian American residents and citizens, BASC chose three beneficiaries to reflect the various demographics that we relate with the most. Funds were accordingly disbursed to a local organization in LA county, an organization which continues to promise pan-India relief, and to the state of West Bengal. We are in receipt of acknowledgements from all three organizations and are hopeful that our contributions are being and will continue to be put to use to assist the worst affected by the pandemic and its economic fallout.

The pandemic continues to rage around us. We have stopped our fund-raising initiative but should you wish to contribute specifically to COVID-19 resources, you can get in touch with us and we will be happy to direct you to organizations that are on the frontlines of addressing the community needs arising from the pandemic.

We request our members to continue exercising best practices and stay at home. If you or someone you know is unsafe at home, please get in touch with us or reach out to https://saharacares.org/ for resources. Please let us know if you are in need of a conversation or need help setting up grocery deliveries or arrange curbside pick-up. Please do not pay heed to or spread false claims and information through WhatsApp and other social media portals. Consume and disburse information about the pandemic responsibly!

BASC programming for 2020-2021

BASC, like any other organization, is following the latest health and community directives from concerned health, local, county, state, and federal authorities. Our priority remains the health and well-being of our membership. At this time, we have not taken any definite decisions regarding 2020-2021 events, including our flagship event, Durga Puja. We are considering all possible scenarios and are working to iron out multiple plans that allow us to remain engaged with each other as a community while not compromising on common sense safety and health concerns.

We request all of you to kindly follow this website, our facebook portal, and BASC emails to remain abreast about latest decisions taken by your executive committee. We also humbly request our membership to not pay heed to baseless speculations about the future of BASC events. Your committee has not taken a decision yet and as soon as we do we will be communicating with you, our members immediately.