Years ago, Arvind Kumar Goel, a Moradabad-based philanthropist and educationist, was out on the road to distribute blankets to the poor when his eyes fell on an old man rummaging through the garbage to find food leftovers to satiate his hunger. When Goel approached this man and offered him help, he broke down and wept inconsolably. The poor man told the philanthropist that he retired as a professor from a renowned college but his son and daughter-in-law had thrown him out of his house as he had become a burden on them. For days Goel could not sleep and decided to erect old age Homes for abandoned senior citizens.
In the last couple of decades, hundreds of these Homes provide shelter and dignity to these lonely souls in the twilight years of their lives. And Goel doesn’t leave any opportunity to bring smiles to their faces.
This Father’s Day, he ensured every Home celebrated this important occasion and engaged caretakers to observe cake cutting ceremonies and activities like singing and dancing in order to fill these facilities with sounds of laughter and joy.
Goel is of a strong belief that not taking care of old parents is a social problem and needs to be dealt with psychologically. With his powerful influence over a large number of people, Goel constantly emphasizes the importance of taking care of one’s elders.
Father is a sustainer and provider to a family. He is the central figure in a house and plays a constructive role in preparing an individual to step out into the harsh world. He is a counselor, a defender, and a role model to his son and daughter. He sacrifices his comfort to keep his family happy. He weathers all storms and ensures the adversities of life do not impact his home. And after all this, nothing is more painful, than if he is thrown out at a time when he is old and infirm and needs love and care from his loved ones. Goel always tries to instill this concept to all young men and women who have elders at home and they mistreat or forsake them.
Goel’s concern is not confined to just fathers. He makes Mother’s Day also special for all the old women who are spending their last days at the Homes he has constructed for them.
But he knows no matter how much he cares for them, these forlorn senior citizens’ hearts still long for their children despite what they have done to them. And hence, Goel also tries to unite these unfortunate ones with their families though the success rate is not that impressive because the bitterness takes time to wash away. But he ensures the inmates of these old age Homes live with dignity.