Maryland Legal Aid is a private, nonprofit law firm providing free legal services to low-income people statewide. The organization serves Baltimore City and Maryland’s 23 counties from 12 offices and three District Court Self-Help Centers.

Maryland Legal Aid handles civil (not criminal) cases, involving a wide range of issues, including custody, housing, public benefits, and consumer law. Many of the group’s local offices represent children in CINA (Child in Need of Assistance) proceedings. Other vulnerable members of the population, such as senior citizens, migrant and seasonal farm workers, and nursing home and assisted living residents, also receive specialized representation. Legal protections under the law for the vulnerable in our society: this is where the MurthyNAYAK Foundation intersects with Maryland Legal Aid.

Maryland Legal Aid provides a variety of services including representation before federal and state trial and appellate courts, brief advice and counsel, and referrals to other sources of assistance. Maryland Legal Aid’s mission is to provide high quality legal services to the state’s low-income population poor through a mix of services, and to bring about the changes low-income poor people want and need in the systems that affect them.

ON THE WEB: http://www.mdlab.org/

The Immigration Clinic represents individuals in immigration proceedings before the Immigration Court and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) in Baltimore. Assistance for immigrants is very important to us at the MurthyNAYAK Foundation, and we believe that the Immigration Clinic is an organization worthy of our support. Law students work under the supervision of an experienced attorney, performing all aspects of case preparation, including client interviews, fact development, witness interviews, writing motions and legal briefs, court appearances, trial, and post-relief issues. The immigration clinic seeks to provide an environment for students that is conducive to learning these skills and applying them in real cases.

Student attorneys represent clients who are fleeing persecution in their homelands and seeking asylum in the U.S., individuals in danger of being deported due to criminal convictions, and individuals who have been the victims of domestic violence or other crimes. In addition, the clinic has a number of cases that have challenged abusive enforcement practices by the government.

ON THE WEB: http://www.law.umaryland.edu/programs/clinic/initiatives/immigration/course.html

Each year, the Baltimore Speakers Series offers evenings of diverse opinions, profound insights, and fascinating discussion on a broad range of issues. Over the years, the distinguished guests who have served as speakers have included Pulitzer Prize winners, world leaders, statesmen, journalists, authors, and other celebrated personalities. The MurthyNAYAK Foundation is a supporter of this series, which brings leaders in politics and culture to our city to enlighten and inspire us.

ON THE WEB: http://www.baltimorespeakersseries.org/

Hosted by DC South Asian Arts Council Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, the Washington D.C. South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF) takes place annually in the heart of the nation’s capitol, showcasing the best in unconventional cinema from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. This festival focuses on documentaries that promote social change and increase awareness of important issues, and this aligns with the mission of the MurthyNAYAK Foundation, which is a supporter of the event.

Each year, alongside its tightly curated screening program of features, documentaries and shorts, DCSAFF hosts exclusive media presentations, retrospectives, and special tributes. The festival is dedicated to maintaining a dialogue between film enthusiasts and industry professionals by providing the opportunity for the exchange of ideas through discussions, panels, and networking events. DCSAFF provides a platform for filmmakers to expand their audience and reach out to a potential 600,000 South Asians living in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

Since its inception, DCSAFF has also been committed to giving back by championing local charities, including: Upakar Foundation, Ekal Vidhyala, Global India Fund, American India Fund, ASHA, Pratham and The Humsafar Trust.

ON THE WEB: https://dcsaff.com/

The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is ranked one of the top providers of undergraduate education, workplace skills, and technology training in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. Since 1957, CCBC has offered a unique approach to education that strives to empower students and transform the community for the better. CCBC services nearly 65,000 students each year, utilizing innovative learning strategies that encourage the students to develop a passion for life-long learning.

Murthy Law Firm founder and president, Sheela Murthy, is not just an advocate for international education; she has a deep philanthropic commitment to the cause as well. Murthy generously provided a $50,000 endowment to establish the Sheela Murthy / Donna Riehl Global Lecture Series at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), a program that will bring to campus a who’s who of global leaders in business, government, and education. Murthy shares the name of the series with Donna Riehl, her dear friend and a former dean of CCBC who succumbed to cancer in 2011. Murthy and Riehl met while serving on the Board of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (GSCM), and found they shared a passion for public service.

ON THE WEB: http://www.ccbcmd.edu/

Akshara High School is a neighborhood school in the northern suburbs of Mumbai, India. It is a co-educational, English medium ICSE School. The Akshara Foundation of Art and Learning created the high school as a model system of learning that integrates the arts with standard teaching practices. Since its inception, the foundation has fostered a range of multi-disciplinary projects that embed the arts in educational practice, thereby enhancing teaching-learning methodologies.

Akshara High School’s philosophy is that the arts can play a crucial role in evolving classroom methodologies. The MurthyNAYAK Foundation supports Akshara’s efforts to enrich these children’s education with creativity and creative thinking through exposure to the arts. At Akshara, teachers are encouraged to integrate subjects like language, mathematics, science, art, sports, dance, and music using a variety of tools and techniques. Students must develop varied skills and interests in academics, arts, and sports in order to add value to their community. Through a series of multi-faceted engagements, the school tries to sensitize children to the arts and create opportunities for interaction with artists from different backgrounds. These include workshops, live performances, screenings, field visits, interactions and demonstrations by national and international artists.

Center for Arts

AFAL’s Center for the Arts is a space where children and adults can come together and share through the medium of art. The center functions as a reference library and performance space/exhibition center, and also serves as a communal hub for meetings and discussions. The Center also encourages and hosts programs with partners across Mumbai.

AFAL’s Center for the Arts works with national and international organizations to make the arts accessible across India. The organization believes that the arts and media have a vital social responsibility, especially in the areas of tolerance, social development, humanitarian concerns, and integration.

ON THE WEB: http://afalindia.com/