SACSS Reception, Musical & Fundraiser

SACSS Night @ McCarter Brings South Asian Storytelling and Community Together

On October 17, 2026, South Asian Council for Social Services hosted SACSS Night @ McCarter at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey, bringing together supporters, friends, and community members for an evening celebrating 26 years of service and looking ahead to SACSS’s future in New Jersey.

The evening featured A Beat of Our Own, the first-ever South Asian musical at McCarter Theatre Center, a Tony Award-winning theater. The performance celebrated South Asian stories and representation, values that resonated with SACSS’s own work. As a multilingual organization serving diverse communities, SACSS provides wraparound services in 20 languages, including Spanish and Cantonese, helping people access essential resources and support under one roof.

(left to right) A Beat of Our Own writer Rehana Lew Mirza; SACSS Board President, Devi Ramchandran; Dr. Vidya Valada, SACSS Board Director, Malavika Khullar

Before the show, guests gathered for a reception with food, drinks, and conversations about SACSS’s work and future plans. Renowned guests such as artist Natvar Bhavsar graced the reception, along with some of the cast and production crew and the McCarter team.

Led by SACSS Board Director Malavika Khullar, the presentation highlighted the organization’s 26 years of service, its impact in New York, and its goal of reaching more than one million people as it works toward expanding across the tri-state area. In 2025 alone, SACSS served more than 350,000 people.

SACSS Board Director Malavika Khullar

SACSS Executive Director Sudha Acharya welcomed guests and thanked them for being part of the evening.

“I am so happy to see all of you here. We are so touched that you are all here, supporting us and supporting our cause,” she said.

SACSS Executive Director, Sudha Acharya

Sudha also spoke about SACSS’s outreach and needs assessment in New Jersey, where the organization has been learning directly from community members about the services and resources they need.

“The services New York’s underserved communities need, underserved communities in New Jersey need the same! They need access to healthcare, access to jobs, they need opportunities to learn skills and English,” she said.

Throughout the evening, SACSS supporters shared personal stories about how they first connected with the organization and why they have continued to support its work.

Dr. Francesca Gany, Chief of the Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), spoke about SACSS’s role in connecting community members to healthcare and supporting people navigating cancer treatment.

Dr. Francesca Gany, Chief of the Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)

“SACSS has been awesome for us. Can’t imagine a better partner in bringing healthcare access to the community. No organization has the soul, the trust, the languages, and impact on community health like SACSS does,” she said.

Her remarks reflected the partnership between SACSS and MSKCC, which has helped expand healthcare access and provide culturally palatable food deliveries to South Asian individuals battling cancer.

Sonia Gawas, Councilwoman of West Windsor, shared a deeply personal reflection on the support she received from SACSS after immigrating to the United States and losing her husband in the September 11 attacks. SACSS played an important role in supporting the families of South Asian victims of 9/11.

Sonia Gawas, Councilwoman of West Windsor

“If I did not find Sudhaji at that time, the support you gave me 25 years ago, I don’t know where I would have been,” Sonia said.

For Ranu Bopanna, a physician, Co-Director of South Asia & the Institute, Past President of MIT SAAA, and SACSS Board Member, the evening was also an opportunity to reflect on how far the organization has come. Having been involved since shortly after SACSS was founded, she has witnessed its growth firsthand.

Ranu Bopanna, a physician, Co-Director of South Asia & the Institute, Past President of MIT SAAA, and SACSS Board Member

“In 2001, shortly after Sudha founded SACSS, I had the opportunity to get involved, and I have been on the board for almost 20 years now, so I have actually seen SACSS grow from nothing, very little money, no staff, all volunteers, to the big organization it is today,” Ranu said.

Kumar Gondi, retired Senior Vice President at Bristol Myers Squibb, spoke about the range of programs SACSS offers, particularly Stitch with SACSS, which teaches women sewing skills and provides each graduate with a sewing machine to help them work toward greater independence.

Kumar Gondi, retired Senior Vice President at Bristol Myers Squibb

“What I really like about SACSS is the variety of programs SACSS has, and I especially really like their Stitch with SACSS program, where women are taught a new skill and provided a sewing machine to aid them in becoming independent,” Kumar said.

Saranya Turimella, SACSS Young Professionals Committee Director and Strategy Consultant at EY-Parthenon, shared why she and her team continue to volunteer for SACSS, drawing a connection between the communities she grew up in and those SACSS serves.

“I grew up in New Jersey, and me and my team, we continue to support SACSS because we all grew up in communities very similar to ones that SACSS serves,” Saranya said.

SACSS YPC Leaders

These stories were a reminder that SACSS’s work is built not only on its programs, but also on the relationships, partnerships, and trust it has developed over the years.

The evening also raised support for SACSS’s ongoing work. Proceeds from ticket sales support the organization’s programs. Malavika also encouraged people to support SACSS so they can add a leaf to the tree of SACSS with their name and message. Guests enthusiastically engaged with the SACSS tree; the board, which was empty, was full of supporter leaves by the end of the night.

SACSS announced that 100% of donations made during the event would go directly toward its programs. In general, more than 85 cents of every dollar donated to SACSS directly supports its programs, helping people access healthcare, food assistance, workforce development, public benefits, senior services, and other essential resources.

Guests also had the opportunity to participate in a silent auction featuring a range of unique items and experiences, including a one-of-a-kind early 20th-century Dancing Ganesha, a week in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, a Sunil Gavaskar-signed miniature bat and biography book, Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers tickets, and an exceptional dining experience at Michelin-starred Semma. By popular demand, the silent auction has been extended, giving supporters more time to place their bids.

SACSS silent auction items

SACSS is grateful to McCarter Theatre Center and everyone who attended, donated, bid in the auction, and helped make the evening possible. SACSS Night @ McCarter was an opportunity to celebrate South Asian storytelling while bringing more people into the SACSS community as the organization works toward expanding its reach in New Jersey.