This Grandparents Day, honour them by not forgetting them

THIS year, Grandparents Day is on September 14th. We celebrate the warmth, wisdom, and unwavering love our elders provide. Yet, for a growing number of seniors in India, this day is just another reminder of a painful truth: they have been forgotten. Every day, many elderly parents are left alone on the streets, at train stations, or outside temples. Many are sick, struggling with age-related problems, and have no money or family to turn to. Some suffer for weeks before anyone notices their pain. The heartbreaking reality? They were abandoned by their own families.

While National Grandparents’ Day is observed across the United States on the second Sunday of September, its date is not universal. The celebration is held on different days around the world. For instance, the United Kingdom honors grandparents on the first Sunday in October, while Portugal celebrates “Dia dos avós” in July. However, some countries, including Canada and India, share the same September date with the U.S. Despite its widespread recognition, it is not a federal holiday in the U.S., and most businesses maintain their regular Sunday operating hours.

This Grandparents Day, let’s expand our circle of compassion and honour all grandparents, especially those who have been left with no one to call their own.

The stark contrast: Pitru Paksha and abandonment

In a profound cultural irony, India observes Pitru Paksha, a 16- period dedicated to honouring one’s ancestors through rituals and offerings. We perform shraddha to pay respect to those who have passed on, believing in the sanctity of caring for their souls. Yet, in the same breath, many living grandparents—the very people who built our families are neglected, abused, and abandoned.

Although there is a law of the land that mandates that children and relatives care for senior citizens, the problem of elder abandonment is only getting worse. This Grandparents Day highlights this painful contradiction and calls for a change. A move from ritualistic remembrance to active, compassionate care for the living.

How you can make a difference this Grandparents Day

But there is hope. This Grandparents Day, you can be the reason an abandoned elder finds safety, care, and dignity. Dedicated NGOs work day and night to rescue and shelter these forgotten seniors. They provide safe shelter, critical medical care, nutritious meals, and, most importantly—love and respect.

Through old age homes across the country, these partners give seniors a chance to live their remaining years in peace. Your support can directly fuel this mission of mercy.

Here’s how you can help this Grandparents Day:

1. Donate to a cause: Your financial contribution is a lifeline. It enables NGOs to conduct rescue operations, provide medical treatment, and offer a safe haven. For making a onetime donation for the cause where you can help several NGOs taking care of the elderly who have been abandoned by their own, please donate here. 

This Grandparents Day, move beyond a one-time gesture and become a sustained force for good. By starting a monthly subscription to the “Protect Abandoned Elders” mission, you become a guardian of hope for those who have been left with nothing. Your reliable support provides NGOs like Uday Foundation and Sambhava Trust with the consistent funding they need to offer permanent safe shelter, daily nutritious meals, continuous medical care, and, most importantly, unwavering companionship. For less than the cost of a meal out, your recurring gift ensures rescued elders receive not just immediate aid, but a lifelong promise of dignity and love. Become the constant hope they deserve. Start your monthly donation here.

2. Spread Awareness: Use your voice. Share stories and information about this crisis on social media. Sometimes, the first step toward change is making sure people know the problem exists.

Your donation through platforms like give.do will help:

• Rescue homeless elders from the streets.
• Provide life-saving shelter, food, and medical care.
• Restore their faith in humanity with kindness and support.

No elder should spend their final years alone and suffering. This Grandparents Day, let your generosity give them the fresh start and dignity they deserve. Let’s make the spirit of the day truly universal, ensuring every grandparent feels seen, loved, and honoured.

Team Give

Give exists to alleviate poverty by enabling the world to give. Established in 2000, Give, together with its partners, is the largest and most trusted giving platform in India. Give enables individuals and organizations to raise and donate funds conveniently to any cause they care about, with offerings including crowdfunding, corporate giving, cause marketing, and philanthropy consulting. Give’s community of 2.6M+ donors supports 3,000+ verified nonprofits, serving 15M+ people across the country.