Explore / Exxat Cares

An opportunity
to make a difference
and explore India

Exxat Cares Trip - Jan 30 to Feb 7, 2026

Join the Exxat community on a transformative journey to Pune, India, where we come together, engage in service, and make a positive impact through the Exxat Cares Trip.

Overview

Exxat is proud to support organizations that work to empower underprivileged
communities and make a difference in society. These organizations are integral
part of the Exxat family, and we are honored that our employees and clients
wholeheartedly contribute to and embrace our initiatives.

Applications for the Exxat Cares Trip 2026 are open until October 10, 2025.
The trip is tentatively scheduled for Jan 30th to Feb 7th, 2026

Itinerary

During the week, you will:

For this year's Exxat Cares, we will be partnering with the Apalaghar orphanage. The orphanage, a 2017 Exxat Cares partner, is affiliated with both a hospital and a mobile health unit that provides on-site care to residents of the surrounding rural areas on a daily basis.

Participants in the trip will have the opportunity to:

Provide care at medical camps in nearby villages.
Support patients and staff at our partner charity hospital, Smt. Kausalya Karad Rural Hospital.
Spend meaningful time with children at the Apalaghar Orphanage — a home filled with resilience and hope.
Experience cultural immersion and opportunities for learning.

Contribution

Fundraising & Contribution

The financial obligation for those who are selected to participate is a $1000 (for Faculty) and $3000 (for Students) contribution to the Exxat Cares initiative.

This contribution, along with funding from Exxat, will cover transportation, as well as room and board expenses for the entirety of the trip.

Participants are responsible for flights & lodging to/from the departure/return hub, visa, vaccinations, and any personal expenses. Departure/Return Hub: New York (JFK) or New Jersey (EWR).

Application Form

Interested in joining us?

Please complete the Exxat Cares 2026 Application Form by October 10, 2025.
Spaces are limited to 10 participants, so we encourage you to apply early!

Trip Guidelines

Honor the culture and communities we serve.
Support each other with kindness and teamwork.
Maintain a healthy, positive, substance-free environment (no alcohol, drugs, or partying).
Prioritize safety by following trip leader guidance.

Journey Together

Reflections from Exxat Cares Trip

In 2024, Exxat Cares embarked on a transformative journey to Apla Ghar, an NGO managed by the Late Vaibhav Phalnikar Memorial Foundation in Pune, India. Founded in 2001, Apla Ghar is dedicated to supporting economically disadvantaged children without parental care.

The 2024 trip built on the 2017 visit, with Apla Ghar hospital now fully operational. The team conducted medical camps in nearby villages, assisted with outpatient care, trauma cases, and surgeries, and collaborated with local medical professionals.

At the senior home, volunteers guided residents on mobility and daily activities. With the children of Apla Ghar, they engaged in games and activities, fostering cognitive development. The team also identified the need for skill-building workshops and welcomed suggestions.

Key focus areas for future support include establishing SOPs for patient care, creating educational videos on common rural health issues, and early autism screenings for children.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the 2024 Exxat Cares team for their dedication, energy, and unwavering commitment to this noble cause. Their efforts have left an indelible mark on the Apla Ghar community.

Healing, Learning, Growing:
Firsthand Perspectives

This experience has been life-changing. As someone new
to occupational therapy, learning from professionals
in this unique setting has been invaluable. Connecting
with patients from a different culture, making them
feel comfortable, and contributing to their quality of life,
even briefly, is something I will carry forward in my practice.

Meghan DeHerrera,

Student OT, Colorado Mesa University

Working alongside PTs, OTs, PAs, nurse practitioners,
and doctors at Apla Ghar brought interprofessional
collaboration to life beyond the classroom. This
experience reinforced the importance of learning from
each profession and communicating as a team
for the best patient care.

A'lanne Conrad

Assistant Clinical Professor of Physician Assistant Studies,
Director of Clinical Education, Colorado Mesa University

One of the things that caught my attention was how medicine
here blends science with spirituality – integrating Eastern
and Western approaches, treating patients not just medically
but as fellow human beings in need of care. It highlights
how we can work together to take the best from each culture
and truly capitalize on the humanistic aspect of care.

Letha B. Zook

Chair of PT program and Academic Director of
Department of Physical Therapy, Franklin
Pierce University