ABOUT US
INSPIRING HOPE &
TRANSFORMING
FUTURES
We are a diverse group united by a passion to help families, educate children, rescue and restore hope for children from Chennai’s slums, and serve the homeless in downtown Atlanta through food, prayer, and ministry — transforming lives, one at a time.
We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States. All contributions to Hesed Global Missions are tax-deductible.
100% of contributions are directed into the mission and used to serve children, families and communities in need.
OUR VISION
That the Father’s love would be made known through house ministries, housing board ministries, education, and homeless outreach — restoring hope, dignity, and the Gospel to every life we serve in Atlanta and in India.
OUR MISSION
Hesed exists to demonstrate the Father’s love — meeting practical needs, sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom, and walking with children, families, and the underprivileged in India and the homeless in Atlanta.
OUR VALUES
Love • Compassion • Integrity • Faithfulness • Excellence
OUR STORY
DAVID & GEN TILAKA
David and Gen were born and raised in Chennai, India. After years across continents, they settled back in the United States, making it their home yet Chennai never left their hearts.
Married for 33 years and blessed with three children and a grandson, their love for Jesus and His Kingdom continues to grow. A simple visit to a slum community became a lifelong commitment to families they now call their own.
They visit homes, share the Gospel, pray, teach, and offer practical help through financial assistance, & a food program not merely giving, but walking alongside people and carrying hope.
Their desire is to see lives transformed, futures rewritten, and generations lifted beyond the cycle of poverty. Above all, they long for every life they touch to be established in the hope, dignity, and steadfast love found only in Christ.
DON & SIBY VARGHESE
Don and Siby are of Indian descent but were raised in New York. Married for 17 years and blessed with two boys, they moved to Atlanta in 2015 and soon walked through life-altering days. Don underwent heart surgery and later suffered a massive stroke.
In the long season of recovery, their view of life was gently rewritten. David and Gen walked closely with them, helping them find their footing again, and a deep friendship was formed.
When the vision for Hesed was born, they knew they were meant to stand with it. A visit to India and time with the Chennai team only confirmed what they already felt in their hearts: this was family, and this was the work they were called to share.
JAMES & IRENE SILA
James and Irene are originally from Kenya and have called Atlanta home for more than 22 years. Married for 24 years and raising three children, their lives have been quietly shaped by a deep love for Jesus.
For them, following Christ is not only a belief it is a way of living. The Gospel calls everyone not only to speak of Jesus, but to embody His love in real and practical ways. Supporting Hesed is one of the many ways James & Irene live out the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19–“Go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Knowing David & Gen & the Hesed team both here & in India personally, and witnessing their deep love for reaching those who are often overlooked and written off by society, gives them confidence in their mission.
ELISABETH SELVEY
Elisabeth was born and raised in Chennai, India. In April 2022, a life-changing encounter with the Lord led her to lay down a corporate career of more than a decade and give her life to serving Him.
Drawn by the love she saw in David and Gen and by the quiet, faithful work of the team on the ground in Chennai. She joined them in walking among families the world often overlooks. She now shares the Gospel in homes and slum communities, carrying hope, prayer, and the kindness of Jesus.
Her heart is especially for the young. Across churches and slum neighborhoods she mentors and disciples youth, helping them find purpose, direction, and a firm foundation in the Word of God.
Liz continues to serve with one desire: to reach, walk alongside, and raise a generation established in Christ.
THE BIRTH OF HESED
What began over 35 years ago, with David and Gen before their marriage, was simple obedience: educating children and feeding underprivileged families. In 2018 came the first official outreach with Don and Siby. From that yes, God led them to feed the poor in Atlanta and in India, share the Gospel in the slums of Kannagi Nagar and Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, and help establish Abba Father Illam.
What started as obedience grew into a family of people bound together to feed, pray, teach, and restore. The same heart now reaches through homeless outreach in Atlanta, house ministries and education in India, and homeless outreach in Atlanta. Not a brand. Not a platform. A people tied together by the steadfast love of God, glorifying Him in everything we do.
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There are many ways you can get involved and help us continue inspiring hope and transforming futures.
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