VT Seva Maryland successfully completed its annual school supply drive to support local students and families. All three regional branches united under a single initiative to act as community collection points over a two-month period. Youth volunteers systematically canvassed their local neighborhoods—including the Lansdale community—to gather materials and raise operational funds. The initiative concluded on August 3 when the United Way team collected the donations. Key Accomplishments & Impact:Funds Raised: $176 in direct monetary donations.Supplies Collected: 5 large bins filled with diverse educational essentials (including backpacks, binders, graphing calculators, notebooks, and writing materials).Youth Engagement: Mobilized 18 youth volunteers across the MCPS, Monrovia, and New Market sectors, helping participants build leadership, communication, and community organizing skills.

On Aug 16th, 2026, a group of VT Seva volunteers met at The Rise Thrift store and helped out a local business in the area by cleaning, organizing and distributing their own workshops. Our volunteers helped out the store by volunteering to help the local business through the collective effort of 6 youth & 2 adult volunteers successfully helped clean and organize the store.

volunteered at Worthington Food pantry to sort and pack donated food as well as daily essentials

We had an amazing turnout today! The kids and parents came together and we made *295* peanut butter sandwiches and wrapped *1006* utensils, which coincides with the 70th Thirunakshatram Celebrations of our beloved Pujya Acharya, His Holiness Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji. Our event attracted a crowd of 20 kids and 6 adults. My initial target was to pack 250 sandwiches and 500 utensils, but we exceeded that thanks to our fantastic team effort. A warm welcome to our new youth volunteers who joined us today 👏👏!

In Mine Halls Park, Nashua a group of 60+ volunteers and participants came together walk a 5k that raised money for women's healthcare.

Anwesha Parida our Youth lead led this event and below is the write up from her. As the lead for our Senior Center visit on July 19th at 2:30 pm, this experience has been especially meaningful to me. Spending time with the residents, organizing activities, sharing laughter, and seeing their smiles brought me so much joy. It was incredibly rewarding to know that, through our time and efforts, we could brighten their day and make them feel cared for and connected. This has been one of the most fulfilling and meaningful experiences of my journey with VT Seva. The trivia questions were a wonderful icebreaker and brought so much laughter and joy to the room. The seniors had so much fun answering them in their own unique and playful ways. What made the activity even more special was hearing them share their memories and stories with us. Those moments of connection and laughter made the experience truly unforgettable. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Sobana Vasudevan for leading a wonderful yoga activity with the seniors and making it such a special part of our visit. A special thank you to Mrs. Sandhya Kakani for stepping forward and helping us throughout the event. I am especially grateful to Mrs. Megan and Mrs. Deepa Parida for arranging and coordinating this wonderful meeting and making this opportunity possible. I would also like to sincerely thank our youth volunteers, Mridula Vasudevan and Tara Vasudevan, for supporting me throughout the event. Your time, kindness, and dedication played an important role in making this event successful. Thank you all for helping create such a meaningful and memorable experience!

Volunteered at the CGFS store and assisted with helping people shop without any bias

On July 18th, 2026, VT Seva Houston volunteers received training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) from Dr. Giri Vedala, Dr. Mythili Vedala, and high school student Sripriya Vedala. Our volunteers greatly enjoyed the training. Volunteers learned the steps of action to take in an emergency situation and how to perform CPR as a team. This experience instilled in our volunteers essential skills to potentially save a life. We look forward to continuing to engage in these trainings throughout the year and hope to prepare as many of our volunteers in navigating emergency health situations. Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/p/Db-ZAQBnD2h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Today, our VT Seva family showed up in a BIG way to help fight food insecurity right here in New Jersey! 🧡 A powerful team of 20 youth and 8 adult volunteers joined forces at ONE Project's 11th annual NJ Hunger Project. Together, we dedicated 4 hours of high-energy community service to help reach the massive goal of packaging 150,000 meals for low-income families. ✨ Today’s Impact by the Numbers: 👥 28 Passionate Volunteers (Our youth leaders led the way!) ⏱️ 4 Hours of non-stop, hard work. 🍲 ~6,000 Meals Packed by the VT Seva team alone! It wasn't just hard work—it was a fantastic, fun-filled event for the whole family, complete with great music, snacks, crafts, and an unforgettable community spirit.

VT seva youth leads and volunteers successfully completed DAV Flower making. Divya Putthana who is lead this event thanks everyone and wrote a heartfelt message below! Thank You to All Our Volunteers for "DAV Flower Making " A sincere thank you to our youth volunteers-Akanksha, Arjun, Inika, Taara, Mridula, Josh, Abhinav, Akul, Anwesha, Rohan, and Keerthi-for generously volunteering your time and contributing to the DAV flower project. Your enthusiasm, dedication, and teamwork were truly appreciated! A heartfelt thank you to our adult volunteers—Mrs. Sobana Vasudevan, Mrs. Prashamsa Muppavaram, Mrs. Shwetha Sannenalli, Mrs. Deepa Parida, Mrs. Swetha Tirumuru, Mrs. Sandhya Kakani, and my parents, Mr. Srinivasan Puttana and Mrs. Chaithanya Arem-for your generous support, time, and continued encouragement. Your contributions played an important role in making this project a success. A very special thank you to the wonderful seniors at Northampton Manor who generously participated in our Senior Center visit and helped us make the beautiful flowers for the DAV project. Your time, creativity, enthusiasm, and willingness to participate made this experience truly special and meaningful. It was a joy to spend time with you, and we deeply appreciate all your help! The project went very well, and we were able to accomplish so much because of everyone's valuable contributions and support. Thank you once again to everyone for your time, commitment, and support. Your teamwork and dedication made this project a success, and together we were able to contribute to a truly meaningful cause. #vtseva #vtsevamaryland #DAV #togetherwecan #fredrick

At Robbinsville High School, VT Seva volunteers made a significant contribution to the NJ Hunger Project: Project One today. Their responsibilities included setting up tables, connecting and taping down extension cords, and displaying banners. They also ensured that meal code papers and packing bags were organized for each table, and concluded their efforts with a cleanup of the area and the stacking of empty boxes.

Giving Toys a Second Life, Sharing Smiles with Children in Need 💙🧸 samathamdvtseva 🧸💙 VT Seva Maryland – New Market Spreads Joy Through Its Community Toy Drive! 💙🧸 The VT Seva Maryland – New Market Team proudly organized a successful Toy Drive, bringing together families, youth volunteers, and the Lake Linganore Woodridge community to make a difference—one toy at a time. With the theme "Giving Toys a Second Life," the drive encouraged families to donate gently used toys that could bring happiness to children in need while also promoting sustainability by reducing waste and encouraging reuse. Together, the community donated stuffed animals, action figures, LEGO sets, toy cars, balls, bowling sets, and many more toys, which were donated to Goodwill to help brighten the lives of children. Our sincere thanks go to all the parents, community members, and volunteers whose generosity and enthusiasm made this initiative such a meaningful success. 🌟 A Message from Event Lead, Ishaan Krishnan Thank you to all the wonderful parents, and all Lake Linganore Woodridge volunteers for being a part of VT Seva Maryland New Market branch Toy Drive. Parents - thank you for your constant support and encouragement to VT Seva Maryland New Market Toy Drive. Toy drive is about Giving Toys a second Life, where we collected gently used toys to donate to the kids in need to put a smile on their face. It helps us protect our planet by reusing materials, so that we don't cause much harm to the earth. A special shout out to our Lake Linganore Woodridge community volunteer team for supporting me in planning and organizing this event. Thank you to the community people who donated to this event, for your generosity. We collected soft toys, action figures, balls, legos, stuffed animals, bowling sets, toy cars and toy animals and donated items to Goodwill. This event wouldn't be possible without few key people. Few special call outs - @Sobana auntie - for encouraging me, trusting and giving me this opportunity. This is my first event and it has given me confidence to lead and inspire me to do more. @Sandhya Kakani - adult lead - Thank you for your support and help to start the toy drive. Navaneetha Krishnan Balraj - adult - Thank you for your support by helping me with the toy drive. Reshmi Ravindran Nair - Thank you for your support by helping me with the toy drive. I would also like to sincerely thank VT Seva Maryland New Market volunteers for helping me conducting this event so seamlessly: Ethan Joseph, Vihaan Krishnan, Neil Joseph, Reyansh T and Chetan Sai Kankanala Your time, energy, and dedication truly made a genuine impact in the lives of countless children throughout the nation, and I am so grateful for each one of you. Best Regards Ishaan Krishnan VTSeva Maryland New Market Branch

As part of the VT Seva Maryland Samatha Annual Day 2026 celebration on June 20, 2026, the Spelling Bee brought together students from Kindergarten through 8th Grade for an engaging and educational competition that celebrated learning, confidence, and perseverance. Participants showcased their spelling abilities with enthusiasm and determination, demonstrating remarkable focus and courage as they competed on stage. The event encouraged students to challenge themselves while fostering a love for language and academic excellence. Impact: The Spelling Bee strengthened students' vocabulary, public speaking, and critical thinking skills while building confidence, resilience, and a passion for lifelong learning in a supportive community environment. Student Event Leads: Akul Pallerla and Anay Pallerla. A heartfelt thank you to all the participants, parents, volunteers, and supporters for making this event a success. Special thanks to Sobana Vasudevan, VT Seva Maryland Branch Director, for her guidance, Chetan Sai Kanakanala for co-facilitating the event, and Prashamsa Muppavaram for her invaluable support in making this initiative possible.

As part of the VT Seva Maryland Samatha Annual Day 2026 celebration on June 20, 2026, the Women's Ramp Walk Show celebrated confidence, grace, and individuality. Participants took to the stage with elegance, showcasing a beautiful blend of traditional and contemporary attire while inspiring the audience with their poise and self-expression. The event highlighted the strength, diversity, and vibrant spirit of our community, creating a joyful atmosphere filled with encouragement and applause. Every participant embraced the opportunity to shine, making the ramp walk a memorable celebration of confidence and empowerment. Impact: The Women's Ramp Walk provided a platform for participants to build confidence, foster self-expression, celebrate cultural diversity, and strengthen community connections through an inclusive and uplifting experience. Event Leads: Akanksha Subramaniam and Mridula Vasudevan. A heartfelt thank you to all the participants, families, volunteers, and supporters for making this event a resounding success. We look forward to celebrating together again at future VT Seva Maryland events!

As part of the VT Seva Maryland Samatha Annual Day 2026 celebration on June 20, 2026, the Chess Tournament brought together nearly 30 participants of all ages for a day of strategic thinking, friendly competition, and sportsmanship. Players showcased impressive analytical skills and resilience through exciting, high-level matches while demonstrating respect and camaraderie both on and off the board. The tournament created an engaging environment where participants challenged themselves and learned from one another. Impact: The Chess Tournament fostered critical thinking, problem-solving, strategic decision-making, and sportsmanship while providing participants with an opportunity to build confidence and connect with fellow chess enthusiasts. Event Leads: Arjun Chintalapati and Mrs. Sirisha Chintalapati. A heartfelt thank you to all the participants, volunteers, and supporters for making the tournament a success. Special appreciation to the volunteer team for their assistance with tournament operations and to the VT Seva Maryland core team for their dedication in organizing this memorable event. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for next year's tournament!