During January 2026, our youth volunteers of VT Seva Houston expressed their gratitude and appreciation to essential workers within their community for all their efforts and support. Seeing the smiles and joy as they received a token of gratitude was a highlight of each volunteer’s experience. Below, we showcase some of the acts of appreciation that our volunteers conveyed, along with Alekhya Sambaraj and Akshita Praveen. We hope to continue spreading joy and happiness within the Houston community!

VT Seva Detroit–Kalamazoo group volunteers, along with the ACT Foundation, successfully coordinated and conducted a Holiday Food Drive, collecting over 188 pounds of food All donations were contributed to Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, supporting local families in need

✨ VT Seva Cary – Saturday Temple Service at SV Temple NC ✨ On January 3rd and January 23rd, 2026, VT Seva Cary held its weekly Temple Service at the Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina. Four dedicated youth volunteers supported the temple by distributing, serving, and organizing prasadam for devotees at the main temple. In addition to helping with prasadam, volunteers assisted with tasks requested by the temple, including washing and folding clothes. They also made an effort to greet visitors warmly and remained focused and responsible throughout their assigned time slots. Their dedication and positive attitude helped create a welcoming and organized environment for everyone visiting the temple.

On January 1st, 2026, 11 youth volunteers from VT Seva Cary had the wonderful opportunity to assist at the Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina. Volunteering at the temple was a meaningful way to begin the new year, and our team truly enjoyed the experience. We observed the temple’s youth volunteers working with great dedication and respect. They followed the guidance of the adult coordinators and helped with a variety of tasks—handing out prasadam, replenishing supplies, and assisting with laddoo and boondi distribution. Their attentiveness and discipline were inspiring to see. Overall, it was a fulfilling day of service, community connection, and shared devotion. Looking forward to many more opportunities to serve together

The Macrame event was filled with creativity, collaboration, and joy. We sincerely appreciate all the generous donations made in support of education for visually challenged and tribal children.

Iskon Temple

On Saturday, Dec 20th, 2025 VTSeva Chicago volunteers packed food for those in need at Feed My Starving Children! Together, with many other volunteers, we packed a total of 194 boxes (our group 21 boxes ) which will be sent to Haiti! We also had few of the volunteers helping out with ware house activities. Thanks to Ashita,Sahithi, Ananya, Akshith, Ishani, Kiva, Inara and other adult volunteers for volunteering with us!

The holiday season is all about spreading joy to everyone around you. However, not everyone experiences this spirit. By using our time and resources to raise money, we are able to help bring cheer to our community! On 12/17 and 12/19 VT Seva Detroit volunteers visited the Laurel Park Place Mall to ring bells for the Salvation Army. Singing Christmas carols and making small talk with passer-byers, we were able to bring in donations from mall visitors and bring Christmas cheer to not just the mall visitors, but also the less fortunate who gain so much from the contributions of the Salvation Army. Every year, we are so happy to end our year with this event. It brings smiles to so many faces and warmth to our hearts. We can't wait to have this opportunity again in 2026!

The holiday season is all about spreading joy to everyone around us. YB Volunteers did an excellent job in spreading the cheer and raising fund in Salvation Army Bell Ringing Event.

The holiday season is all about spreading joy to everyone around us. YB Volunteers did an excellent job in spreading the cheer and raising fund in Salvation Army Bell Ringing Event.

The 𝐏𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐕𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 proudly became the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐓 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐭 and kicked off their journey with a meaningful holiday service event. During the holiday season, they successfully conducted their very 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 - spreading joy while giving back to the community.

The 𝐏𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐕𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 proudly became the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐓 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐭 and kicked off their journey with a meaningful holiday service event. During the holiday season, they successfully conducted their very 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 - spreading joy while giving back to the community.

Troy High VTS volunteers came together on 12/15/25 to show appreciation for our police officers for their continuous dedication and hard work in protecting and keeping our community safe. The volunteers wished them happy holidays through thoughtful, handmade cards and hope the officers enjoyed them.

To make someone's *Holiday* a little more cheerful, VTSEVA Detroit Youth Board collected *about 372lbs of Non-Perishable Food Items* (Canned vegetables, Canned fruit, Cereal boxes, Peanut butter, Jelly, Mac and cheese, pasta, cookies and crackers etc) and *25 New, Unwrapped Toys in packaging*. These donations will help the Salvation Army provide food, comfort, and joy to families in need during the holidays. We can't thank enough the community that contributed to this amazing cause.

This weekend, VTSEVA volunteers rolled up their sleeves for a hands-on experience in San Jose, diving into an exciting RAFT activity! We helped sort, quality-check, and pack essential supplies for teachers—making sure everything was ready to support classrooms in need. It was a fun and fulfilling day of teamwork, service, and community impact!