Today, more than 20 VT Seva Atlanta Youth participated in Meals by Grace event which is held at Midway United Methodist Church, Atlanta. Meals by Grace is an organization that provides nutritious meals to individuals and families facing food insecurity. VT Youth helped with sorting all the food from the truck into different sections like produce, bread, meat and canned foods. Then the Loading team sorted all of these products into different boxes depending on how big the family is and what their specific food requirements are. Then all the volunteers had an opportunity to help load these boxes into the cars of designated drivers so that they can deliver the food to those who need them. Thank you VT Seva for such a wonderful opportunity to youth!

Atlanta VT Seva Youths are gearing up for April Cool Plant Sale For A Cause. Atlanta youths have sown variety of herbs, veggies, fruits, and flowering seeds so you can enjoy organic produce and build beautiful garden this summer. They will donate all the proceeds from the plant sale for the cause - Education for the blind / visually challenged kids in India. Date: April 15 & 16th, 2023 Venue: In front of Patel Brothers Host: Atlanta Youths On April fool we all joke and surprise, But the Earth cannot wait for us to realize, That each day we wait, our Planet decays,  Its high time we all Change our ways, Lets do it this April, let’s start Today, Planting seeds is the only way! Let’s join hands in motivating Atlanta children & supporting the cause. This event is open to all the nature lovers, no entry fees🪴🌱🌾🎋🌿☘️🌻🌷

March Meeting: Our agenda for this meeting was to gain new members as well as introduce new projects for March and April. Our most notable project is sending/writing cards to children in Ukraine. Their main idea of this workshop is that if we come together, we can make a global impact. This initiative is led by Kate Chirapornsuk, and Aviral Gupta. Another project is our Spring Bootcamp where volunteers teach younger children important life skills that will help them throughout their middle/high school years. These skills can be anything such as English, Math, Programming, Art, etc. More information to come once we get more volunteers. Our raffle plan is currently under review! Official information will be released soon. We ended our March meeting by serving Krispy Kreme donuts, and getting to know the 30 new members we gained.

On March 18th, 2023, VT Seva Atlanta met at a parking lot near Brannon Rd to help clean the road. More than 35 VT youth and adult volunteers participated in the event, picking up trash alongside the road. Adults and children alike bonded over the experience as they worked together to ensure the road was clean. Through their collective efforts, they filled 9 garbage bags with trash. A special thanks to our adult volunteers who helped put this event together. Without your help, it surely wouldn't have been possible. Thanks to all the volunteers who came, and we hope to see many more cleanups in the future!

Have you ever thought about where your water goes from the sink and toilet once it flows down the drain? VT Seva Atlanta inspired youth to know what goes behind a water treatment facility and how to use water responsibly and take action to make a difference. At the amazing Johns Creek Wastewater treatment facility on March 10th , 2023, around 30 Atlanta youth toured the facility to learn the importance of water. The facility staff had been extremely professional and showed us all the processes that go on in the facility. The first process Bar Screening takes away all the big items like rags, plastic, and other big items. Then it goes to the grit chamber where this whirlwind takes down all the grit, rocks, and sand. Then the water goes to a place where they let the water sit because the small particles will slowly sink to the bottom allowing the top water to be cleaner. After that process, the water reaches this chamber where small microbes and membranes will break down the harmful bacteria in the water. Before the UV light process it is taken to a tank where this membrane technology called Zeeweed has microscopic holes that will transport only the clean water to the top so the treatment can continue. Next it is sent to this UV light that is able to destroy the rest of the harmful bacteria. Last but not least they add chlorine and other helpful chemicals to make it extremely clean. All that water that has been made will go back to the Chattahoochee River for further uses. The tour was very educational and helped us learn about water and how to treat it before sending it back into the river. This is a sustainable way of recycling important Mother Earth’s natural resources which is water, and keeping the Earth clean for other animals, aquatic, plant life and future generations.

On March 5th, 2023, VT Seva Atlanta met at Publix near Old Atlanta Rd to help clean the road. 22 VT youth and 10 adult volunteers participated in the event, picking up trash alongside the road. Through their collective efforts, they filled 15 garbage bags with broken glass bottles, plastic bottles, caps, bags, tape, metal, and even a cardboard sign. This experience taught VT Seva volunteers an important lesson: what appears on the surface may not be true. Though our roads might look pretty clean at a glance, you can see how much trash is there once you get a deeper look. This reveals the potential environmental problems that might be hiding everywhere, unnoticed. We hope that through future cleanups, we may be able to reduce this problem and keep our community clean. A special thanks to our adult volunteers who helped put this event together. Without your help, it surely wouldn't have been possible. Thanks to all the volunteers who came, and we hope to see many more cleanups in the future!

VT Seva Atlanta conducted a webinar on plant care for beginners on March 4th 2023, in which more than 55 VT Youth and Parents had detailed insights by Kattula farm owner Ashwin garu and his daughter Tanvi for April Cool Plant Project. They shared several tidbits regarding sowing seeds and growing saplings including what to do and what not to do related to planting using organic practices. First, they mentioned VT Youth to spray the seed sowing cups or trays with a table spoon of Hydrogen Peroxide mixed in a gallon of water. Then they recommended us to use the seed germinating soil by pro-mix for better results. Then we were told to lightly cover the small seeds with soil and to sow all other seeds 1/4" deep in the soil and lightly shower them with water everyday. They told us to transfer the sowed trays to the germinating chamber in the greenhouse that has 70- 90 degrees set with the right humidity. Alternative to this at home are to keep in a small green house or in a closet with a space heater set or in a woven turned off but light on. Then, the seeds germinated will grow in two or three weeks. They also recommended VT youth to use Dr. Earth’s fish fertilizer, 1:1:1 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium by mixing 1 table spoon with a gallon of water and sprayed twice before the saplings grown. They explained how Neem oil can be used as a mild pesticide like sunscreen. Thus, Organic practices are implemented by VT youth to grow saplings and we are incredibly grateful to Kattula Farms for the informative session and for motivating the VT volunteers in order to make the April Cool 2023 Project a success!

One of the projects that VT Seva Atlanta has supported is Meals by Grace, an organization that provides nutritious meals to individuals and families facing food insecurity. Through VT Seva, more than 20 youth & adult volunteers have worked tirelessly to help out Meals By Grace Organization. The volunteers helped with various tasks, such as sorting, packaging, and delivery of the food to the needy. Members of the "Breads" team stocked bags with a variety of breads, such as sandwiches and cinnamon rolls. Fresh fruits and vegetables were sorted, sliced, and then put into boxes by the "Produce" team. The "Load" team then helped stack all of the boxes and bags into automobiles for delivery after placing the frozen beef in the boxes. This program operates in various locations across the United States, and our VT Seva volunteers have supported the initiative in the Atlanta location. Volunteering with Meals by Grace has been a rewarding experience for our VT Seva youth volunteers, who have been able to make a difference in the lives of those facing food insecurity. Through their efforts, they have been able to provide much-needed meals to more than 68 families, ensuring that they have access to nutritious and healthy food.

VTSeva Atlanta was delighted to hold the Bird House Making Project at Sharon Forks Library on February 25, 2023. This is our second annual year of doing this event and we had participation from more than 60 VTSeva children and adults. All the children enjoyed painting and decorating their birdhouses creatively. We raised over $300 from this bird house event for the cause. We can say this is ‘Tripple Bottom Line’ project, which impacted lives of Visually challenged kids in India, Atlanta VT Youth and Wild Birds. First, VT Seva Atlanta raised funds for the living of visually challenged kids in India. Second, VTSeva youth had an opportunity to help out the wild birds which are vital for a functioning environment. Third, Birds were given home to shelter, feed and to be protected from the wild winter. Spread Kindness to the birds nearby, Build Bird Homes & let your art apply, Give food to the Birds so they can fly, Let's do it Together, don't feel shy!

The goal for Books for Africa is to provide children who are otherwise unable to go to school and children who lack books and textbooks with educational materials. This non-profit organization is the largest sender of books to Africa. They collect old books, textbooks, tablets, computers, and library materials and then sort and ship them to every country in Africa. Rural school libraries, orphanages, adult literacy programs, and community resource centers are sent vast containers of books. “Though there are no chairs or tables in our library, and only a ragged carpet on a cement floor, the children line up outside, waiting anxiously for me to open every afternoon, excited to look through and read, yet again, the same book they read yesterday.” VT Seva Atlanta children collected 1200 books for the children of Africa. “The Gift of Books is a Gift of Hope,” Atlanta youths have given hope and light to African children to get the education that they rightly deserve and become self-reliant.

Composting is the process of converting organic waste into nutrient-rich soil that can be used to fertilize plants and gardens. It is an environmentally friendly way to dispose of food scraps and other organic materials while producing a valuable resource. DIY composting can be a fun and rewarding activity that not only helps reduce waste but also improves soil health and promotes sustainable living. Around 40 VT Seva Atlanta youth participated in this project. To get started with DIY composting, there are a few key things you will need. The first is a compost bin or container or bucket. The second key component is a mixture of brown and green materials. Brown materials include items such as dry leaves, twigs, and straw, while green materials include things like vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and grass clippings. A good ratio to aim for is three parts brown to one part green. Overall, composting is a great way to reduce waste, improve soil health, and promote sustainable living. With a little effort and know-how, anyone can start composting at home and reap the benefits of this valuable resource.

February Meeting: The goal for this meeting was to introduce this club, and gain members who were interested in volunteering opportunities. Here we were able to introduce the executive officer team, Rishi Vempati (President), Kate Chirapornsuk (Co-Vice President), Aviral Gupta (Co-Vice President), and Rishi Desai (Director of Operations). Then we went over the ins and outs of how VT Seva works. We also discussed past projects as well as future projects at VT Seva including, April Cool, Digital Book volunteering, and the Raffle plan to support those in need in Turkey after the earthquake. We ended by answering questions from new members.

One of our new projects is "Blessings in a Backpack," which involves giving goody bags to the needy families of Atlanta. More than 30 VT youth & adults volunteered to help out more than 100 North Fulton Georgia Families. The idea behind this initiative was simple but powerful. Our team at VT Seva realized that families in need often do not have access to simple day to day requirements like food and pleasures such as candy and toys. We also realized that these families often feel left out or forgotten, especially during special occasions such as holidays. By providing them with goody bags with motivational handwritten messages, we hoped to bring a smile to their faces and let them know that VT Seva Atlanta cares about them. Our volunteers who distributed the goodie bags were also touched by the children's reactions and felt that they were making a positive difference in their lives. They brought joy to more than 100 families in Atlanta. It was a simple gesture that brought joy and happiness to the lives of these children and made them feel loved and cared for. Projects like this remind us that a small act of kindness can make a significant impact in someone's life.

VT Seva Denmark Youth Club launches ‘Animal Shelter Drive’ in Feb 2023 to provide comfort to hundreds of animals of Forsyth county who are rescued this winter. While animals wait for the adoption, Denmark Atlanta youths are collecting essential supplies, helping local authorities in animal care, and thereby making a difference in the lives of homeless animals!

VT Seva Atlanta wishes A Very Happy 74th Republic Day of Bharath to all the volunteers of VT Seva Atlanta. It’s a great day to remember and celebrate! Jai Hind!