Join VT Seva Detroit

During the month of February, VTSEVA Detroit Youth Board has held a "Coats and Socks Drive to donate to our beneficiary, the Open Door Ministry. The Open Door Ministry is an organization that collects and organizes food and supplies to distribute them to families in need. A total of 36 coats and 33 pairs of socks were collected during this drive. These clothes will be donated to families and children in Guatemala who may need them.

VT Seva volunteers had the opportunity to serve the homeless population of Detroit through CASS Community Social Services. This incredible organization shelters over 400 people and provides over 700,000 meals each year. Their cause is a testament to what service means, and we are so grateful to contribute to it every year!

Our volunteers divided into two teams to help serve families in need. The majority of us took “food tickets” and followed a circuit-style setup, packing vegetables, canned goods, bread, and fruit into crates. Meanwhile, a smaller group worked efficiently to load the completed crates into the correct cars based on each ticket. Altogether, we packaged 202 crates of food—providing support for approximately 800 people in our community.

The 𝐕𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲, 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐭, came together with incredible enthusiasm and heart to create 1,236 DAV flowers in support of Disabled American Veterans, and every single flower represents gratitude, respect, and kindness.

We raised awareness about Childhood Cancer, since Childhood Cancer Awareness Day was earlier this month. We had more than 30 students come together to help assemble over 200 little, golden ribbon pins, which we then handed out to the student body the following day. It was rewarding to see so many people wearing the golden ribbons on Friday and it was especially heartwarming that so many people asked for them and wanted to proudly show their support for those suffering from cancer.

Impact Our dedicated volunteers split into two groups & worked together to pack boxes with Black beans, green beans, northern beans, Pears, pumpkins, oats, pistachios & Help Line cereals. Additionally, some volunteers assisted in another section, where they helped package 1,857 pounds of food, reaching families and individuals across Detroit. These efforts supported over 900 families in need.

Youth Lead: Dhruvi Shah Total number of volunteers: 19 Impact: Our team packed and sorted about 1,172 pounds of food, helping support families and individuals across Washtenaw County. Food Gatherers is the main food bank for Washtenaw County and does amazing work fighting hunger and reducing food waste in our community. We’re very grateful for the chance to volunteer and be part of their mission. Thank you to all the volunteers who showed up and worked hard—your time and effort truly made a difference. Volunteer List Youth: Dhruvi Shah, Shanya Kota, Avni Patel, Arav Patel, Sanjay Ramamoorthy, Varun Aerabati, Advithi Kothapalli, Kethana Vunyala, Akshara Datla, Kriti Makkena, Kushi Kanumuri Adults: Shilpa Shah, Lavanya Kothapalli, Praveen Kanumuri, Madhuri Vunyala, Vanitha Gopalan, Suresh Rajan, Jyoti Bodapati

We defuzzed 13 huge bags of sock loops. The sock loops were given to Arts and Scraps. The sock loops are distributed to Detroit and used in many art projects. A committed group of youth members and adults were able to put time into getting bags of the goods and sending them back when completed. A vital nonprofit organization that supports schools in the Detroit area by providing tools such as the sock loops to use in art projects.

WIHI VTS Club conducted Book Drive for Make It Take It program in the library. We collected 30 books for it.

On January 27th, members of the IAE VTS Club came together to create snowman craft kits for the Children’s Hospital, hoping to bring a little joy to young patients during their stay. Each kit included paper cutouts and glue sticks, allowing kids build their own snowman and enjoy a moment of fun. In total, 50 kits were made!

For this grocery bag drive *VTSEVA DETROIT Youth Board* collected about *1,600 clean plastic bags* to give to *Open Door Ministries*. They will be using these bags to package goods and other necessities for people in need.

Youth Lead: Varun Aerabati As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. beautifully said, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” On January 19th (MLK Day), VT Seva Detroit proudly partnered with Destined for Greatness to support their major MLK Day community event, serving 200–300 underserved families in Detroit. During this impactful day of service, Destined for Greatness distributed essential items to families in need. VT Seva Detroit volunteers played an active role by sorting and organizing basic necessities such as shoes, toys, clothing, bedding, and more. In addition, our volunteers completed a large-scale cleanout of two floors of a pharmacy, helping prepare and organize critical resources for continued community support. This meaningful day truly reflected the spirit of MLK Day—coming together to uplift, serve, and strengthen our community.

Youth Lead: Drithi Bathula Impact: Volunteers successfully defuzzed multiple boxes of sock loops, which were donated to Arts & Scraps. These sock loops will be used by Detroit school students in their many creative projects. Arts & Scraps is a nonprofit organization that supports local schools by providing essential materials—such as sock loops—to inspire creativity in classrooms. Each volunteer individually defuzzed the sock loops at home. After all 20 kits were assembled, the completed kits were handed over to Arts & Scraps team. We are sincerely grateful to Arts & Scraps for providing our volunteers with this meaningful opportunity to support the community and make a positive impact.

Youth lead: Arav Patel IMPACT: Our volunteers made 2,300 flowers to give to our servicemen and women. Forget-Me-Not National Day in the United States is observed on November 10 to honor veterans, especially those who were disabled in service. The forget-me-not flower is worn as a symbol of remembrance, gratitude, and support for those who sacrificed for the country. This year during this project, the youth who volunteered created flowers using sticks paper flower pieces, and then organized them into bundles of 20. Through the teamwork we were able to create 2,300 flowers! Youth: Arav Patel, Avni Patel, Swathi Aayushi Alluri Varun Aerabati, Drithi Bathula, Sahana sagayanathan, Aaryan Gajawada, Dhruva Vankayalapati, Dhanya Deepali, Sreya Namboodiri ,Dhruvi Shah ,Sri bhargava, Naginder Gogna, Aarav Holani, Devon Holani, and Neil gogna Through the teamwork, determination, and support the volunteers made an extraordinary impact of service, teamwork, and giving back to those who have served in our country!

Youth Seva – Compassion for Rescued Animals Srikar Tadepalli, along with his friends from the VT Seva Detroit–Kalamazoo youth group, collected 30+ towels and donated them to the SPCA of Southwest Michigan. Beyond the donation, these young volunteers spent quality time with rescued dogs—sharing love, warmth, and human connection that these animals truly cherish.