Join VT Seva Detroit

As our seniors approach the last couple days of their high school career, and as they prepare to take their rigorous IB exams, the WiHi VT Seva Club decided that we wanted to do something to support them and show how much we care about them and their future success! We made 120 kits that include studying materials like sticky notes and highlighters as well as things that hopefully just make them smile, like candy and fidgets! We wish our seniors well as they prepare for their exams and their future!

This March, VTSEVA Detroit Youth Board organized a clothing drive to support the *Destined for Greatness* organization, bringing together *22 dedicated youth volunteers* with a shared goal of giving back to the community. Thanks to their efforts, over *110 articles of clothing* were collected. These donations will help families in need access comfortable clothing for the summer season.

IAE VTS Club came together and helped run a Math Kangaroo Competition at the Sri Balaji Temple with around 85 kids competing! Volunteers helped run the event in various ways such as helping at the registration tables, proctoring the exam, and helping the kids if they have any questions during the test

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝐃𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 The DRAW Warehouse serves as a vital lifeline for families affected by natural disasters by providing handmade relief supplies that bring both comfort and utility. During this volunteering event, our team focused on the innovative “Plarn” (Plastic Yarn) initiative — a project that transforms recycled plastic bags into useful humanitarian resources while also reducing environmental waste. Together, our volunteers: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟓 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐬 These materials are used to create durable, water-resistant bedding and resources for disaster survivors, turning waste into meaningful support for those in need. Thank you to everyone who participated! Your dedication and hands-on service are helping us protect the environment while supporting communities in need.

Troy High VTS made flowers to honor and celebrate the brave veterans who served our country. Each flower was made with care to show respect and gratitude. This activity allowed us to express our thanks in a creative way. Making the flowers also brought our group together to honor them as a community.

Troy High VTS made flowers to honor and celebrate the brave veterans who served our country. Each flower was made with care to show respect and gratitude. This activity allowed us to express our thanks in a creative way. Making the flowers also brought our group together to honor them as a community.

On March 3rd, our school community came together to spread some luck and encouragement for the Shamrock Shakedown. We created more than 67 heartfelt cards for the four teams, including the Troy Center for Transition students, playing in the basketball tournament! Each card carried more than just words; it carried support, pride, and the reminder that an entire community is cheering them on.

By the end of the event, Hospitality House confirmed that 4,931 pounds of food were contributed to the people we helped regarding food assistance! Our team actively supported pantry operations by restocking shelves with food products and helping customers with actively picking out their groceries. During the shift, we multitasked primarily by assisting customers in selecting food items, considering some products had limits and others depended on family size. Additionally, we restocked food supplies to ensure everything was readily available for those visiting the pantry.

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