Martin Luther King Jr said that “Life’s most persistent question is ‘what are you doing for others?’”. VT Seva Dallas’s Halloween Initiative aimed to spread compassion and kindness in the community by helping provide for those in need. The Halloween Initiative was a youth driven event and served as a candy drive, where volunteers cumulatively collected as much candy as possible to later give to army troops, as well as help raise money for visually challenged children. This year was the first time VT Seva’s Dallas branch held an event like this, but were able to raise over 600$ for the visually challenged children, and over a 1000lbs of candy to US army troops with the help of “Soldier’s Angels”. Not only did this benefit them, but it also benefited children whose families participated in the event. Children love candy, and by donating what you love most, you learn both kindness and compassion. The event inspired many community members outside VT Seva to do something for the community, and play their small role in making the world a better place A big thank you to Lucky Teeth, Viva dental, and Kraus Orthodontics who participated in the candy buy back program this year. A few pictures from our Halloween Candy Donation Project Here's the video from Viva Dental appreciating VT Seva for their huge candy donation. In words of youth volunteers who participated in the Halloween Candy Donation - "As I put the candy in a basket to give to the kids, I was glad that I was doing it for a great cause. I felt good as I dropped each piece of candy one by one, knowing that I was helping kids not as lucky as me. Thank you VT Seva for this wonderful experience and opportunity!" - Rishika Cheela "When I donated this candy to help the underpri vileged, I felt better than in the past when I just kept it all for myself. It was proof that helping others can be more satisfying than doing things for yourself. Thank you VTSeva for this opportunity to support education for the underprivileged." - Karthikeya Vattem "While collecting candy, it made me happy to know that we would be helping underprivileged kids. I'm very happy to know that the donation event was a success. Thank you VTSeva for this experience, and I can't wait for the next events!" - Adithi Vattem “I felt really good about the Halloween initiative as it was nice to know that my trick or treating had a bigger purpose behind it. I’m happy that I was able to help kids and have fun at the same time.” - Purushottam Koduri "As I dropped off the candy at the site I felt really good as I knew I was helping the lives of kids that had no way to go out and get it themselves. Whenever I donate food it is for a great cause and I would really like to thank VTSeva for this opportunity!" - Gopal Koduri "Knowing that these donations will be used to impact the lives of so many children was what inspired me to participate in this noble cause. I feel proud that I was able to make a difference in those childrens’ lives and make them feel more included in our community" - Shreyas Viswanathan "I felt happy that so many people donated candy from Halloween to our cause to buy equipment for the visually challenged kids. I also felt happy because I was making a healthier choice by getting rid of all the candy I don’t want or need." - Veeksha Chigurupati "I am so grateful and thankful that there is an organization like VTSEVA to provide me with this amazing opportunity to help those in need. I started by spreading the word about VTSEVA’s Halloween donation to my friends. They were so kind as to participate in the donation and donated most of their candy that they collected to our donation box. I went trick or treating with my friends and my mom and I collected as much candy as I could so I could donate it to VTSEVA. I ended up pouring my whole bag of candy in our donation box and I actually felt so happy doing it because I knew all my candy was going to a good cause. All in all, the Halloween initiative was a great initiative to start and hopefully we have more like this throughout the year. Thank you for providing me with this opportunity, I am so thankful for VTSEVA!" - Shriya Aviur "I felt amazed on how much candy we collected and surprised to know how much candy goes to waste every year. I am glad we made good use of it to help the underprivileged kids. Thank you VTSeva for this opportunity to help the society." - Sahasra Produtor "When I donated the candy, I was happy to know that the candy I got would make multiple underprivileged kids happier. Thank you VT Seva for the opportunity to help the underprivileged kids." - Suhavi Tiruveedhula

"Every day is an Earth day and Every day is Mothers day" for VTSeva volunteers. VTSeva Austin will be celebrating 2nd annual Earth day at Veteran Memorial Park. on Apr 22nd - 8:30-10:30am It was a amazing experience and great efforts shown by our VTSeva adult and youth volunteers for the earth day celebrations. Our volunteers have been serving the earth through out the year with multiple environment protection activities. Adopt-A-Park : Over the year, volunteers have done park clean up to make it beautiful and enjoyable by the neighborhoods around. Seeds For Tomorrow : With the "Seeds for tomorrow" initiative growing plants and teaching kids to grow plants in their backyards. Earth Day : On Earth day VTSeva volunteered at city community gardens in various activities. Cleaning up the compost pile and made it useful with out disturbing the habitats there. During the event volunteers have learnt tips on growing different vegetables, composting tips. It was wonderful families joining and seniors volunteering too. Some pictures and a appreciation video from city parks and recreation departments for the VTSeva service over the years Earth day Pictures.

Are you wondering how to navigate today's busy world and shape our next generation of youth? There is a webinar to address your questions in help raising the youth, address self care from Board certified Psychiatrist and from Assistant Director of Education. When: May 6, Saturday 9AM - 10 AM PST Register at: tinyurl.com/vts-parenting Who: Free and Open to all Parents

‘’The way to bring about change is to be proactive and active ‘’ - Octavia Spencer The VT Seva Detroit Youth Board conducted its first waste water treatment plant tour in Ann Arbor, MI on 4/16/2023 with 25 youth and adult volunteers participating. It was such an interesting and eye-opening tour about what it takes to treat water that we consume and waste every day and the resources it takes to run the facility and amount of water that's treated each day. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟏𝟖𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝟏𝟖 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐲! Kyle , who is the supervisor there, guided the tour of a facility. He explained the full process very well and answered all of our questions clearly. It was amazing to see how waste water becomes clean water again. The whole process takes over 24 hours. After the tour, Kyle presented a slide show and went over more of the technical details. A huge thanks to Kyle and Ann Arbor Water Treatment Plant for giving us this opportunity! This tour did leave an impact on each one of us about how much water gets wasted every day and how many resources are needed to clean it again. Everyone who participated decided to make a change in their everyday routine to consume water more consciously. Youth Volunteer Reflections: I will not flush any disposable wipes as it will increase the amount of solids in the waste water. I will also not let water running when washing my hands, cleaning bowls, taking a bath (will not bathing for a long time), and not wasting water in general. I will also tell my friends about this and limit the water usage! – Deekshitha Ravu I will change myself by limiting the water usage whenever I am taking a bath. – Hajanthan Muhinthan I will try to take shorter showers to reserve water - Hrudya Kishore One thing that we should change is to avoid polluting the water and dumping waste into it. We need to use biodegradable and eco-friendly things. – Nidhi Rao I will take shorter showers to save water and reduce wastage – Oviya Jaisankar I was able to see a real world example of all 3 forms of science(chemistry, biology, and physics) and how they work in order to clean the water we use. I was able to take away that we need to be more mindful of what we put down our drains, as the smallest things can make the biggest impact in terms of sustainability. – Rishi Adduri I learned today is that we should use wet wipes because they aren't really biodegradable and will stop using them – Shruthi Adduri I would make sure to limit the amount of water I use. – Vahini One thing I will change is not disposing anything that I think is not biodegradable and may affect the wastewater treatment process, such as wipes. – Varshan Muhinthan I will try to be more conscious in daily my water use, like taking shorter showers and not leaving on the water when brushing my teeth. - Veeksha *************************** One of our parent volunteer Mr. Ranga Rao, captured all the technicalities in detail, so that any one can understand the process Wastewater Treatment. It is a process to remove waste materials from the wastewater (household, industrial and commercial), and the clean water can be used or returned into the regular water cycle. Whatever the waste removed from the sewage can be sent to landfill or the waste handling storage facility. This process involves multiple stages: 1. Bar screening. It is a preliminary level of filtration, being installed at the influent to a wastewater treatment plant. The simplest bar screens only have vertical bars that let water pass through while stopping big objects. It is a filtration process used to remove large objects, such as cloths, diapers, wipes and big metals and plastics from wastewater. 2. Grit chambers. Grit chambers are long narrow tanks that are designed to slow down the flow so that solids such as sand, coffee grounds, and eggshells will settle out of the water. Settled down solid material can be removed easily. 3. Primary clarification. It is a physical treatment process of removing solids, oil and grease materials before biological treatment. After the grit chamber process, water enters the clarifier tank and floatable solids (scum) are removed from the surface by skimmers while settleable solids (sludge) are collected on the bottom by a rake and removed via a sludge removal system. 4. Secondary treatment. This process is performed by Bacteria and Protozoa in a managed aerobic or anaerobic process depending on the treatment technology. Bacteria and Protozoa consume biodegradable soluble organic contaminants (e.g., sugars, fats, and organic short-chain carbon molecules from human waste, food waste) from the sewage water. In this process air is pumped into the water. 5. Disinfection of Wastewater. Ultraviolet light (UV), Chlorination, Ozone, and Chloramines are primary methods for disinfection of wastewater. UV light irradiation of wastewater would change the microorganism's DNA and they will not produce any harmful chemicals. After the UV light treatment, water can be safely released into the rivers. Blog Edited By: Harish Jaisankar Blog Published By: Nandini Cheemalamarri

We're proud to announce that Atlanta VT Seva celebrated World Earth Day by making a difference in the lives of those in need. We organized a project to create plastic sleeping mats for homeless people using recycled plastic bags. Our event at the East Roswell Library saw a fantastic turnout of 40 VT Seva youth and adults from Atlanta. Our volunteers collected plastic bags from their homes and neighbors to create comfortable sleeping mats for those who are experiencing homelessness. In addition to making a difference in the community, our participants shared their views on how to reduce plastic pollution and make the best out of waste. It's inspiring to see so many young people take action and work towards a cleaner, healthier planet. We're proud of the hard work and dedication of our Atlanta VT Seva team, and we look forward to continuing to make a positive impact in our community.

VT Seva Detroit 2023: Novi Police Department Appreciation Lunch followed by Tour of the facility "Law enforcement officers are never 'off duty.' They are dedicated public servants who are sworn to protect public safety at any time and place that the peace is threatened. They need all the help that they can get." In order to commemorate the National Police Week, during May 15 – May 22, VT Seva Detroit organized a Police Appreciation lunch with a meet & greet and a short tour of the Novi Police Department on May 13th, 2023. VT Seva has always appreciated America’s law enforcement departments in keeping us safe and their endless sacrifices to protect our community. Officer Meyer & Officer Jusino welcomed us warmly and thanked us for the appreciation lunch we provided for them. As a token of appreciation, VT Seva Detroit also handed a ‘Plaque’ and appreciation ‘Thank You’ framed poster to the officers as well as Statue of Equality Memento. In turn, both the officers were appreciative of VT Seva’s community services and all the activities we do to uplift the needy people locally and internationally. Right after that we began the tour of the facility with Officer Meyer leading our way and Officer Jusino backing us up to ensure that all of us are in the group throughout the tour. They walked us through the holding cells, arraignment area, dispatcher area, Sergeant’s office, Lieutenant’s office, Briefing area, Conference Room, Parking area, Garage for repairs, Training room, Records area, Officer Cubicles, Mailrooms, Gym, and Lunch area. The officers were so kind to explain various areas of functions within their department right from the Records Clerk to Dispatch, Sergeant Training Camps, Detectives, School Resource officers, SONIC, DEA, Traffic and On-the-road officers, Property officers and much more. Our Youth and Adult Volunteers had many AMAZING questions for the officer regarding the Police department’s public relations with the community, law enforcement methods, the equipment and firearms the officers carry, what it takes to be a Police Officer, how the officers determine their reactions to adverse situations, various promotional opportunities to move up the ranks in their department, difference between State and City Police departments, their Benefits and Pay, and so many more interesting topics of discussion that gave us all a broad understanding of how the department works and how much it takes to keep all of us safe and sound. We had great participation today from VT Seva Detroit. Couple of our Youth volunteers explained all the activities and community services we do to benefit the underprivileged people locally and internationally. Both the officers admired the fantastic efforts of our organization. These are our volunteers who attended Youth: Amogh Mavatoor, Rishabh Mavatoor, Yathi Shekar Debbata, Hajanthan Muhinthan, Aditi Jethri, Abisrishti Ram, Jishnu Kandalam, Sohan Kancharla, Nikhil Aerabati, Rakshan Samynathan, Nemish Debbata, Sathvik TirumalaKanduri. Adults: Suresh Rajan, Srinathbabu Karnati, Sreenivas Cheemalamarri, Ram V Ramanathan, Durga Nalini S, Asha Puranam, Poojitha Bollineni, Shobana Balasubramanian, Samynathan Thirunavukkarasu, Niveditha Mavatoor, Swati Debbata, Vanitha Gopalan. All in all, it was a very enriching experience for all of us to gain the knowledge of the operational activities of the 75 personnel strong Novi Police department that has been protecting our city since its inception in 1954. VT Seva Detroit sincerely thanks the Novi Police Department for providing us with this great opportunity. We all owe them a debt of gratitude, so let’s make sure we take time out of our day-to-day lives to recognize their efforts and give back however we can! WE SALUTE OUR BRAVE POLICE OFFICERS. GOD BLESS EVERYONE!! Here are the pictures from today’s event: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1nCSNPTD38KcyAWecGAIVisZOc8M-waKq YouTube link https://youtu.be/9zOwhlBVIXo FaceBook link https://www.facebook.com/vtseva.detroit/posts/pfbid02Q8uVpHSx6RrNuixJDejyBE8H8EoQJ54icJnnP95ZeBkMfprNxD9KCpeWm7NxQoJSl Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CsR1axYuDTv/ Blog Written By: Suresh Rajan Blog Published By: Nandini Cheemalamarri

VT Seva Columbus is so excited to conduct Tennis Clinic in the summer of 2023 Date : June 18th, June 25th, July 9th and July 16th Time : 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM Venue : 3584 Home Rd, Powell, OH 43065 Join us to have fun, learn a skill and support Nethra Vidyalaya Schools & Students All proceeds benefit Netra Vidyalaya , a VT Seva supported school with a state of the art technology for visually challenged children empowering them to be self-reliant

Project Story Time Project Storytime is an initiative taken to spread morally valuable and entertaining stories and make them easily accessible for our community, especially the youth. The idea is that people can suggest, record, or write their own stories and share them with us, which we will then group and filter. We will then make our collection available to everyone, which will have stories in different languages and from different cultures. This project, once it becomes widespread, will be able to help a lot of people, starting with those recording the stories (increases confidence and encourages creativity) and those listening to the stories (positively impacted by the good messages our stories send while having fun). There are many different roles that everyone can take part of in this project, sending us your own stories being the most fruitful and easiest way to contribute! We will also be recording sample stories and ones written by others, advertising our project, filtering the stories, compiling them into one easily-accessible place, reaching out to others to guide them through the process, and many more! Please reach out to projectstorytimevts@gmail.com with your story ideas or if you would like to volunteer to lend your voice! Thank you!

Cricket Summer Camp organized by MSK Cricket Academy and VT Seva! Unleash Your Cricketing Potential, Create Lasting Memories, and Make a Difference! 🔥 Get ready for an action-packed summer of cricket like never before! Train with renowned coaches, fine-tune your skills, and experience the thrill of the game firsthand. 🌍 But it's not just about cricket - it's about making an impact. By joining us, you'll be part of a charitable initiative that uplifts underprivileged children, making a difference both on and off the field. 🎯 Spaces are limited, so don't miss out! Enroll now and secure your spot at the MSK Cricket Academy and VT Seva Cricket Summer Camp.

"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future" - Franklin D. Roosevelt VT Seva Detroit youth board is celebrating 4th anniversary with the much needed college admissions webinar!!! Over the past four years, the VT Seva Detroit Youth Board has grown from just a handful of students to over 150 members! With this growth, we have had hundreds of events and began opening clubs in local high schools to promote our cause. Many of these events are organized and led by our own youth volunteers. These amazing kids implement lots of charitable projects and summer camps, spending their time giving back to their community. Through the VT Seva Detroit Youth Board, these young volunteers are both serving their community and building valuable organizational and leadership skills. Their work impacts many underprivileged students in our tribal and Nethra Vidyalaya schools and helps provide them with a quality education. Come join us on Friday, 5/19/2023 @ 7:30 PM EDT, with the key presentation college application webinar We are hosting an amazing college application webinar during our celebration. Our wonderful host Ashleigh Taylor , founder of Empowered4College ( https://www.empowered4college.com ) and former University of Michigan Admissions Officer , will cover application essentials including academics, testing, resumes, recommendations, and essays. Join us to both celebrate our youth's amazing contributions this year and teach them about the college application process. Please register to join. Once the form is submitted, you will receive an email in couple days with the webinar link.

View you all the upcoming events here

Do you like to read story books to others? Then this is the project for you ! We have 5000+ story books all the way back from 1950s like, Chandamama books that many of us would have read in our childhood. Through this project, we will be converting all of them into accessible audio books and then uploaded into online library from which any visually impaired person can download and listen. With 700+ VT Seva volunteers, we converted 175+ books (50,000 pages) for Digital Library project. These are school and college textbooks, we converted All the books that we converted so far (About 175 books and 50000 pages) are school and college textbooks. We converted many CBSE school textbooks (grades 1-10), B.Com / BSc college textbooks, IAS examination textbooks that are now available to tens of thousands of visually impaired students across India. All these books were requested directly either by the schools, colleges or individuals for their curriculum, so the adoption rate is 100%. With the success of ongoing Digital library project, we are pretty sure we will get all of your help with Lend Your Voice project to convert the story books and make this one also an impactful project. Requirements Hardware/Software: * Computer: PC or a Mac * External Microphone: optional, but recommended * Software - Audacity: optional, but recommended (https://www.audacityteam.org) Recording Requirements: For each story: * Record in a separate file * Read the Story/Chapter name and Author name * Read the disclaimer at the beginning of each file * Save the file as .WAV or as mp3 * Upload the audio file at the bottom of this page Once the registration is completed, expect to receive a welcome email in 2-3 days which has further details. Please make sure to check in all folders including spam folder in your email within a week of registering to watch out for the Welcome email with details. Audio Recording Guidelines Identify a quiet place without any external or background noises (large appliances like refrigerators, heating & air conditioning vent fans, running water...) * Read every word and pronounce all the text clearly and aloud * Maintain a steady pace and volume levels * Eliminate any "mouth sounds" and audio gaps * Pause the audio recording if you have to take a break and continue the recording when you are ready * Use nuances and appropriate emphasis and emotions that best deliver the story * Read out the book loud before recording to: - identify your rhythm and narrating flow - practice difficult words and phrases - avoid tripping over the sentences * Record a demo and play it back to: - make sure that your recording has no glitches and can be played back - make sure there are no background noise , h

VT Seva’s 16th Annual Earth Day Celebration is coming up on April 22nd. VT Seva being a proud partner with many Dallas metroplex cities is celebrating Earth Day with city of Frisco Clean it & Green it, by participating in Spring trash off as part of Keep Texas Beautiful - Great American Clean-Up. This is a good opportunity for all volunteers to get engaged in street cleaning community service activity, trash and litter cleanup to keep our Earth clean and beautiful. Volunteers also pick up plastic bottles, recycle items by the sides of the street to recycle and and make an impact on the environment. Mother Earth Day Saturday, April 22. 8:30 am to 10:30 am. Address: 9090 1st St Frisco, TX 75034 1st street and Main. Volunteers will meet at Frisco Environmental service office parking lot. All ages can volunteer. It’s an outdoor fun event so we advise you to wear closed-toe shoe, dress appropriately. If students have to submit volunteering hours for school please bring in your volunteer/school form to sign. Any questions, please contact: Vinayak Devulapalli 214-727-6983 Youth Lead: Shriya Aviur Happy Volunteering!! VT Seva Dallas Team Email: dallas.youth@vtsworld.org www.vtsworld.org/dallas Your support is our strength to serve!

One Act of Kindness can cause a ripple effect! The main goal for this year is to sponsor food for 500+ children studying at School for tribals (Jeeyar Gurukulam, Allampalli) for one year. We have accomplished the goal with the pledges and donations, thanks to the generous support of compassionate hearts. VT Seva Dallas conducted 14th annual TARANGINI, an entertainment for charity event on Saturday, March 25th, 2023, at the Grand Center in Plano from 3 PM to 6 PM. After almost two years, we had an in-person event, and it was exciting!! The preparations had been going strong for almost 2-3 months before the event as youth members worked tirelessly to perfect their performances. The event began with a peace prayer by PRAJNA (Personality development class) students and rendition of American and Indian national anthems. We had an assortment of dance and singing programs to entertain the audience. The highlight of this year’s Tarangini was “Allampalli Diaries” musical. With the musical gaining such an incredible, and positive reception, the members of the cast and crew will get a chance to reprise their roles on a much larger platform (more details on that to be released soon). The event was emceed by Ms. Mahathi Duggirala, Mr. Teja Papaihgari, Ms. Amritha Kasturi, Mr. Shreyas Vishwanathan, Ms. Srinidhi Surabhi, and Mr. Lakshman Vennamaneni, dynamic young volunteers of VT Seva Dallas. With high energy and loads of power to make this event a success, all six of the emcees raised awareness about the volunteering and service activities of the VT Seva with jokes, quizzes, entertainment, and more. VT Seva national youth director Mr. Phani Aduri inspired the audience as the keynote speaker. Quoting Dr.King "Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service", he mentioned that we are not who and what we are, but we are defined and identified by our actions and remembered by the impact of those actions on others. He urged the youth to not settle for success and happiness in life, but aspire for a successful and fulfilled life because happiness through success is an emotion that is momentary and temporary, whereas fulfillment is an ever-lasting and never-ending state of happiness and it can only be achieved by serving humanity. His passion for volunteering and this organization was felt by each audience member through his words and work as a national board member.Ms.Madhu Nemani, VT Seva Atlanta branch director was the guest of the honor. She shared about how their team of youth volunteers grew from less than 50 to more than 500 within a year. She encouraged youth to initiate and lead the projects to passionately serve the community. VT Seva Dallas Branch Director Mrs. Amita Aviur shared about her experiences of VT Seva and going to the tribal schools in Allampalli as part of VT Seva summer internship as a chaperone along with 15 youngsters from all parts of US. Amita talked about how she felt happiness that she could not find anywhere else while staying with the tribal people. Furthermore, she talked about the delight she feels everyday working with VT Seva and volunteering. She gave vote of thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors of Tarangini. The Ta rangini digital souvenir was released by Mrs. Nemani. Click this to look at the Taringini Digital Souvenir As children are our future and VT Seva believes in empowering them with the values of volunteering and philanthropy, TARANGINI event was formulated in 2009. It provides an opportunity for local youth to volunteer their time and talents as a team, while supporting service projects of VT Seva. It has been successful in providing a foundation for them to grow into leaders through service. To motivate the youth to take leadership in making a positive impact on the society, young volunteers Mr. Sriram Vennamaneni and Ms. Meghana Aduri shared about the projects they have initiated. Sriram shared that throughout his volunteering time at VT Seva for the past 10 years, and having been involved in numerous activities, one that resonated with him, in par ticular, is women's health. To address issues surrounding women’s health, he has started an initiative to pro cure manufacturing equipment that makes high-quality and biodegradable sanitary pads to improve menstrual hygiene and prevent cervical cancer. These pads will be distributed by VT Seva Mahila Arogya Vikas (MAV) to women from slum areas and underprivileged students who can’t afford to buy them. The MAV will also employ local women to supervise the machines and distribute the products, offering sources of income for the underprivileged women. Visit this link to learn more about Sriram's Initiative and Donate to the cause: https://www.vtsworld.org/post/hygiene-has-no-borders Meghana shared about the special needs project she is leading to empower Prosper ISD. Hearing the impact that VTSeva was able to have upon these kids was such an eye-opening and moving movement. But, other than just the impact, the audience were also able to learn about how amazing these special kids were. The Prosper children had their dog treat business, in which they would handmake treats and sell them! And on top of that, they also ran a soap business that sold very high-quality soap. The schoolteacher mentioned that the soap cost just enough money to be able to make another bar of soap, and the kids gained no profit from the venture. It was truly amazing to hear that these kids were running such a selfless business, a venture, that many of us could not even attempt. One of the highlights of the night was the presentation of Presidential awards. These awards personified the commitment that volunteers had in serving the community and they are grateful to VT Seva for providing them the volunteering opportunities. The Deputy Chief of Police, Mr. Jon Skertich presented this award to the youth. This year’s recipients of the Presidential awards were Ms. Meghana Aduri, Mr. Shreyas Vishwanatha, Ms. Nigama Reddy, Mr. Ronav Avuir, Mr. Arnav Senapathi, Ms. Sahiti Peechera, Ms. Sanhitha Perkari, Ms. Keerthana Aduri, Mr. Neil Katta, Ms. Shriya Avuir and Ms. Shriya Kanjarla. A total of 11 recipients! In the words of one of the recipients, Neil Katta, “The moment we received the award was truly unforgettable, and only served to strengthen my motivation to continue volunteering”. Dances were performed by Nruthya Shakti Dance Academy and UDance group. Our long-time supporter Kashish band gave a singing performance. We would like to thank our Food sponsors – India 101, Sai Gayathri, and Dwaraka. We appreciate the services of Mrs. Sumana for creating the Photo Booth, Photographer Mr. Phanindra Pydimarri, Videographers Mr. Ravi Kadur & Mr. Gaurav Peechara Service leads – Mrs. Lakshmi, Mrs. Kalyani, Mrs. Lavanya, Mrs. Chithra, Mrs. Gunjan, Mr. Vinayak, Mr. Siva, Mrs. Maala, Mrs. Radha, Mrs. RaniPrameela and our amazing youth volunteers and parents for their continued support. Pictures from the Event:

Are you ready to showcase your innovative and creative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet? If so, come join us at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple on April 30th as we celebrate our VT Seva Annual Earth Day Science Fair! Winners of the competition will be announced on the day of the event!! Pick your topic from the following list of themes. The Earth Day Science Fair is for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12. Theme options for Science Fair Submissions are: 1. Water and Energy Resource Conservation 2. Recycle / Upcycle 3. Organic Farming 4. Climate Change & Global Warming The possible formats for Kindergarten through 5th Grade submissions are: 1. Costume with Slogan 2. Poster 3. Experiment The possible formats for Middle School & High School are: 1. Experiment (for Middle School only) 2. Power Point Presentation 3. Short Film Rules for Short film a. Time duration for the event is minimum 5 minutes to 7 mins max. b. If uploading ahead of time, please submit by April 29th 11:59pm CST. c. Credit goes to the creator and not the characters in the film. d. The film should introduce the topic and the maker of the film. e. Film must be original. Students of all ages are welcome to join and will have the opportunity to win prizes and most importantly learn many new earth day-related things! Come join us at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple and work towards and more sustainable future! Go green and live clean!! To register, please click here.

On April 1st, 2023 VT Seva Dallas volunteers went to Irving and cleaned up the streets for the 'Keep Irving Beautiful’ program (as part of the Keep Texas Beautiful program). Volunteers woke up early in the morning and got right to work, picking up litter and recyclable items from the side of the street. We are so proud of our volunteers for taking care of the streets, keeping Texas beautiful, and having a positive impact on the environment! Thanks to the volunteers' hard work the street looked beautiful at the end of the cleanup. Shoutout to our leads: Pranav Raju and Mrs. Kavita Raju, who showed up over the long weekend and worked hard on the cleanup. We are so proud of them!

VT Seva Detroit is organizing a soccer tournament, on June 24th, 2023 from 11:00 AM in Total Sports Novi East. Proceeds from this tournament will go to schools in India for visually challenged children. VT Seva supports Schools for the Blind in India such as Nethra Vidyalaya . These schools provide higher education to visually challenged students and enable them to be independent and compete with other students. VT Seva Detroit is conducting its 4th Annual Soccer Tournament this summer. All the proceeds go to VT Seva supported Schools for Visually Challenged Date: June 24th, 2023 from 11:00 AM EST Venue: Total Sports Novi EAST 41550 Grand River Ave, Novi, MI 48375 Kids from age 6 and above are eligible participate in this soccer tournament for a great cause. ¨ Group 1 : Age 6 yrs to 9 yrs ¨ Group 2 : Age 10 to 12 yrs ¨ Group 3 : Age 13 and above Come join us and play for cause!

Our VT SEVA Detroit Youth Board kicked off the beginning of the 2023 volunteering season with the closing of the 1st quarter! Every project was a great initiative and a way to help out our community and gratefulness extends to all the youth and adult volunteers that extend their time to such a noble cause! Here are the projects we have covered from January to March this quarter: Youth Board Projects: Rescue Animal Towel Drive Plastic Grocery Bag Drive CASS Community Services Word Teen Mental Wellness Day Brilliant Detroit Book Sort Detroit Projects: MLK Day- Destined for Greatness Center Gleaners Community Food Bank- Mercado Food Hub Forgotten Harvest World Medical Relief Volunteering Kroger Solicitation Stores Event Events: VTS Detroit 6th Annual Public Speaking Workshop 1/16/23 MLK Day- Destined for Greatness Center: This volunteering event was aimed at impacting over 200 families on MLK Day & volunteering at the Destined For Greatness Mentoring & Community Resource Center. MLK Day events give away to more than 200 Detroit families in need of clothing and hygiene kits. One group worked on painting a new space while the other group organized and cleaned donation items, and we were able to clear over 8-10 rooms and paint the entire hallway. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 Volunteers : Yana Panchal, Sai Karnati, Rishi Chowdhury, Kaustubh Dingari, Nithya Kannan, Veena Karthik, Shriya Kannan, Aditi Jethri, Jishnu Kandalam, Akshitha Narla, Amogh Mavatoor, Rishabh Mavatoor, Shraya Ved, Sriraam Hebbar. 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 Volunteers : Niveditha Mavatoor, Mythili Kandalam, Mandira Chowdhury, Srivardhan Dingari, Srinivas Narla, Suresh Rajan, Vanitha Gopalan. FB Link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02vnpAoqvE9GBBqMLoHsk8o7GY6g8kx4YGei1d6rV5Bph9m6RBrXy5uZHx9UDLdhghl&id=100064605402887&mibextid=Nif5oz 1/23/23- Mercado Food Hub: Most of the volunteers that were at Mercado today were first-timers but learned fast, and everything went seamlessly. The volunteers packed produce, loaded cars with food, stocked pantry shelves and freezers, arranged and collected food boxes, bagged food for senior citizens and cleaned up the entire space. Together, the volunteers were able to serve 101 families and pack 8,525 boxes. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Jishnu Kandalam, Rishabh Mavatoor, Shraya Ved, Sai Sahasra Namaduri, Siva Suravarapu, Nikhil Aerabati, Aditi Jethri Kompally, Leo Schmidt. 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Vanitha Gopalan, Raghunath Namaduri, Raghunath Aerabati, Vandana Durga FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.544790767684432&type=3 1/27/23- Rescue Animal Towel Donation: Project Lead : Oviya Jaisankar We all love pet animals, but unfortunately not all animals have a loving home. Animal shelters and foster volunteers help in bathing them, feed them, treating sick and injured animals. Last Day Dog Rescue volunteers are doing an amazing job in helping with the foster animals, and we are assisting by collecting towels for these animals. 46 Youth Board members did their part to reduce the waste in earth by donating the towels to reuse by animal shelter. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Abisrishti, Akshay, Akshith, Ankita, Adhip, Amogh M, Anishya, Anuraag, Eashan, Hajanthan, Hasini, Harsh, Jayanth, Jishnu, Kirupali, Kushal, Nikhil, Nirvan, Nithin, Nitya, Oviya, Pelon, Pravin, Rachana, Rashmitha, Rishabh, Rishi A, Rishi C, Rishma, SaiSahasra, SaiSriram, Saisha, Sanjana, Sathvik, Shivani, Sravya, Shruthi A, Shreya, Sneha, Sriram, Varshan, Veena, Vibhavi, Yana, Yathi & Yug 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Nalini, Lavanya, Srinath, Komathy & Priya FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/vtseva.detroit/posts/pfbid02m4cNsNH6yCJBgyVDndTSTUwh7hpkBNhYp45zK1vDUQnwTcAa6boG3EAJAc6T57TEl 1/27/23 - Plastic Grocery Bag Donation: Project Lead : Supraja Pattangi For the month of January, 51 Youth Board members collected 5000+ bags. Each bag was carefully inspected to make sure they were clean and dry with no holes in them and neatly folded prior to donating them to the Open-Door Ministry, a local food bank. These bags will be used by the Open Door Ministry to distribute groceries. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Abisrishti, Adhip, Akshay, Akshith,Amogh, Ankita, Anishya, Anuraag, Eashan, Hajanthan, Hasini, Harsh, Jayanth, Jishnu, Kaustubh, Kirupali, Kushal, Lalitaditya, Nikhil, Nirvan, Nithin, Nitya, Oviya, Pelon, Pranav, Pravin, Rachana, Rashmitha, Rishabh, Rishi A, Rishi C, Rishma, SaiSahasra, SaiSriram, Saisha, Samhith, Sathvik, Shivani, Sravya, Shravya Ved, Shreya, Shruthi A, Sneha, Sriram, Srivibha, Udhayaa, Varshan, Veena, Yana, Yathi & Yug. 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Lavanya, Komathy, Srinath, Nalini, Priya & Giri. FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/vtseva.detroit/posts/pfbid02S7Jf3CEWicssuiAyLr9XAdZAdBKrhsxsnFJWiP46ShuWzgMdrc99nAThawTTUZGRl 2/6/23- CASS Community Services: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱: Oviya Jaisankar The Warming Center by CASS Community Services provides temporary shelter during the fall and winter. Women, children and families stays here. For the winter season they serve 200 meals a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or 600 meals a day in total. VT Seva Detroit Youth Board members helped them in the kitchen. They cleaned and organized the whole kitchen, cut more than 50 pounds of onions, and cleaned, and organized the whole pantry. VT Seva Detroit Youth Board members were so grateful for this opportunity. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Jishnu, Leo, Oviya, Sai Sahasra, Siva, Sneha, Soumya & Yathi 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Raghunath, Mythili, Chandrasekhar, Deepthi, Srilatha, Jaisankar & Priya FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/vtseva.detroit/posts/pfbid02nXMnELsWuBDTMcz4qLDgYoE28id5EKqEVdQtBjJQnnhL4PcBXgg67PaDtVXQZxXzl 2/18/23 - Forgotten Harvest: Volunteers helped Forgotten Harvest in their fight against hunger and food insecurities by packing 4,166 pounds of frozen pasta to serve the Warren community, The team helped transport heavy loads to smaller bins, packed frozen pasta into bags, labeled the bags, and cleaned, sanitized, and scrubbed the floors and the area. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Jishnu Kandalam, Akshith Ashwanth, Nikhil Aerabati, Aditi Jethri Kompally, Anishya Madala, Rishma Madala, Jayanth Batti, Kaustubh Dingari, Hajanthan Muhinathan, Sathvik Thirumalakanduri, Deekshita Ravu 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Vanitha Gopalan, Vaishnavi Aerabati, Srivardhan Dingari, Komathy Muhinathan, Ranga Rao Ravu, Vandana Durga FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.586857700144405&type=3 2/26/23 - 3/5/23 - VTS Detroit 6th Annual Public Speaking Workshop: Public speakers motivate their listeners to make a change. It could be to stop or start something, try something new, or reach their goals. Public speaking is important because the speaker can motivate others to go in the direction they wish, and the speaker can motivate others to be their best selves. This year's Public Speaking workshop went wonderfully and excellently organized by Priya, Srinath, Architha and Sudheer! We were so excited to see Mr. Brahmandhabheri back and eager to teach a new group of students his passion. Both the online and in-person sessions were very fun and insightful and overall a great experience for the 50+ students! Thanks to Mr. Chandrasekhar for sponsoring the competition! Youth Volunteers: Harish, Oviya & Amogh Adult Volunteers: Priya, Aarthi, Architha, Srinath, Venkat & Jaisankar Blog Link: https://www.vtsworld.org/post/vt-seva-detroit-6th-annual-public-speaking-workshop 3/2/23 - Teen Mental Wellness Event World Teen Mental Wellness Day is observed across the globe on March 2 every year. It is a day that aims to raise awareness about the mental health issues that teenagers deal with. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. To celebrate this day, our Youth Board used Kudoboard to send uplifting and positive messages to their peers and thank them for their service. Way to go volunteers! 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬: Rishabh M, Amogh M, Nikhil A, Oviya J, Rishi A, Rishi C, Veena K, Supraja P, Harsh A, Shruthi A, Kushal D, Haji M, Varshan M, Shraya V, Sathvik T, Saisriram K, Shivani N, Anvika P, Sairaaga P, Nusrat Rahman, Haresh A & Nithin R Adult Volunteers: Priya & Nalini FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/vtseva.detroit/videos/vt-seva-detroit-youth-board-members-celebrated-teen-mental-wellness-day-by-sendi/942004926979063/ 3/11/23- World Medical Relief Volunteering: The VTSEVA Detroit volunteers assisted World Medical Relief by sorting expired medical supplies and categorizing the rest of the remaining ones, putting them into kits, which will be distributed worldwide. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Kushal Durga, Sai Sahasra Namaduri, Yathi Shekhar Debbata, Akshith Ashwanth, Rishabh Mavatoor, Ishaan Jaseen, Ritvik Janardhan, Diya Janardhan, Siya Sandeep, Yana Panchal 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Vandana Durga, Raghunath Namaduri, Vanitha Gopalan, Swathi Debbata FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=vtseva.detroit&set=a.577989761031199 3/13/23 - Brilliant Detroit Book Sort: Project Lead: Amogh Mavatoor Brilliant Detroit is an organization dedicated to building kids' future with the main goal to help kids learn to read. It focuses on family, health, and education to make learning more accessible to the families in the neighborhoods where families with children ages from 0 to 8 can have what they need to be healthy and stable. VTSEVA Youth Board helped them pack 60 boxes( 5000 books) at this event. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Amogh M, Deekshitha R, Hajanthan M, Jishnu K, Nitya K, Rishabh M, Rishi A, Shriya K, Shruthi A, Varshan M 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Kannan, Muhinthan, Nalini, Niveditha, Priya, Ranga Rao FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=vtseva.detroit&set=a.578817447615097 3/25/23 - Food Drive Kroger Solicitation: Volunteers helped out the Forgotten Harvest Pantry and CARES Organization in Farmington by asking Koger shoppers for donations. Overall, they were able to collect 26 boxes of food, and over 570 dollars worth of cash, despite it initially being a difficult day. Youth Volunteers: Yathi Debbata, Leo Schmidt, Diya Harsha, Ritvik Harsha, Anishya Madala, Rishma Madala, Supraja Pattangi, Siva Suravarapu, Sai Karnati, Lalitaditya Akkaraju, Akshitha Narla Adult Volunteers: Priya Jaisankar, Suresh Rajan, Srinathbabu Karnati, Giri Varadhan, Vanitha Gopalan, Swathi Debbata, Raghunath Namuduri FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=vtseva.detroit&set=a.586857700144405 Blog Consolidated By: Veena Karthik Blog Video By: Lalit Aditya Akkaraju Blog Published By: Priya Jaisankar

In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, VT Seva Bay Area ( a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization ) is proud to host its Second Annual Mental Health Awareness Walkathon specifically geared towards Teen Mental Health. Date : April 30th, 2023 Time : 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM Venue : Almaden Lake Park, 6099 Winfield Blvd San Jose, CA 95120 Join us as we walk to raise awareness about the importance of mental health especially in teens who are at a critical phase in their life's journey. All proceeds benefit Netra Vidyalaya , a VT Seva supported school with a state of the art technology for visually challenged children empowering them to be self-reliant. We are excited to host Dr. Kalpana Nathan and Suryakala Jandhyala who will chat with us about mental wellbeing for teens and ways to cope in the post-covid era . Guest Speaker Kalpana Nathan, MD, CPE, LFAPA, DipABLM - Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Added Qualifications in Addiction and Forensic Psychiatry) Diplomate, American Board of Lifestyle Medicine Adjunct Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine Chief Medical Director, Scrivner Center, Mental Health & Addiction Services, Mountain View, CA Guest Speaker Suryakala (Kala) Jandhyala - Certified Integral coach from New Ventures West Passionate about guiding people through their life exploration, whether it is exploring different career opportunities, improving communication with self and others, prioritizing your tasks and so on CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer trained to represent children who have experienced abuse and neglect as they navigate juvenile dependency court systems The fee is $20 per person. All of the proceeds will go to Netra Vidyalaya, a school for visually challenged children in India. Join us on April 30 to raise awareness on importance of mental health & wellbeing and make a positive impact in every teens life.