Anika Sharma Newport High School Washington State Grade 10 VTSeva Internship Blog From the moment I reached Allampally it felt as if all five of my senses were brought to life. The cool night air spilled through the windows of the bus, as it came to a halt. My body stiff from the journey found its way by walking down the steep steps of the bus. I was immediately welcomed by the fresh scent of rain and the earthy fragrance of the damp dirt. Savoring the refreshing scent, I walked around the bus toward the Jeeyar Gurukulam school. In front of me stood two neat lines of smiling children dressed in red and white checkered uniforms. As my fellow interns and I walked through, their welcoming claps filled up the usually silent forest, and their soft, frail hands reached out to gently collide with ours. Standing in front of the Jeeyar Gurukulam steps my shoes submerged into the soft soil beneath me, paralyzed with the feeling of pure joy. The VT Seva summer internship was a lifechanging experience that offered everlasting learnings and memories. I am originally from Dehradun, located in the northern part of India, which is both culturally and linguistically quite contrasting to Hyderabad. Going into this internship I always had a feeling that my North Indian background would prevent me from connecting with the students at a deeper level. However, I was proven wrong. During my first day at the Jeeyar Gurukulam school, my fellow interns and I joined the students for yoga. As I began to sit down on the hard concrete floor, a young girl beside me clasped my arm and motioned for me to wait. Her ribbon tied pigtails gently swung back and forth as she got up. She quickly stepped off the white straw mat she was sitting on and slid it towards me. As I sat down on the mat and took part in the yoga session I was perplexed; someone who I had just met had made my heart feel the most content it had felt in a while. Taken aback from this experience, I was so excited and curious about what else Allampally had to offer. One evening, my fellow interns and I were taken to the surrounding villages where many of the students’ families resided. The sun was near setting as we made our way through their village. Students still in their school uniforms began spilling out of their houses and made their way to our lonely hands. One by one our hands were taken and later our arms were too. The students gripped tightly around me and began pulling me from one place to another, showing me their homes with excitement and pride. A young girl, around the age of 10, firmly held my hand and began speaking in Telegu, pointing out in the distance. Her chestnut brown eyes sparkled as she looked at me expecting a response. Confused and slightly disappointed for not being able to understand, I let her know that I speak Hindi and do not understand Telegu. Her thin frail hand smoothly slid out of mine, and she disappeared into the thick crowd of people. My heart dropped as I intuitively continued walking forward. Less than thirty-seconds later my abandoned hand settled into the palms of a familiar hand. One pair of chestnut-colored eyes looked straight at me. She moved her gaze to her friend she had brought with her and said something to her in Telegu. Her friend looked at me and began speaking in Hindi, translating what her friend had said. I forced out a reply, while internally I was in disbelief. The students at Allampalli are truly special, the love that they give cannot be described in enough words. There are countless similar experiences that I could share, however it would take me years to record them all down. There is a common saying that “love has no language” and I am blessed to have experienced this. The students at Allampally proved that language is just an excuse to function as a barrier in connecting individuals. In reality love has a language of its own so great that words are not required. Allampally and this internship made me experience true love, and I want to hold on to that feeling forever. Walking down the Jeeyar Gurukulam steps to board the bus back to the ashram, the air no longer smelled like rain or dirt, instead it smelt like home. Familiar smiling faces accompanied me towards the bus; their hands wrapped tightly around me to stop me from leaving. From the moment I left Allampalli it felt as if all five of my senses had left my body, but the love of the children remained.

VT Seva Detroit Youth board sucessfully wrapped up 3rd quarter (July – September) 2022 ! We implemented the below projects. Many projects were led and initiated by Youth Board Members · Balaji Temple Volunteering · Foreign Language Camp · Brilliant Detroit · Debate Camp · Manoogian Manor July Visit · Walkathon · Macrame Keychain Workshop · Tribute To Bharath · India Day Promotions · Manoogian Manor August Visit · Essential Worker Appreciation Project · Manoogian Manor September Visit Balaji Temple Volunteering : The volunteers helped clean out and make the garden look fresh as ever. Everybody enjoyed a bit of hard work! Because the weeds removed and leaves raked, the temple felt brand new! On our second visit, we helped the temple priests maintain the bricks by cleaning them and even replacing some of the old bricks. They were heavy but we all managed and were still able to help maintain the temple. Youth Volunteers : Aahana, Alok, Supraja, Srivasta, and Kushal Adult Volunteers : Vageshwar, Giri, Pranitha, and Deepthi FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/vtseva.detroit/posts/pfbid0J5Em2mh8dMBNHmuCDFVk9ZF7ii4SeyQppF5jAaygwQwAaXQsYUHVhLv48ufoDKxPl VT Seva Detroit Youth Board 1st Foreign Language Camp The Foreign Language Camp was a partnership with the VT Seva Detroit Board and Bright Minds Tutoring & VT Seva Detroit Youth Board members. This camp was a three day camp from July 11 to July 13 to teach young students some basic Spanish and French. Since kids were exposed to the two most commonly spoken languages in the world, they also helped in VT Seva’s contribution to the unprivileged students at Nethra Vidyala. Camp Conducted by: Shrika, Rashmitha, Harish, Oviya & Soofia Blog: https://www.vtsworld.org/post/vt-seva-detroit-youth-board-1st-foreign-language-camp VTS Detroit Youth Board Brilliant Detroit: In the month of July, Brilliant Detroit took part in a reading project. There were 59 videos submitted and were used to help underprivileged children improve their reading skills over the summer. During the pandemic, many kids’ reading skills slightly reduced due to online learning. To help them catch up, Brilliant Detroit was able to pull younger kids’ reading skills up to speed. Youth Volunteers: Srihari, Sriram, Sathvik, Supraja, Sanjith, Tarun, Sravya, Varshan, Harish, Oviya, Udhayaa, Aarush, Veena, Rishi, Akshay, Abhinav, Sai Project Lead: Abhinav Suresh FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/vtseva.detroit/posts/pfbid02D8WmGb2qWYQ5yxoCj5hFXC4M4wK3dVMjXL3GCv1wK32HwsuyYXzGCkpqBsLkmRh5l VT Seva Detroit Youth Board 1st Debate Camp The Debate Camp was conducted by VT Seva Detroit Youth Board member Sanjity. This camp was a three day camp from July 18 to July 20 to teach young students the essential skill of Debate, he also helped in VT Seva’s contribution to the unprivileged students at Nethra Vidyala with the money raised through this camp. Blog: https://www.vtsworld.org/post/f5c70d63 VT Seva Detroit Youth Board Manoogian Manor Senior Visit We visited the Mannogian Manor for their monthly bonfire night. Volunteers helped serve tea, drinks and lemonade to the seniors and had talks with them. They had so many experiences to share and it was really fascinating to hear how life was like during the old days from people who lived through those days. Our youth volunteers entertained the seniors with their singing, dance, playing instruments. They brought them snacks and drinks also to the seniors. Project Lead : Harish Jaisankar Youth Volunteers: Shivani, Hajanthan, Varshan, Alok, Medhas, Kaavya, Harish, Harsh, Supraja, Udhayaa, Sriram, Siddharth, Nikita, Shraya, Zephyr, Hiba, Mohammad Hassan, Mohammad Hussain, Noorjahan Adult Volunteers : Komathy, Vanitha, Latha, Asha, Salma, Mohamad Ali Khan, Zahara , Vanitha and Priya FB Links: July - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02mqy3YHfdQbXF4LzDm1VGLwvoFcuS8ZP8t3XBCBgP8oT21nGweiP2A2zJjvk9nVEEl&id=804058126287885&sfnsn=scwspmo August - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid09W6yVpRiNngfr91Arr1kHv79htqGANZgrCgx9tPZzgAjYnobpZfnr915C1GSku59l&id=804058126287885&sfnsn=scwspmo September - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02UVbWzhnSUqf9dyc4Kaz9HdVhV6XMzNHRZmiCRoMfaYEKoRSAAes29BELC6uom4FPl&id=804058126287885&sfnsn=scwspmo VT Seva Second Annual Walkathon : The Walkathon was created to donate money to an organization which helps the financial needs of cancer patients. Even if it rained, it was important that we found a way around the problem and raised enough money to help people in need. This has shown us that there are always ways to do good things even if there are obstacles no matter the size. 𝟒𝟑 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐭𝐨 𝐉𝐮𝐥 𝟐𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐. 𝟏𝟓1 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, Total raised $3500, and 𝟑𝟏 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟖𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬. Donated to Angels of Hope. Youth Team Leaders: Aahana Jain, Adhip Pisipati, Akshay Kumar, Akshith Ashwanth, Alok Tonapi, Amogh Pisipati, Anuraag Balaji, Anvika Perumalla, Arya Cheemalamarri, Eesha Chigullapally, Hajanthan Muhinthan, Harish Jaisankar, Kaavya Naga Sri Karnati, Kushal Durga, Mohammad Hassan Mohamed Ali khan, Mohammad Hussain Mohamed Ali khan, Nikita Talwar, Oviya Jaisankar, Rishi Chowdhury, Saisha Srivatsan, Shivani Nimmagadda, Shruthika Anandakumar, Srihari Ananthalwan, Srihari Hebbar, Srivatsa Thirunagari, Supraja V Pattangi, Teja Cheemalamarri, Udhayaa Arul, Varshan Muhinthan, Veena Karthik & Yana Pancal Donors: Sudhhakar Ji, Chandresekar Ji, Latha ji, Vandana ji, Vani ji Blog Link: https://www.vtsworld.org/post/afc1077b VTS Detroit Youth Board Macrame Keychain Workshop In this beginner’s workshop taught by Veena ji, volunteers learned how to make Macrame which is a type of textile produced by knitting. We learned quickly and we were able to make 42 keychains with 3 types of patterns for India Day. This has shown us that there are always opportunities to learn a new skill and that skills of any sort can bring us a long way. Project Lead : Veena Youth Volunteers: Oviya, Aaradhya, Danjeev, Taniksha, Sai Sriram, Adhip, Harish Adult Volunteers: Veena, Mandira, Jyothi, Venkat, Anuradha, Jaisankar, Priya FB Link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=6075271469166498&id=804058126287885&sfnsn=mo Tribute to Bharath In this project, board members helped create posters for many influential figures who contributed to India’s independence. Project Lead: Oviya Jaisankar Youth Volunteers: Oviya, Harish, Kushal, Sriraam, Srihari H, Abhinav S, Sravya, Akshay, Shruthi K, Kalki, Rachana, Supraja & Aditi FB Link: https://fb.watch/fJZIkEd7vz/ VT Seva Detroit India Day Celebration VT Seva came together to this event to celebrate India Day which marked 75 years of Indian Independence. We did a parade where everyone chanted “Vande Matharam” and “Jai Hind.” Volunteers also created posters of leaders who played a major role during the Independence Movement such as Mahatma Gandhi or Subhas Chandra Bose. Oviya , a youth board member raised money by painting the Indian flag and it was enough to fund one student’s education. We sold the keychains which we made through workshop Youth Volunteers: Harish, Oviya, Anvika, Sreenika, Sriram, Harsh, Aaradhya, Eesha, Adhip, Rishi C, Pranav T Adult Volunteers: Veena, Mandira, Venkat C, Jaisankar, Priya FB Link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=6153247831368861&id=804058126287885&sfnsn=mo Blog : https://www.vtsworld.org/post/vt-seva-detroit-76th-independence-day-celebration VT Seva Detroit Youth Board Essential Workers Appreciation Project: VT Seva Detroit Youth Board members, showed their gratitude towards the essential workers contribution in the honor of labor day. 36 youths appreciated Trash Pick-up crew, mailmen, UPS crew, construction workers, grocery store workers, pharmacists, house maids, restaurant workers and many more. With no doubt they all made someone's day memorable for sure. Kudos to everyone of them who spread kindness. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Harish, Oviya, Siddharth, Sathvik, Shruthi K, Rashmitha, Sai Sahasra, Harsh, Sriram H, Srihari H, Veena, Rohit, Sadhana, Rishi A, Shruthi A, Abhisrishti, Rishi C, Vaibhav, Eesha, Anvika, Sreenika, Kaavya, Sai Sriram, Akshay, Srihari A, Kim Derrick, Hiba, Pranav M, Rachana, Hassan, Hussain, Leo, Vishnu, Neha, Saleen, Teja, Arya & Anuraag FB Link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=6165635136796797&id=804058126287885&sfnsn=mo Blog Consolidated By: Alok Tonapi Video Created by: Tarun Rajesh Blog Published By: Nandini Cheemalamarri

Giving is not just about make a donation, it's about making a difference. - Kathy Calvin VT Seva Connecticut conducted the annual 5k walkathon on Sunday, 2nd October 2022 at Northwest Park, Windsor, CT. Many wonderful families have participated with enthusiasm to support a noble cause of education of visually challenged and tribal kids. All proceeds will be used to support the schools. We would like to thank all the volunteers for ensuring all the activities are coordinated and all participants were supported. We would like to convey our heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful participants to come out and support the cause. Below are a few glimpses of the walkathon!!

VT Seva Detroit is very excited to share with you all 🙂 SWARAOKE a Singing Event for VT SEVA CAUSES organized by Swaravedika on November 13th at 12.30 pm It's a great opportunity for all singers (Youth and Adults) to showcase their awesome singing talent🎤🎤. Please do signup asap!! For more details on this event, please contact Kalyani ji @Kalyani Mantripragada. As always, we are eagerly looking forward to this wonderful event and truly appreciate Kalyani ji and her Swaravedika team's efforts and dedication shown every year to support Nethra Vidyalaya students' education. Please Register at: Swaravedika.org/detroit

“We can’t help everyone, but…Everyone can help someone.” – Dr. Loretta Scott VTSeva Austin cordially invites all to join the Annual Vasudha Mela - Beats for a cause. We are back this year with young and fresh energy. This event is to celebrate and acknowledge the 2022 amazing efforts, our youth volunteers who have served throughout the year for the local and international causes. “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." Amazing donors like you made the Vasudha Mela successful last year while supporting Education and food for 40 students. Our goal this year is to support education/food for 100 visually challenged and tribal kids. How can you help ? $365/year Sponsor a child education. $180/year Sponsor 6 months of education $100/year Feed a student $31/month Sponsor a child for a year education . Form a group and sponsor a child . Any small amount will help the cause. You can donate from your company matching program website as well. Click here to Pledge. We will follow up. You can sponsor a child by Registering for the performance Bring your family and friends and enjoy the evening to support the children in need. Buy tickets before Oct 31st to avail the discount. Your caring hearts are inspiring these tribal and visually challenged kids to serve the country by becoming Army officials, Civil officers, doctors, teachers, etc. Since 2001, more than 10,000 + tribal, 2500 + visually challenged children have been providing free, food, education, Books, Clothes, Special Equipment's, Sports training and travel Read how your generous donations are transforming their disabilities to abilities. Hear about Nethravidhyalaya from the teachers words. All this could happen only with continued support of all your kind hearts. These little smiles are now empowered, who otherwise would have been victims of child labor/abandoned. Slideshow :

VT Seva Dallas recently adopted another street in Lewisville where our volunteers got together on the 17th of September to participate in a street cleanup activity. These cleanup activities will continue to be held under the Adopt a Street Initiative on a monthly basis, so make sure to stay tuned in for future updates!!

Sabarmathi Gurukulam, Cheyyar, Tiruvannamalai, TAMILNADU provides training and coaching to unemployed youth to get through the competitive exams and placement in government jobs along with learning organic farming, education to rural children and community give back. Mr. Gunasekaran of the Gurukulam shared the great news of NEET 2022 results being published. For Sabarmathi, this is the 4th year of NEET training. Mr. Gunasekaran shared "we wholeheartedly express our gratitude to all the beautiful hearts that helped to make this possible despite the challenges due to covid and other obstacles. Specifically, we thank VT Seva for providing timely help to reconstruct our building and help board around 30 students to get trained. We thank my college senior Vidhya akka for making this possible." As part of VT Seva's rural empowerment goal, we believe in reassuring efforts and providing needed support in making a difference in communities. Last year when the Gurukulam was in desperate need of an infrastructure upgrade for VT Seva helped with building and restoring the water purification system, upgrading bathrooms in a hostel, renovating the main hall (replacing the thatched leaf roof with permanent sheeting), and overall upgrade of the facility. More info: Sabarmathi | Vtsworld

It was 5 in the morning in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. We were in the Allampally Gurukulam at the crack of dawn, getting ready for yoga. It was our first morning at Allampally so we are extremely confused as to what we were supposed to be doing. I opened the door of the room I was staying in, and with the other boys, I walked down the hall to where the yoga class would be held. Most of the students were already there, lined up in rows. Once they saw us, a couple of the boys moved aside and gestured at us to join them. We did, and soon the class started. The instructor was giving out instructions, and we didn’t understand most of them. Without us even asking, they corrected us, helped us, and treated us like one of their own. Throughout the rest of the class, the students were cracking jokes, laughing, and having fun while exercising. We couldn’t help but join in on the fun, and what started as a yoga session at 5 in the morning, soon turned into a fun hangout while doing yoga. Even though to them it seemed normal, to us, it helped us feel welcome and included.

When we hear the word love, we think of the purest emotion in the world. Some of the biggest monuments and epic stories are based on love. But over these two weeks, I learned that even within love, there's a selfish and selfless kind. I would say the "selfish" type of love is what we experience daily. When we love our friends and expect them to love us back, conditional love comes from feelings of mutual respect. But the selfless kind? We don't usually find that here. I only learned about selfless love 50 kilometers into the Kawal Forest, far away from urban civilization, in a beautiful village called Allampalli. While the rains may have shortened our stay in Allampalli, the amount of fun we had was not at all diminished. Our eagerness matched the kids' excitement at the Gurukulam when we stepped into classrooms the first morning with our planned curriculum. But what came as a surprise was how quickly the students absorbed everything. I genuinely have never seen brighter students with such a passion to learn. These kids know how to work hard and play hard. After a day full of classes, we enjoyed extracurricular activities like self-defense, dancing, rocketry, and more. But the most heartwarming part of our stay in Allampalli was our trip to the “thandas" where the students' families lived. We took our bus and a truck full of fruit to disperse amongst the villages. The minute we stepped off the bus, kids came running up to us, grabbing our hands. You could see the dilemma on their faces of whether to grab the fruit or hold our hands. With pockets full of apples, they refused to move until they held on to at least my pinky or thumb. And off they took us, running through the streets, showing us their homes and pet animals. Never mind the fact that I didn’t know their name or they didn’t know mine. When I stepped off that bus, they now considered one of their own. I thought maybe selfless love thrived in this village because it was hidden away and untainted by our boisterous city life. But I was proven wrong when I also found it in Hyderabad at the Netra Vidyalaya Degree College. We had the opportunity to interact with Intermediate (11th & 12th grade) to Degree (undergraduate) level students and hear about their life stories and what brought them to Netra Vidyalaya. What shocked me was that despite the difficulties and darkness they face, they shine brighter every day with their enthusiasm to succeed and do good in the world. Some had big dreams of becoming I.A.S. officers, and others wanted to support their families and give back to the school that raised them. Talking to each student was like catching up with an old friend, asking about families, and laughing about hobbies. Sangeetha invited me to her village for Diwali, and Praveen Kumar promised to visit me in the U.S. when he got a job here. So that’s when I learned that the secret to this selfless love didn't rely on the location; it lay in the beauty of that person's soul. Those who have learned to live life with a beautiful smile and eternal gratitude, regardless of their circumstances, are the ones who can experience and spread selfless love. I'm usually not philosophical, but this trip encouraged me to introspect and reanalyze my priorities in life. This trip highlighted shortcomings in my definition of happiness. Happiness isn't the product of monetary or academic success; it's the product of pure relationships, consistent gratitude, optimism, and humility. And I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to experience this with. The immediate friendships, inside jokes, and adorable moments are memories I'll treasure forever. It truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

VT Seva (Volunteering Together for Service) is organizing Ra:ga, our 4th annual dance and musical performance festival in the Bay Area. Date: September 17 & 18, 2022 (Saturday & Sunday) Timings: 10 am - 6 pm PT Venue: Historic Hoover Theater, 1635 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126 Entry fee: $5 /person (children below 5 are free). All registration fees and proceeds will be going towards educating visually challenged and underprivileged students, and are tax-deductible. Please contact us for any questions at naatyaraag@gmail.com

Details of the Eco-friendly project: 1. Youths will collect plastic bags from neighborhood, friends, and families 2. Convert plastic bags into blankets for the Homeless 3. Make creative VT Seva cloth bags 4. Sell cloth bags to protect the environment. All funds raised will go for the education of visually challenged kids 5. Let’s Think Green & Act Green

Wow!! What an event it was this year on June 25th 2022 at Total Sports Novi (East), MI. VT Seva Detroit organized a boarded indoor fundraising soccer tournament yet again this year to benefit the blind and visually challenged children in India. Like past years we had 3 different groups: - Group 1: 6 to 9 years’ old - Group 2: 10 to 13 years’ old - Group 3: 14 and above This year’s turnout was unprecedented with 33 games in the 3 age Groups with a total of 93 players. During the run-up to the event, VT Seva Detroit Team members were ‘all guns blazing’ in all departments as usual. To list a few: · Promotions – Our Youth & Adult Volunteers did an amazing job in promoting the event. Apart from reaching out to the past participants via email, phone and voicemails and new participants via distribution list and MIindia, we had several outreach sessions at Total Sports Novi/Wixom, India Grocers and also pasted Flyers at different important locations throughout. Vijitha ji of Vani Foods came forward to Sponsor after listening to the great cause this event was being conducted for. She also graciously offered us her Storefront Parking Lot for any future VT Seva Events. Thank you so much Vidhya ji! · Venue - Total Sports – It would be injustice if we don’t mention Michelle Reitz, Total Sports Facilities Manager and her associate Jimmy. They were simply amazing and without their help and support, it would not have been possible. Right from when we decided to go for Soccer Tournament yet again this year, Michelle and her team were so appreciative of the cause and promised to go all the way to help us organize this. They not only subsidized the Venue fees for us but went above & beyond to help us so easily organize the logistics. It would not have been possible to conduct such a successful event without our AMAZING and ENTHUSIASTIC volunteers: All these youth volunteers did a terrific job in all these areas: The event would not have been a successful one without the tireless help and support in the following areas: This year we were bolstered by the one and only Alvin (of the OHWTF Soccer Club) . He was so gracious to help us out with refereeing the Group 3 games right from the beginning to the end. Special thanks to all the three amazing Referees who ensured the games were played fairly! · Teams & Winners – We had an amazing Game Roster and Schedule this year with several first-time youth players, 2 High School Teams, and 4 Adult League Teams from Saginaw, Utica/Rochester areas and 2 more teams from Hella. Group 1 (6 to 9 years’ old): Had 10 players that were placed in 2 different teams Yellow & Blue to verse against each other in Three 10 min. games. The kids had super fun time playing and scoring against each other in a friendly competitive kids Soccer game. The final standings say it all as to how competitive both teams were. Both the teams received the winning Trophies!! Group 2 (10 to 13 years’ old): Fourteen players were matched up against each other depending on their different skill levels in Orange vs Green teams. Superb demonstration of soccer skills amongst the players made up for an interesting three 15 min. sections of the game. Here’s the final standing after the games: The winning players of Group 2 received Trophies and the runner up received Medals for their fantastic performance on the field. Group 3 (14 and above): While the Group 1 & Group 2 games were going on, parallelly the Group 3 games also began simultaneously in the other Field. 8 teams were put in 2 different groups. We had 12 league round-robin games . Every game was high energy and highly competitive with a friendly tussle between the teams as expected. Here’s the league standing: The Semis were Super-charged with Seed 1 playing Seed 4 and Seed 2 playing Seed 3. The final standings were: THE GRAND FINALE: The final was between Saginaw FC and Dark Falcon Utd. It was an electrifying Final game with both teams equally challenging each other with their dribbling, passing and team coordination. In the end, Saginaw FC who were participating in this tournament for the first time came out clear winners beating the Dark Falcons Utd - 3:1. Here’s the final score: All in all, 97 players playing in 3 different age group with some exhilarating and captivating games in the Tournament was a treat to the viewers who thoroughly enjoyed it and stayed till the end. Every pass, every nutmeg and every goal scored was for the noble cause of providing support to the visually challenged children of Nethra Vidyalaya and Tribal School children. We were able to raise a total of $2,113.00 Game & Volunteer Coordinators like every year, met at regular intervals during the run-up to the event, burnt the mid-night oil, extreme planning and execution till the end utilizing the Game Schedule and Scoring software for the first time in VT Seva Detroit Soccer Tournament. In the end, it turned out to be a fruitful success for the hours of preparation that was put in. CONSOLIDATED PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE EVENT ARE AVAILABLE AT: https://photos.app.goo.gl/rEPFrXcWWNBj6fkz6 Facebook Link https://www.facebook.com/vtseva.detroit/posts/pfbid02H1h68CTznDc5WXvKzGF7ySgiAhQ7kMsUNxj3kQk1bX4cuQNAm1pY3jxx2URVwQpRl Blog Written By: Suresh Rajan Blog Published By: Nandini Cheemalamarri

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of it's people, culture and achievements. VT Seva Detroit Youth Board participated in this celebration proudly by learning the history of Independence freedom fighters, participating in India Day parade, raising awareness of VTS Seva and raising money for underprivileged students’ education. Youth Board members continued their tradition of learning about selfless leaders who even sacrificed their life to get Independence. Its our duty to learn about them and share the knowledge. In Tribute to Bharath project led by youth volunteer Oviya , these youth volunteers Harish, Kushal, Sriram, Srihari H, Abhinav S, Sravya, Akshay, Shruthi K, Kalki, Rachana, Supraja & Aditi created informational posters. Macrame Key Chain Workshop: With Veena Ji's guidance following youths Oviya, Aaradhya, Sanjeev, Tanishka, Sai Sriram, Adhip and Harish and the adults Mandira, Jyothi, Venkat, Anuradha, Netaji, Jaisankar and Priya made the beautiful tri-color Macrame Keychains to sell in India Day. India Day Event: After a long break, VT Seva Detroit Youth Board Members came together to spread the word of and collect donations for our wonderful cause in India Day. The event started off with a parade, in which our members held up our banner and chanted "Vande Matharam" and "Jai Hind ." After getting inside, we spent many hours spreading the word at our stall. We sold handmade keychains In addition to this, our youth board member Oviya Jaisankar raised money by face painting India Flag. She raised money to support one student's education for a year. Overall it was really good to celebrate our 76th Independence Day with patriotism and raising money for Nethravidyala and Tribal School students’ education. Volunteers who participated in India Day Celebration are Youth Volunteers : Harish, Oviya, Anvika, Sreenika, Sriram, Harsh, Aaradhya, Eesha, Adhip , Rishi C & Pranav T Adult Volunteers: Veena, Mandira, Venkat C, Jaisankar & Priya. Blog Written By: Oviya Jaisankar (Youth Board Member) Blog Published By: Nandini Cheemalamarri (VTSeva Detroit Communications)

by Sriteja Kataru Aug- 2022 Did you know, according to WHO, that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide? Or that 20 percent of children aged 9 to 17 have a diagnosable mental health condition but they are largely ignored? To spread awareness about such facts, we, at VTSeva Mental Health Wing, organized a walkathon this weekend. This activity attracted 75 enthusiastic participants. It was a roaring success! To begin with, it was a beautiful lake setting on a pleasantly warm Saturday morning. We gathered at San Jose Almaden Lake Park in a waterfront picnic area. Some of us came prepared with motivational placards about mental wellness. After an educational session, we all walked along the meandering lakeside trail twice. It was simply perfect. We walked leisurely, chatting with friends and holding the placards. We crossed a few rustic bridges, admired little ducks floating in the lake, and strolled through the dappled shade of lakeside trees. Best of all, when many passersby came up to us and asked about our cause, our volunteers readily took the opportunity to spread awareness. We discussed how a lack of awareness and access to effective help are the two biggest barriers to mental health care, even in well-developed areas such as the SF Bay Area. What’s more? One of the people who came up to us happened to be an officer from National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She appreciated what we were doing. She also promised to include us in their future events. We are excited about this potential collaboration. Notably, we also got a chance to rally the participants prior to the walk. We conducted a series of educational talks by our team members as well as by our keynote speaker – Dr Beeta Verma, a well-known psychiatrist who is board certified in both child and adult psychiatry. First, Sriteja spoke about the formation of VTSeva Mental Wellness Youth wing and how we follow a three-part approach - assess/educate/engage - to achieve our goals. Next, Ayush Shah talked about early signs of mental health problems. Anvith Konda elaborated on how depression is a growing problem. Dhruv Sastry discussed ADHD and its implications. Nidhi Parthasarathy brought attention to the issue of drug abuse in children. All through the session, Dr Verma provided her professional insights and offered tips on how to deal with all these issues. At VTSeva Mental Wellness Wing, our mission is to transform the mental health of the local students through education and engagement. This walkathon, with its valuable educational session and engaging walking activity, perfectly served our mission. Not to mention, it boosted our serotonin levels and set the mood for a happy weekend. Are you interested in joining our VTSeva Mental Wellness Wing? Please contact us at vtsbayareavolunteer@gmail.com .

As part of 75 years of India's Independence celebrations (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav), VT Seva Dallas participated in the 45th showcase of Anand Bazaar organized by the India Association of North Texas at Frisco Roughriders stadium. We set up a booth to spread the word about our goals, current projects, and opportunities for volunteers to partake in community service events conducted by the organization. We had about 25 volunteers (15 youth and 10 adults) who assisted in setting up the booth, engaging audience members through fun games such as spin the wheel as they visited us, and spreading awareness about the service opportunities available to them. Among 2000+ people who visited our booth, we are extremely delighted to announce that 215 of them have registered to volunteer with VT Seva. The volunteer spirit of our youth was also quite contagious as one of the registrants volunteered to help out on the spot by handing out goodies to those who played spin the wheel, and inspiring others to sign up to be a part of the organization. Our energetic youth not only enjoyed volunteering but also participated in the various festive activities that were conducted such as the parade, and Kanika Kapoor’s live performance. The performances reminded us about the sacrifices of many freedom fighters and we felt proud to be walking the path of such selfless souls by volunteering and giving back to the community. The fireworks towards the end of the event marked the end of the celebration attended by more than 20,000 people. We will shortly be reaching out to all those who signed up to volunteer and look forward to engaging them actively.

What an amazing day it turned out to be, perfect weather - not too sunny, not too cloudy, until the penultimate hour, when the rain God decided to be the part of the Final match as a wild card contestant 😊!! Glad that our seasoned men’s Finalists – Spikers and Sunrisers did not budge and continued their game with ease. The day began very early for some of us. A few players, core volunteers and set-up crew reached the venue before 7:45 AM EST. They were getting warmed up while we quickly put up the canopy tents, tables, check in booth, food booths, T-shirt sale booth and got ready for the team check-ins. Meanwhile, we closed out on the pre-orders of the Jimmy John’s Veggie Sub and sent the order to the store. Soon enough, the lines were drawn up and the teams got on to the courts and the most awaited Women’s Throwball games began! Just as expected, every game was high-spirited and extremely competitive. Right after the first set of Throwball games, the Men’s Volleyball games also started. The game draws were very balanced for both Women and Men’s schedules which made them even more interesting and nail-biting. For more Pics, Please visit VTSeva Detroit FB Media https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.6130448156982162&type=3 Final Game Standings: Here’s the impressive league level Standings for the Women’s Throwball Tournament . Semis & Final: Winner of the Women’s Throwball were DETROIT CHAMPS Here’s the fabulous league level Standings for the Men’s Volleyball Tournament. Semis & Final: Winner of the Men’s Volleyball were SUNRISERS Event sponsor : Ramayah Auto was kind enough to sponsor the event. Youth Volunteers: Our super energetic Youth volunteers did a FABULOUS job as scorers, line referee, game referee, food booth help, set-up and clean-up. Special thanks to Kaavya, Sneha, Jayanth, Niharika, Ahana, Veena, Hrudya, Supraja, Leo Schmidt, Sai, Nikhil, Shreya, Alok, Ishan, Teja and Arya!!! Way to go!! Adult Volunteers: The event would not have been a successful one without the tireless help and support in the following areas: - Setting up Banners, Food stall, Tent: Suresh, Venkatji, Vanitha, Jyothi ji - Treasurer help : Jyothi ji, Jaishankar ji - Lunch Subs Pickup & Dropoff: Swaroop ji - Samosas pickup: Srikanth ji - Lunch Serving Help: Meera ji, Ramya ji, Srikanth ji - Game Linesman: Sreenivas ji - Photography: Nandhini ji, Sudheer ji, Vanitha ji - Clean-up: Suresh, Ram ji, Venkat ji, Vanitha ji, Sudheer ji, Sreenivas ji, Nandhini ji - Game leads: Ram ji, Venkat ji, Sireesha ji - Volunteer & Food coordinator: Vanitha ji - Sports Coordinator & Game Scheduling and Online updates: Suresh - Sponsors reachout help: Srinath ji, Sudheer ji We are very glad to share that with the help of such wonderful volunteers, supporters, sponsors, and players who contributed to this noble cause, we were able to raise a total of $2,812.00 , all of which will go towards the education of the visually challenged children of Nethra Vidyalaya & Tribal School students. All in all, it was an AMAZING event!!! Looking forward to making the Tournament bigger & better next year!! Blog written by Suresh Rajan Blog published by Nandini Cheemalamarri

By Srikrishna Kataru Summer of 2022 Bayarea, CA Hello. My name is Srikrishna and I am a rising 6th grader. This summer, I attended VTSEVA’s internship that lasted 12 days. I went on this trip without much thought as my older brother and my mom were going on it. However, I ended up having so much fun volunteering, learning some brand new things, and making some lifelong friends. It was my best summer experience. Ever. The best part is that I learned from everybody I interacted with: our Swamiji, my co-interns, Netra Vidyalaya students, Allampally tribal students, Vedic school students, ashram staff, and doctors at Ayurveda and JIMS, the homeopathic college. We participated in activities related to all four pillars of VTSeva. Education for the underprivileged: We volunteered at Netra Vidyalaya and the Allampally tribal schools. Healthcare for the underprivileged: We shadowed doctors at JIMS integrative medical hospital, Ayurveda hospital. Also went to a medical camp in a nearby village. Environmental Awareness: We toured forest villages and learned how they respect mother earth and how they live in environmentally friendly ways. Disaster Relief: We prepared essential grocery packets to be distributed to recent flood relief victims who lost everything. What follows here is the more detailed version of the work we did relating to the above four pillars. We didn’t really teach anything to Netra Vidyalaya except for answering their questions about our way of life here in the US. But, we did learn a lot from them. They taught us how to read and write in Braille. They showed how they study for exams, how they take exams without any scribe writing for them, and such. They also showed their talents by singing, mimicry, and playing games. I was so happy to note that they routinely win many sports competitions at the state and national levels too. Recently, one girl got qualified for international-level running competitions to represent India. While the journey to Allampally was arduous, we were delighted to see all the kids standing outside the school on the rainy night to welcome us. Some students came forward to help me with my luggage. We instantly became friends. Along with other interns, I taught them spoken English and rocketry sessions. Their participation level was off the charts. I realized that they could use some grammar workbooks. That’s going to be my goal to raise some funds to get them some grammar workbooks this year. During my stay, I also interacted with several Veda Pathasala students of my age group (10 -12 years). I really want to go back next year and teach them spoken English too. They were super curious and enthusiastic to learn English from me. I learned a ton of brand new things from the lectures on Ayurveda, plant-based medicine, and Homeopathy, the medicine of energies and extracts. We went on a medical camp and learned how homeopathy was helping the patients and filling gaps in healthcare needs for the local population. Even kids as little as 3 years old got treated at the medical camp. We heard many success stories from the patients. We shadowed the doctors in the JIMS hospital and watched how homeopathic medicines are made from extracts and sugar balls. The interesting thing is that the more they dilute the extract, the more its potency increases. We also saw how Ayurvedic treatments helped patients with chronic back pain and some cancers too. We also got to see how the Mahila Arogya Vikas wing is screening women all over India for cancers and distributing medicines. The lessons of environmental protection from Allampally and nearby village people are priceless. They don’t consider the land their property as they own it. They consider it a gift from God. The land gave them life. They were part of it. They call it their mother. If she was angry with them, she might send harsh summers or plagues of insects. They had to do good things for her and live the way their mother-earth thought was right. She was the mother to everything that lived upon her, so everything was their brother and sisters to them. If they didn’t treat them right, their mother would be angry. Swamiji taught us that land is alive and sacred. Trees, mountains, and animals are all spirits to help us. We must learn to listen to them, not destroy them. We must smell and taste the dirt. We must go into the sunlight and give thanks for the day. That’s how we listen to them. We should learn to respect all life– all trees and all creatures. I probably absorbed these lessons well because, by the end of the trip, I didn’t get scared of insects and bugs all around me. Swamiji also taught us that He came across some tribal people who share whatever little they have. They sit and wait before they eat during their lunchtime to see if any strangers pass by who are hungry. In the same sense, Swamiji instructed us to prepare food packets and groceries for the flood relief victims. Along with Veda pathasala students, we packed rice, wheat flour, lentils, sugar, salt, and spices. Packing tamarind was messy and sticky. We had a lot of fun doing this. It was such a satisfying experience to watch our food packets get loaded onto the trucks. The ashram gardens are so beautiful I could spend days looking at the flora and fauna. I even made two videos of birds chirping and other calming sounds from the ashram gardens, which already garnered thousands of views on my youtube channel - Srikrishna Explores!. Overall, I feel lucky to have been part of this internship. I like to immensely thank all the VTSeva officials who let me participate in this wonderful trip. I sure want to go on it again if I get an opportunity.

By Sriteja Kataru Summer of 2022 Sriteja Kataru reflects on his VTSeva Summer Internship 2022 experience -- activities he was involved in, lessons learned and insights gained. My moment of absolute contentment and pure joy occurred during a humid afternoon in Allampally, a remote forest village in Telangana, India. It was inside a classroom of a tribal school - the only concrete structure in a dense forest that is officially classified as a tiger reserve. As my friend and I were teaching how each sensor worked in a crowded robotics classroom, everyone craned their necks and listened intently. Our goal of the day was to build a robot that uses its surroundings to move accordingly, somewhat an ambitious goal considering we didn’t have enough time building up to this point. When it was time to assemble the robot, the students excitedly put together the wheels, shaft, and sensors. Next, I started teaching them how to program the code to control the robot. As soon as I was done with basic programming constructs, I saw the students write remarkable programs. When the robot, after a period of debugging and rewriting, successfully sensed the wall and turned around, that was the moment of joy for me. They got it. I could sense their jubilation as they started jumping up and down and high-fiving each other, a gesture we taught them only that morning. My takeaway from this robotics class is that these students are truly grateful for the education they receive, something that children in many other places take for granted. This experience is part of my VT Seva summer internship in India. What started as a routine summer camp quickly became a journey of self-discovery for me. Every notion I originally had about happiness and a good life was constantly challenged. I was compelled to ponder on what brings true joy. Visiting the nearby tribal villages (thandaas) was another rewarding experience for me. As several little kids held my hand and proudly gave me a tour of their villages, I couldn’t help but notice how their faces glowed with contentment. There were no grocery stores, no movie theaters, or no restaurants in sight. They have dirt roads and have electricity only for a few hours a day. How were they so happy? Judging from our conversations, their happiness is rooted in positive thinking. “I am going to study well, get a good government job, and take care of my parents and my villagers”, said Rakesh, one 9th grader. Their happiness is also rooted in gratitude for what they have. They were happy that we came to see them and had new friends to play with. What these Allampally kids taught me is to keep the hope alive. No matter how adverse the situations or scarce the resources are, they are always hopeful for a better tomorrow. These kids hope to secure a respectable government job. The young players fidgeting with their bats in the narrow alley dream of joining the national cricket team one day. Living in harmony with nature is also a part of their immeasurable joy. When I asked whether they were afraid of wild animals attacking them, they said, “We know the animals and the animals know us.” When our bus stopped and gave a ride to kids who were walking by the road, they were visibly elated. And even if they do not have the most comfortable lives, they still manage to have fun, enjoy and laugh by finding happiness in the little, simple joys of life. This is some serious food for thought for me. Overall, I learned plenty of life lessons from these tribal students and villagers. Along with Allampally, I also had the chance to visit and talk to the students at Netra Vidyalaya, a college for visually challenged students. Every time I went there, it was such a thought-provoking experience. Here are some life lessons I learned from these remarkable students: Many people are driven by the stigma surrounding sight loss and often don’t steer away from their misconceptions. My lesson from this is — you don’t need sight to have a vision. They still have vision for the things they are passionate about in life. They love things such as music, fashion, and writing. I was impressed and humbled by how much dedication and passion they put into their work, especially how they work with the JAWS software on the computer and passionately pursue their hobbies. Their lack of eyesight doesn’t stop them from following their passions and reaching their goals. Before this internship, I thought that some things must be impossible to accomplish for visually challenged people but the Netra Vidyalaya students completely changed my mind on this. Some things might be harder to achieve because of vision loss but that doesn’t mean that those things are beyond their reach. They have been able to achieve things and reach goals that I never thought would be possible. They continuously win gold medals in state-level sports and excel in their academics. Because of this, I now firmly believe that you can achieve anything you want to achieve if you have drive and determination. Another insight I have gained from observing and talking to the Netra Vidyalaya students is that it is important to push yourself. I sometimes refuse to do activities because I don’t think I’m capable of achieving them or I feel too anxious to do them. I see some visually challenged kids push themselves out of their comfort zones and compete in sports such as cricket. This taught me that I should always step out of my comfort zone to boost my confidence. In the beginning, the idea of going into a remote tribal village in a rainy season seemed like a daunting task. Now that I have pushed myself to do it, I feel so much better and it has definitely boosted my confidence for the future. Something else I noticed in the Netra Vidyalaya students is that they have a lot of trust in their fellow classmates. How they support each other while walking, how they navigate around their computer classrooms, or even how they eat together for every single meal. This, of course, fosters community spirit and cohesion. During one of our life lesson conversations, our Swamiji taught us our ego stems from three sources. Ego from wealth, ego from education, and ego from position (being from a reputed family or a position of power). Swamiji further taught us that we should be aware of these at all times. This self-awareness further helps with our self-discovery process. Even after the trip ended, my journey of self-discovery continues based on the lessons I received during the trip. This internship taught me not to take my blessings for granted, and before I open my mouth to complain, I remember the face of the little boy, who lost his eyesight at the age of 9 and is still studying hard to become a bank officer. I also realized how trivial my own problems are compared to what others are battling each day. This internship has unquestionably changed my outlook and perspective on life and how I encounter different situations on a daily basis.

This blog will continue to be updated on an ongoing basis for all frontline worker appreciation events, so make sure to check this out for an overview of all our activities! The frontline workers appreciation program will be held on a monthly basis where volunteers will get the opportunity to express their gratitude for both Frisco Police officers and firefighters. Make sure to stay tuned in for further updates! Monthly appreciation breakfast for Frisco Police and Frisco Firefighters on 08/12/22 On August 12th, the VTSeva Dallas team appreciated the services of Police officers & Fire Department officers of Station 9 by sponsoring breakfast for them. One of the highlights of the event was our volunteers being given an excellent orientation by Mr. Jeff White, one of the officers. Monthly appreciation breakfast for Frisco Police and Frisco Firefighters on 09/13/22 On September 13th, the VT Seva Dallas team appreciated the services of Frisco Police officers by sponsoring lunch for them. Here are a couple of pictures from our recent visit: