Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it she stands up for all Women - Maya Angelou If a woman is healthy, the entire family stays productive and happy. Society flourishes. Contributing to a happy society is what we want to achieve in the Health care and Education pillars and were able to accomplish a lot of progress in the past 10+ years serving hundreds of thousands of women. VT Seva is now very happy to host an interactive Women Empowerment Workshop. We want to touch upon the most important basics for the success of every woman. Please participate and encourage all wonderful women in your life to participate. Gentlemen are welcome to participate as you get empowered with the knowledge and as always be there to lift up the women in your lives. Day 1: Saturday, March 26, 2022 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm EST Dr. Nina Tamirisa Assistant Professor, Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX Dr. Preeti Prakash Mathur, M.D. Psychiatrist Proposed topics to be covered Physical and Emotional Well-Being What topics would you like to hear about? o Diet, Nutrition, Meal Planning o Physical Fitness, Exercise o Work-Life Balance o Family Dynamics and Parenting o Impact of COVID-19 on Overall Wellbeing o Shaping a Resilient Frame of Mind o Hormonal Shifts and Impact on Overall Sense of Wellbeing Meeting Link for Day 1 Saturday, March 26, 2022, 2.00 - 3.30 PM EST https://bit.ly/VTSWD _____________________________________________________________________________________ Day 2: Sunday, March 27, 2022 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm EST Proposed topics to be covered Dr. Madhu Nemani Wealth Management Advisor Financial Wellness What topics would you like to hear about? o Financial Selfie and Gap Analysis o College Planning o Retirement Planning o Tax Planning o Legacy Planning o Home Buying, Mortgage, and Refinancing o Asset Management o Stock Market Investment Women Back to Work Ms.Samantha Johnson, SVP & Executive Director, First Citizens Bank What topics would you like to hear about? o Back to Work Readiness o Work-Life Balance o Support System at Work o Job Trends o Hard and Soft Skills o Breaking the Bias Meeting Link for Day 2 Saturday, March 26, 2022, 2.00 - 3.30 PM EST https://bit.ly/VTSWD

VT Seva Cary recently celebrated their first annual Sadaya event. Sadaya, meaning kindness in Sanskrit, was dedicated to Netra Vidyalaya Schools and responsible for uplifting and supporting the education of visually-challenged students. Through splendorous performances and stories, the event was highly successful and inspiring. Through videos that highlighted the struggles, journeys, and achievements of Nethra Vidyalaya students, we witnessed remarkable passion and determination. They provided details regarding their daily life and imparted insight on various other topics. Their most recent and most significant achievement occurred when they received the opportunity to march in the Republic Day Parade. Participating in this prestigious opportunity opened up new doors of opportunity and inspiration among the students and community. Additionally, during our Sadaya event, we discovered the awe-inspiring journey of two alumni students from the Nethra schools. They divulged their educational days and the current career paths they are pursuing. Throughout the event, the audience heard encouraging words about volunteering and the impact of service from the president and vice-president of VT Seva's National Board, Mr. Kiran Vangala, and Ms. Madhavi Donepudi, respectively. In addition to those top-notch speeches, the audience became well acquainted with world-renowned scientist John Cohn. He actively engaged the audience with his breakthrough career and motivated us with words about reaching your dreams and doing what you love. To convey his importance of enjoying one's life, he quoted from one of his favorite Irish play writers, George Bernard Shaw, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." Moreover, VT Seva Cary's Sadaya incorporated entertainment that included a plethora of performances ranging from classical melodies songs to upbeat modern dance performances. Apart from these dances, musical medleys, drumline performances from a local high school, and a Karra Samu performance completed the event. Without a doubt, this incredible event with the meaning of kindness in the atmosphere sparked a movement of understanding and happiness among the audience. VT Seva Cary successfully reached their goal of supporting 80 Nethra Vidyalaya students. The impact from dozens of wonderful families is not lost. To see the audience determined to help and support our Nethra Vidyalaya kids is stupendous and extraordinary. The Sadaya event and the ever-circling meaning of kindness were not just bound to the walls of Zoom but rather augmented outward and beyond. Sadaya was truly an inspiring act of kindness. Thank you to all the donors and volunteers for their support to make this even successful.

“The worst speech you’ll ever give will be far better than the one you never give.” – Fred Miler We can do this well or we can do this badly, and the outcome strongly affects the way that people think about our ideas. This is why public speaking causes so much anxiety and concern. The good news is that, with thorough preparation and practice, you can overcome your nervousness and perform exceptionally well. VT Seva Detroit presents a great opportunity to learn the skills of being a good speaker from a Distinguished Toastmaster - the highest educational award in the Toastmasters program. VT Seva Detroit is conducting an online workshop on March 12 & 19. On the 12th, you will get to learn the tips and tricks of a good speech. With the learned tips and tricks, you get to prepare a speech and present it to the experts on 19th for their valuable feedback. On March 12th, you will learn about 1. Importantance of public speaking skills 2. How to plan and prepare an effective speech 3. How to deliver a speech based on a variety of verbal and non-verbal criteria. 4. Tips and techniques in eliminating verbal fillers 5. How to use visual aids to enhance the speech 6. Tips and techniques to engage the audience. Online Public Speaking Workshop will be conducted by esteemed and experienced Distinguished Toast Master Mr. Raju Brahmandhabheri Mr. Raju Brahmandhabheri is passionate about public speaking and communication skills and has been a Toastmaster (a platform to improve public speaking and leadership skills) for the last 8 years and achieved the DTM (Distinguished Toastmasters) - the highest educational award in the Toastmasters program. By profession, he is an electrical engineer and has been working in the utility industry from the past 18 years. He is currently working as an Engineering Manager at ITC Holdings Corp., Novi, Michigan. He has a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from Mississippi State University. He teaches Electrical Engineering at Lawrence Tech University on a part-time basis as he passionate about teaching. He is a mentor for the high school students to coach/advice/prepare them for the annual Leadership Speech Contest hosted by the National Management Association (NMA). in April this year, he led the efforts to create a new corporate Toastmasters club at his workplace, ITC and continues to mentor the new club. He is one of the founders, past president, and current board member of the Detroit Telangana Community (DTC). Alison Jolliff is originally from England and has been in the US for 10 years. She became a Toastmaster two years ago and is now President of the Novi Toastmasters club. Prior to joining Toastmasters Inter-national, Alison studied to achieve a Master's degree in training and organizational development, and she currently works as a tutor. In this workshop, you will learn public speaking skills on March 12th from Mr. Raju Brahmandhabheri and present your speeches on March 19th to get feedback from both Toastmasters Mr. Raju Brahmandhabheri and Mrs. Alison Jolliff. Please prepare your speech to fit between 120 - 150 seconds in one of the below topics: Equality Are video games good or bad? Or somewhere in between? Does peer pressure helps students grow as individual? All the proceeds from this event goes to support Visually Challenged & Tribal Students education in India. What a great way to support others while become competent in the essential life skill Public Speaking! Don't miss the opportunity to learn from the best!!!! For more details on VTSEVA Please visit

Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. - Booker T. Washington

Required for Basic Class & links Baked cake (Can use box cake mix) American Butter Cream (Follow instructions). https://tinyurl.com/2p9d8t2v Chocolate Melts (Any Color). https://www.michaels.com/sweet-tooth-fairy-meltables/10632879.html Cake Pop sticks: https://tinyurl.com/499jmxvk Vegetable Shortening: https://tinyurl.com/mvyxp264 Optional : Any kind of sprinkles Chocolate Melting Pot: https://tinyurl.com/mskbmvw8 Required for Advanced class (Rose Cake Pops) Cake Pops RedFondant: https://tinyurl.com/2p8r9uey Rose Cutter: https://tinyurl.com/3mmnpeaf Wilton Tool: https://tinyurl.com/2s4efyvp Wilton Rolling Pin: https://tinyurl.com/2p9y984b Starch Powder Silicone Mat to roll: https://tinyurl.com/4cj9ut5y Small brush: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089NND4VJ/ref=emc_b_5_i

While giving is undoubtedly one of the purest feelings for a human being, gratitude is unparalleled in its necessity for human beings. To function properly in society today, every human being must be content, and there is no way of being content without being thankful for what you have. The holidays were off to a great start for us youth VT Seva volunteers being blessed enough to help out the underprivileged community in Frisco. But we were just getting started. What good is it to feel thankful and grateful for what we have without actually thanking those who deserve it? On December 23, we conducted a special event for essential workers in our community to thank them for their service. The essential workers have a special place in all of our hearts and thoughts, and we thank them for making our lives much much easier than they would be without them. With this event, we hoped that they would understand that we do appreciate them and what they do for us. In Dallas, there is a program called Prepare to Prosper, where special needs students make quality handmade products like soaps with the help of their teachers. All of the money they make from selling these products in boxes goes to their education and empowerment programs. We decided to buy many of these boxes so that we could give them to the essential workers as part of an initiative called “Gifts of Gratitude”, as well as make a positive impact on the lives of the special needs children. With this event, we wanted to spread the theme of empathy: the essential workers should feel motivated to continue what they do every day because we empathize with them and show it in our actions. On the day of the event, we were met by many trucks with essential workers and gave them food, t-shirts, and boxes from the special needs children. We were all smiling from ear to ear during the event: they were happy they had someone to appreciate what they did and we were happy that we were able to show them our appreciation for what they do every day. It is important to remember the significance of these essential workers, which many of us may not understand. No matter how stressful our jobs are, in the end, we are only working to support ourselves, or maybe our family. But for these essential workers, their work results in a better society too. During the event, we were all amazed to learn that one of the trash trucks that came was the only all-electric truck of its kind in the entire United States. We were glad that besides being able to show our gratitude and feeling something special, we were able to see something special as well. We hope to inspire all our volunteers to be grateful and to give back to society what we are getting from it. And most importantly, we hope to spread and embody positive qualities that result in a happy family, community, and society.

VT Seva Virginia chapter was able to raise funds to support 70 students at the blind and tribal schools. The event was held on December 19th at 3PM. Our director and a few youth were able to host the event. We had performances from local music and dance schools, Notes & Beats and Srimanthi Saikantha Raparla’s students. Prajna students opened the event, along with diva lighting at Srimanthi Reena Garu’s home and then we had testimonials from Netra Vidyalaya students. JET team invited everyone to join us for the Sarasrabdi event and we also spoke about VT Seva Virginia goals for 2022. We finished with a beautiful melodious performance from Akhila Mamandur, ETV Padutha Teenage winner. Senator Jennifer Boysko joined us for a few encouraging words to end the event. Thank you to all of our attendees and supporters for helping us fulfil our goal of supporting 70 students

The joy of giving is amongst the purest of feelings - one that cannot be portrayed in words but felt deeply by those who empathize. It is that joyful feeling of giving, that warmth that engulfs our hearts when we brighten someone’s life, or even just a day for someone, that is what truly motivates us VTSeva volunteers to give. It is that feeling of empathy and the drive to make a difference that binds us together. It was the season of giving. And we were looking for ways where we could bring a smile to people’s faces and found a way to do so through Frisco Family Services, an organization that aims to help the underprivileged Frisco community. They were very excited that we were helping them out, and we were very excited that we had found an opportunity to do what we loved to do most: give. We knew that this holiday season was going to be a special one for both us, and the community that we were going to be helping out. Our project involved getting a list of gifts and essentials from that community and each volunteer playing our role in buying a part of the list. I was looking forward to this project and was glad that this time, my family could do their holiday shopping for those who needed it most, for that one boy my age whose situation, unfortunately, puts him in circumstances less privileged than my own. This project reminded me of what I had, and what I needed to be thankful for, and prompted me to realize that we are all living life taking different things for granted. But once in a while, if we stopped and looked around, we would realize that our situation is far better than that of a lot of people. If we all did this, the world would be a far better place. With this project, we hoped to inspire this thought in the community. We put all the items we had bought in a shop-like space so that all the members of the underprivileged community would have the enjoyable experience of Holiday shopping. This project also served to remind the underprivileged community that no matter how hard times are, there are always good people willing to make things better for you. And no matter how hard times get, or what obstacles you face in life, we at VT Seva will always be there to help you out and to do what we love to do most: give

With willpower, we can build an inclusive society, where visually challenged or other underprivileged people, would not be treated as a hindrance to progress but measured as a strength in building an all-inclusive society says Lalitha Killaka, who won silver and bronze medals in 100meters and 400m running competitions at 3rd Indian National Para Olympics. Lalitha has had vision and hearing impairment since birth, her parents are laborers for who simple expectations like eating meals every day is a dream, they live in a very remote tribal area that is not accessible. Lalitha is a true inspiration, she never let her challenges become obstacles in life, she has shown dedication towards her game practice and studies successfully. She says, “I am an asset at any place I go, I always seek new opportunities and through my hard work, want to break the belief that visually challenged people are a liability. I dream of being self-sustained and build a house for my parents. This dream would not have been envisioned without Netra Vidyalaya .” She believes Netra Vidyalaya is a pillar of strength that lifts underprivileged visually challenged students and gives them a safe space, where even their state of mind is understood and guided in the right direction . Dear friend, Thanks to you All the 1300+ underprivileged and visually challenged children’s education and complete care is taken care of for the year. Put in a total of 35,000+ volunteer hours to conduct a total of 250+ events in USA to serve many community projects like Homeless shelters. Walkathon’s for causes like ending hunger, cancer awareness..etc. Summer Camps/Workshops. Environmental awareness events. Professional Seminars/Health camps. Built 75 toilets in remote villages in Southern India. Partnering with like-minded organizations to create a digital library for all the visually challenged across India. Sponsor T20 cricket championship team for visually challenged. Inspire 1000’s of youth across USA through service leadership programs. On behalf of all of them, THANK YOU for your generosity, support, and kindness. At VT Seva, we believe that everyone has a gift. We call this light because a gift is something you give away, but the light is something you share. Like a lighted candle that ignites another candle and transforms all who are present, both the giver and receiver’s light get brighter. All of us have needs and all of us have gifts. At VT Seva, we believe that the purpose of life is to discover those gifts and share them with others in the name of service, empathy, and love . If you haven’t had a chance to empower a child this year or would like to empower one more child or for any specific cause, we urge you to donate now to take advantage of the 2021 tax-deductible donations. Because of YOU , we have the ability to touch people's lives in a way that they probably never thought possible at the moment that they need us the most. Because of You , We Serve. Because of You , We Empower. Because of You , We Save Lives. Because of You , We Don't Give Up! Your Support is Our Strength THANK YOU . REAL IMPACT , BECAUSE OF YOU Click here to Join our mailing list to stay on top of volunteering opportunities.

VT Seva supported Nethra Vidyalaya student Ms. Lalitha Killaka secured a Silver Medal for 100 meters and Bronze Medal for 400 meters in 3rd Indian Open National Para Athletics Championship 2021 at Bengaluru. The competitions were held on 19th and 20th December at Sports Authority of India Athletic grounds. See how VT Seva is helping the students of Nethra Vidyalaya excel in academics, sports and fine arts. Be part of their journey, support them.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. - Hellen Keller VT Seva Cary has the pleasure of inviting to you Sadaya our Annual Fundraising event. With your support, we would like to provide free education/boarding to visually challenged and underserved students through Nethra Vidyalaya and Jeeyar Gurukulam schools in India. Learn more about Nethra Vidyalaya Schools here Learn more about Schools for Tribal students here VT Seva appreciates our volunteers and donors – because of your support, enthusiasm, and collaborative efforts, great work is possible!

"Blindness is an unfortunate handicap but true vision does not require the eyes.” - Helen Keller. Either be academics or sports or arts, our Nethravidyalaya students always proved these words of Helen Keller true by their achievements that vision does not require eyes. “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." Helen Keller. Every VTSeva volunteer has the vision to support educations of visually challenged, tribal, women health, and environment protection. VTSeva Austin team 2021 last quarter took the opportunity to be part of the lives of Visually challenged by conducting the V asudha annual event to celebrate the 2021 volunteer services in Austin and to support 75 visually challenged students Nethra Vidyalaya of India. On December 5th, we celebrated the annual, VT Seva community mela (fair) event. This was a free event, and people of all ages showed up to enjoy this time. Out in the stunning garden, there were various activities, such as games, arts and crafts, henna design, and even jewelry/decoration was being sold at the stalls. The aromas of the food being served at food stalls by our VT Seva youth volunteers were wafting through the air, and the laughter of kids was coming from every direction. Many people got wonderful henna designs from the henna booth as well. It was incredibly tranquil, and the clear, sunny weather added to the meditative environment. Within the building, our Youth leaders presented the Vision and mission of VTSeva and then started the live music event. Many of the VT Seva volunteers got to show their musical talents and it was, in the opinion of all the volunteers, one of the best things at the event. A multitude of instruments was being played and the music was simply amazing. This entire event was a break from the stresses of everyday life. Youth volunteers were determined to explain to all the visitors about the VT Seva mission and Nethra Vidyalaya encouraging donations. In the midst of this event were the highlights of our elementary volunteers who were enthusiastic in selling their handmade jewelry and donating the proceeds to Nethra Vidyalaya. Volunteering spirit was filled in the air and every child and youth were totally motivated with the giving spirit. All youth were engaged in cash counters, requesting donations, engaging kids with games and workshops, serving food, selling at stalls, anchoring, participating in the musical event. The Paper quilling art workshop has attracted the crowd rounding the table. The bean bag throwing game had made many kids engaged well and ignited the sports spirit. To top all the fun, and happiness, all the money donated from this mela had been sent straight to schools for the blind, such as Netra Vidyalaya, and to tribal schools. The money is going to be used to provide daily meals, educational tools, technology, lab facilities, libraries, and give these kids access to many of the amenities in school we take for granted in our life. We thank all our sponsors whose support is our strength. Special Thanks to Sri Jagannath Vedula for guiding us with the event and Sri Hemanth Bhagawatula and Sri Srinivas Kumar Savitala for making the event more enjoyable with the sound system they have provided.

In the words of Hellen Keller, “There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark.” The Atlanta VT Seva team aspired to emulate these immortal words of Hellen Keller through our Subha annual event. The word 'Subha' represents the first ray of light in the horizon, the light that slowly transforms even the darkest of nights into a bright, beautiful sunrise . It symbolizes hope, light, and happiness even in the most obscure and difficult times. The Atlanta team aimed to spread this light into the lives of the special-needs children of Laurel Heights Hospital in Atlanta and the visually challenged children of Nethra Vidyalaya in India, with our Subha program . The Annual event was organized on Dec 4th, 2021 in which Atlanta youth presented a cultural program comprising of a Subha skit, instrumental compositions, Indian classical songs, and a variety of Indian classical dances, such as Kuchipudi, Bhangara, and Bollywood. The program commenced with the Chief Guest, Corey Jackson from Laurel Heights hospital, lighting an auspicious lamp and Naimisha Kodali, the emcee, reciting a prayer. This was followed by the American and Indian National Anthems sung by VT Seva youth and a welcome speech from Naimisha. After this, the Atlanta VT Seva Director, Dr. Madhu Nemani thanked Swami ji for the Subha blessings and welcomed the chief guest, Jet & Prajna coordinators, other esteemed members (Dr. Smitha Batulla and Sonia Rice from Laurel Heights, Nazeera Da, and City Council member Dilip Tunki), and all the kindhearted volunteers. She addressed the significance of Subha and how it will impact the lives of the Blind/Visually Challenged kids of Nethra Vidyalaya. Subsequently, VT Seva Mission and Vision was presented, which was followed by a classical song and 3 instrumental songs performed by the VT Seva youth. Next, the Atlanta Branch VT Seva 2021 initiatives were presented by Hithesh Gazzala (Communication Lead) and Anuradha Gazzala (VT Seva Treasurer). Their presentation highlighted the April Cool environmental project, the mask making project for Laurel Heights Hospital in which over 10,000 masks were made, a summer camp in which VT youth were the tutors and raised money for the covid relief fund, healthcare webinars, participation in the American Heart Walk, Halloween candy drive for US troops, the creation of VT Seva Lambert school club, and many more projects/activities. This was followed by a Subha skit presented by the Lambert VT Seva youth . In this skit, they demonstrated how their mask-making project has impacted the lives of special-needs kids at the Atlanta Laurel Heights Hospital and how their efforts helped in raising $2000 to support the education of the visually challenged kids in India. Afterwards, there was a thrilling Bhangra dance performance by Kishan’s Bhangra group, followed by a Bollywood dance on “Taare Zameen Par '' by Shiv’s Dance Institute. Next, Revathi Dance School fused both Indian and Spanish styles and performed kuchipudi on the famous hit, “Despacito.” This was followed by a solo bharatanatyam dance by a VT youth. Next, the VT Seva Director recognized all the contributions from the supporters and sponsors. She appreciated the Gold sponsorship by the Laurel Heights and presented a memento to the Chief guest, Corey Jackson, Dr. Smitha Batulla, and Sonia Rice. She also recognized the Silver sponsors: Somireddy Law Group, SLR Mortgage, AHP Real Estate Ventures, and Prism IT, with mementos for their generous support. Mr. Corey recognized all the children who have stitched the masks for the Special Needs Kids of Laurel Heights by providing them a certificate. Later, all cultural participants were also acknowledged by Dr. Madhu for their excellent cultural performance and outstanding contribution. Afterwards, 3 amazing classical Indian dance performances were presented by Atlanta youth. Last but not the least, Dr. Madhu appreciated the hard work of all the Atlanta team members consisting of decoration team, tech support, food team, backstage, registration, cleanup, cultural, and all the selfless Seva volunteers. Overall, this function was quite literally an illuminating experience! The delightful dances, the meaningful messages, and the soulful songs together created an unforgettable afternoon. It was so heartwarming to see all the support, not only from the performers, but from the entire community! The Atlanta VT Seva team thanks everyone who supported their cause from the bottom of their heart. In the words of Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus: “Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.” The empathetic and sincere efforts of the Atlanta VT Seva team has illuminated the lives of 100 plus special-needs/visually challenged kids by donating 10,000 masks to the special-needs and raising funds for the education of 100 visually challenged. We will continue to do our part right with Swami Ji’s Blessings and spread the joy & happiness of Subha in years to come. ---- Atlanta VT Seva Team Click here to donate Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. – Helen Keller We believe in positivism and humanism in the midst of the pandemic landscape. The path we have taken to accomplish this goal is to engage Atlanta youth and adults productively in preparations and presentation of our Annual event - ‘SUBHA ’. In this event, Atlanta youth will present a cultural program and exhibit their contribution towards impacting the lives of Special Needs Kids (Visually Challenged) and support environmental sustainability. Because of these encouraging gestures by Atlanta youth for years, many kind hearts & philanthropists have responded positively by donating their money, time, and efforts to support the cause wholeheartedly. You can also be part of this Giving gesture. Your act of giving will illuminate the lives of visually challenged - bringing ‘SUBHA’ (Light, Hope & Happiness) in their lives. We can all be SUBHA for someone else today! VT Seva Atlanta's goal for this year is to support the education of 100 Visually Challenged students. Our goal for this year is to support the education of 100 Visually Challenged students. Optionally you can also donate through Zelle. Please login into your bank portal, then choose Zelle payments and send your chosen donation to treasurer@vtsworld.org . Please add a note stating the cause, " VT Seva Atlanta Subha 2021 ". Thanks! Click here to donate We welcome you to be part of our vibrant team to join our ongoing fun volunteering activities and to make our First Annual Event - Subha a grand success. For anymore questions, please reach out to @atlanta.director@vtsworld.org or 404-819-8623. PROGRAM SCHEDULE FOR SUBHA

Please join us for our VT Seva Virginia Annual Event Subhada on Dec 19th. An afternoon of celebration and fun Every sunrise is an invitation for us to arise and brighten someone's day.” – Richelle E.

This the season of giving. And what better way to serve our community than to give smiles. And what better time than the holiday season for us to come together and help our community in need. We have a list/wish list of things put together based on our conversation with the community services. So this week and next while you’re shopping for your families, think also about GIVING to the families truly in need. Youth members, please take a picture of yourself and what you shopped so that we can add all this to the Dallas webpage. Looking forward to all your participation. Please pass this on to your family, friends and community.

The Cricket Team from Andhra Pradesh won the national championship for Cricket Tournament for the blind for the 3rd consequetive year. Students/Alumni from Nethra Vidyalaya supported by VT Seva are part of this winning Team. In 2021, due to the Covid pandemic, there was no organization in Andhra Pradesh that would come forward to conduct selection trials for forming the Andhra Pradesh team that would later represent the state at the National T20 Cricket tournament. Our Nethra Vidyalaya took responsibility and successfully conducted the trials. Three players from Nethra Vidyalaya - Mr. Punya Srinath (10th class student) and Mr. Gopal & Mr. Ravindra (Alumni) got selected for the state team. Not only did our institution support the 3 students with expenses for travel and training, but also enabled other visually challenged enthusiasts to form a team for the state. VT Seva has contributed $12,000 (8 lakh Indian rupees) appreciation prize money to the Andhra Pradesh Cricket team through our CEO Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji. Rs 50,000 was given to each of the 16 players to aid them in better training and performance, winning laurels for the nation. In 2 019 and 2020, VT Seva supported Nethra Vidyalaya students & alumni represented the Andh ra Pradesh state cricket team in the National T20 championship , and emerged as champions competing against 23 states in India. Being champions back-to-back years is a huge accomplishment and now they won the championship again for the third time. We congratulate the team and are happy for the opportunity to support them. We thank all the supporters who are enabling the all-round success of the visually challenged students through Nethra Vidyalaya institutions. Learn how you can help us support more students chase their dreams be self-reliant. VT Seva's impact in empowering visually challenged.

We are happy to share the news that our VT Seva volunteer, Sriteja Kataru, aged 14, has been appointed to the Student Advisory Board for the congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo, of the 18th congressional district. Under this role, Sriteja will be responsible for making policy proposals addressing the issues affecting kids and teenagers. Sriteja remarked, “I sincerely thank Rep. Anna Eshoo for this opportunity. I excitedly look forward to working with her. My VTSeva volunteering activities first exposed me to the issues faced by the local community. They allowed me to participate in activities that are not only fun and fulfilling but also enhanced my appreciation for the community service by showing the level of impact these service activities can have on the bay area community.” “Sriteja has been a long-time VT Seva volunteer, and, currently he is acting as our health services manager too. We are happy to note that he has been selected for this leadership position. Having personally known him for a long time, I am confident that he will do his best to serve the kids of this congressional district”, said Archana Bellary, Director of VT Seva Bay Area Branch. “We wish Sriteja all the best in his new leadership role.” If you are cognizant of any issues related to kids’ health and mental wellness at your school or community, please feel free to reach out to Sriteja Kataru so that he can incorporate them into his future policy proposals to address them appropriately.

Hello dear friends, my name is Akshaya. and an 8th grader. Some of my hobbies are gardening, reading and drawing. From a young age I was also eager to help others. But I did not know how to do this in a way that would have a greater impact on people, till I joined VT Seva to help less privileged kids. As many of you know, VT Seva is an organization that raises funds and donates to Netra Vidyalaya School for the blind, the homeless, and the less fortunate kids. Many people want to help with this mission but don’t know how to and/or do not have the time to volunteer. I joined VT Seva to see if I could change that in me . Because I liked helping others, I enjoyed this opportunity to change someone’s life for the better. I chose to sponsor a child's education because it would give them a possibility to create a new path in their life. In the spring, our VT Seva group decided to grow vegetable plants and sell them to get donations from people. I really enjoyed doing that project because of my love for nature, and being surrounded by plants and animals. This inspired me to grow Tulasi plants and give them to donors who were willing to contribute to this cause. Since Tulasi Matha is a form of Lakshmi Devi, I wanted to bring prosperity into a child's life and to all who supported my goal to help educate a child. I want to continue volunteering with VT Seva because it is an organization that works for a meaningful cause. The experiences I have gained through this project taught me a handful of unique skills, such as making fliers, communicating with people, and tracking donation information. I would like to thank Swamiji , my parents, the aunties and uncles who donated, and the VT Seva board for helping me in this journey. I was also able to execute this project with the blessings of God. This opportunity means a lot to me, and I hope that I will get to do more work like this.