No matter how far we come, our parents are always in us. - Brad Meltze r VT SEVA Detroit youth board presents great opportunity for making Greeting card on the occasion of Mother's/Father's day for Senior Citizens to show them that they are loved. Project Start Date: Apr -11-2021 Project End Date: May-01-2021 Card Requirements: 1. Cards should be creative and heartfelt (write it like you would make one for your own grandma/grandpa). 2. Each person will need to make 4 Mother's Day cards and 2 Father's Day cards. 3. Greeting cards are made out of thick, sturdy paper. Cardstock is recommended. 4. Do not include your personal details (only state that it's coming from a VT Seva Detroit Youth Board volunteer) or any religious messages in your card. These cards will be going out to three senior centers: Manoogian Manor, Oakmont Communities, and Woodhaven. For More details & Volunteering opportunities Please reach us Priya : detroit.youthdirector@vtsworld.org / (313) 529-0824 Srinath: detroit.director@vtsworld.org / (949) 232-9477 Please let us know ASAP if you plan on participating. Your Support is our strength to Serve. Thank you everyone!

What is the use of a house if you don’t have a decent planet to put it on? – Henry David Thoreau Authored by - Shraddha , Minnesota 16 years old Planet Earth is warming slowly each day, and as time ticks by, the issues surrounding the climate are getting more difficult to ignore. Carbon dioxide emissions are creeping higher and higher due to crowded infrastructure, irresponsible waste disposal, and the ever-growing population. As our world sinks deeper into the climate crisis, it has become more crucial than ever to utilize sustainable practices and care for the environment. VTSeva plays a big role in encouraging the community- and especially the next generation- to educate themselves about the dangers of global warming and take initiatives to alleviate its effects. VTSeva, which exists on the foundations of service and compassion to all, takes pride in creating opportunities to “go green”. This is clearly demonstrated through many of VTSeva’s past activities, which revolve around the #MotherEarth campaign. For one, tree plantation is a popular activity among many. Volunteers regularly sign up to plant trees in the community and are able to foster growth and greenery in their area. Moreover, many volunteers across the United States have taken the initiative to “Adopt a Spot”. Each “Spot” is an area of land which they attend to and regularly clean up. In doing so, volunteers can enrich and contribute to their community. On top of direct community involvement, multiple VTSeva volunteers engaged in the 90 day environment challenge and each created a video detailing their accomplishments. The videos range from information about composting to proper methods of recycling. The dedication of the youth is clearly shown in the videos. By advocating for the environment in this manner, they were able to make a difference in their lives and the lives of those around them. No matter how dire the Earth’s condition may be today, it is important to always remember that any action taken will make an impact. Be the one to step up and create initiative for your community- observe proper methods of recycling, start composting, plant some trees, or clean up your community park. Most of all, remember to encourage those around you to follow in your footsteps. To learn more on how others have made a difference in our environment, visit vtsworld.org. And remember, change starts with you.

I got the opportunity to learn about the prison located within the department where all the prisoners are first taken when arrested in Frisco, take a peek inside the 911 call center and check out a few of the officer's workspaces. I am Meghana Aduri, a youth volunteer in the VT Seva Dallas chapter. I am a 7th grader at Roach Middle School in Frisco I was excited to visit the Frisco Police Department on March 5th, 2021, and got an opportunity to interact and learn the way police officers perform their jobs and how they are assigned to different zones within the city. They sounded very confident and passionate about what they do, and I learned that they deal with cases like robberies, crimes, and fire-related incidents besides patrolling the city. We took many pictures with the police and enjoyed talking and spending time with them. Sponsoring appreciation lunches for the police was a great way to show our gratitude towards them. The tour of the Frisco Police Department on March 22nd was one of the most interesting experiences that I ever had. I got the opportunity to learn about the different programs that the department offers for youth, see the gadgets that the officers wear and their use, view inside the police officer's car, and check out the different electronics used. I got the opportunity to learn about the prison located within the department where all the prisoners are first taken when arrested in Frisco, take a peek inside the 911 call center and check out a few of the officer's workspaces. Unlike what most people think about police officers as being very serious, Officer Radd Rotello, who gave us the tour was very friendly and cheerful, explained all the aspects of the police department in detail and with patience, answering all our questions. Overall, the tour was an exciting experience and I would recommend all the kids to avail themselves of this opportunity to take the tour, know your police officers and appreciate what they do for us.

Speaking and interacting with the police officers, by asking them questions and hearing about their thoughts on different aspects of the job, revealed to us a much more approachable and friendly reality of officer's personalities that contrasts stereotypes many citizens hold of the police being intimidating! I am Akshara, a volunteer with VT SEVA for nearly five years. The police appreciation initiative in Frisco was a wonderful experience for me- it was a valuable opportunity to not only show gratitude towards these officers for their selfless work, but also to learn more about the specific duties and services they perform every day. Speaking and interacting with the police officers, by asking them questions and hearing about their thoughts on different aspects of the job, revealed to us a much more approachable and friendly reality of officer's personalities that contrasts stereotypes many citizens hold of the police being intimidating! I think this would be a truly rewarding opportunity for anyone in our community to gain as well as give back in a meaningful way.

The experience was a lot of fun, and I would definitely do it again! My name is Sahiti and I am a member of the VT Seva Dallas group that went to the Frisco Police Department. The experience was a lot of fun, and I would definitely do it again! We met a police officer who acted as our tour guide, and saw his weapons, different tools police officers use, etc.) It was very interactive, and we got to go inside the jail and a squad car (which was interesting). All in all, going to the Frisco Police Department was a lot more fun and interesting than I thought it would be, and I learned a lot more about what our police officers do for us.

Because of this event, I have a newfound respect for our police and the work that they do. It was a wonderful experience! The police officer guiding us was so kind and friendly. I went into this event thinking that I knew most of what was there to know about the police force, but I learned so much! Because of this event, I have a newfound respect for our police and the work that they do.

We learned a lot of cool things like that most police officers never have to use their firearms and that their tool belt alone weighs about 30 pounds! It was a great learning experience and I really had an amazing time. I am a VT Seva youth volunteer in the Dallas branch. I volunteered at Frisco police station to provide the officers with an appreciation lunch on March 5th, 2021. It was truly an incredible experience, me and a few other youth volunteers had the opportunity to speak with the officers and take photos with them. We also asked them a few questions about their difficult job, and we thanked them for all the hard work they do. It was amazing to clearly see the joy in their eyes from being appreciated and hear stories about their job. It was an impactful experience and I recommend you do the same for our very important police officers. On March 22nd, 2021, had the privilege to volunteer at a police station in Frisco and even get a tour of the station. The officer who gave us the tour explained what each room was for, made jokes and he taught us about what it’s like to be a police officer. We learned a lot of cool things like that most police officers never have to use their firearms and that their tool belt alone weighs about 30 pounds! It was a great learning experience and I really had an amazing time. I would gladly do it again and I highly recommend all of you readers to try it out too!

This was truly a great experience for me, to meet some great people who make sure we are safe and happy, and I would really love to do it again. Hi! My name is Sriram, and I am a VT Seva Dallas Youth Volunteer. I have done many things over the years as a VT Seva Volunteer, but never would I have thought that I would meet the police. It actually happened today on March 5th, 2021. Me and my family along with some other volunteers and friends drove to Frisco. Why did we do that you may ask? We wanted to appreciate the police officers for keeping all of us safe and doing their duty. We went inside and looked around at the police station. It was huge! We then went into a room and officers joined us there. We talked to them, thanked them, and even asked questions. I remember that I asked one of the officers “What was your most interesting case recently?” They mentioned about recent fire accident incident in Frisco and the role they played in ensuring the safety of the residents. I found it educational and felt grateful to them. Afterwards we took some pictures, thanked them once again, and drove home. This was truly a great experience for me, to meet some great people who make sure we are safe and happy, and I would really love to do it again. On March 22nd, 2021, I and 8 more VT Seva youth volunteers went to tour the Frisco Police Center. It was not what I thought it would be at ALL. We first were greeted by a Police officer who was our tour guide for the orientation. He was extremely welcoming and introduced us to himself and gave us a brief overview. He proceeded to show us around the center, and we asked many questions and he responded to all of them. He talked about his equipment, he showed us his squad car and all its cool gadgets and showed us around the building. Sadly, we didn't get to see the jail due to Covid safety measures, but we had a ton of fun and it was an amazing learning experience about how police keep us safe. This happens once a month so you all can do it too!

Before I went for the tour, I was kind of scared and nervous on seeing an officer. Now, after the tour I feel totally different knowing that the police officers are there to help and protect us and keep the citizens safe. My name is Keerthana Aduri, studying 4th grade at Ashley Elementary in Frisco and I am a VT Seva Dallas youth volunteer. I truly felt happy and excited when I went to visit the Frisco Police Department on March 5th, 2021. My favorite part was when I saw the surprised and happy expressions of the police officers when they realized that we were serving them lunch. I also learned things that I didn’t know before, such as how the police officers worked and how they were working under covid conditions. We also took many photos with the officers. Sponsoring the appreciation lunch made me feel very happy and joyful. I think it was really exciting to take the tour of the Frisco Police Department on March 22nd, 2021 and meet the very cool Officer Radd Rotello. We saw the gear the police officers wear and what they use them for. We also got to look inside a police officer's car and noticed the different useful items that the officers carry with them. The officer also told us some interesting facts about the prisoners that they had and showed us where they are brought first after arrested. He also talked about different programs that the kids can attend such as the explore program. Before I went for the tour, I was kind of scared and nervous on seeing an officer. Now, after the tour I feel totally different knowing that the police officers are there to help and protect us and keep the citizens safe.

I was so happy to be able to meet such great officers they were really considerate, understanding, and patient as they answered every question. I am Radhika a volunteer from VT Seva. On the first Sunday of March , my fellow volunteers and I had the honor to serve food to the Frisco police department. It was an amazing experience to see the ones that protect us day and night so we have no worries regarding our safety. We asked some questions to the first responders we met and they said some things that I did not expect. For example, they had explained that there are around 20 departments and that Frisco has one of the best responding times. They went on to say that COVID-19 has changed some of the things they do to make sure the citizens are safe. I was so happy to be able to meet such great officers they were really considerate, understanding, and patient as they answered every question. Overall it was a fun experience and I would love to do it again.

We also got to see the office area of the police officers, the area where they take all the evidence and many more places at the department. It was an honor to meet with the Frisco Police Department on March 5th 2021. It was an exciting experience to interact with the police officers while offering them token of appreciation lunch provided by VT Seva. It helped me to understand what the Police officers do and also how they help the community to keep us all safe. In the end it was a very good opportunity to provide appreciation lunch and having a nice conversation with the police officers. I would recommend youth volunteers to participate in it and to get to know their local police department. Thank you, VT Seva for giving me this opportunity. On March 22nd, 2021, we got an opportunity to take a tour of the Frisco Police Department. When we first entered the building, we were met by a police officer who acted as tour guide, gave us an orientation on some programs the Frisco police department offers for children and adults and some things that the police officers do. The police officer was also very funny and also informative and answered all of our questions. The officer also showed us his squad car and explained about the devices in his car. We also got to see the office area of the police officers, the area where they take all the evidence and many more places at the department. Due to COVID we didn’t get chance to visit jail and 911 call center for the safety of the officers. Overall, it was wonderful experience and I recommend all the youth volunteers take part in this program.

On March 5th, 2021, VT Seva Dallas started monthly Appreciation lunch to 80+ Police officers and staff at the City of Frisco appreciating their services to keep us safe. We will be conducting this on monthly basis throughout the year. Youth gets an opportunity to thank the police, interact with them to learn about the law, services and get motivated to grow up as law-abiding citizens. They also get to take pictures with the officers. Our gesture was greatly appreciated by them thanking VT Seva on their media channels . To encourage our VT Seva youth volunteers, Frisco Police Department offered to provide an interactive informative orientation session on a monthly basis honoring our request. In words of youth volunteers who participated in the appreciation lunch and tour of the police department - "It helped me to understand what the Police officers do and also how they help the community to keep us all safe" - Viraaj Gorukanti "I have done many things over the years as a VT Seva Volunteer, but never before would I have thought that I would meet the police. It actually happened today." - Sriram Vennamaneni "Speaking and interacting with the police officers, by asking them questions and hearing about their thoughts on different aspects of the job, revealed to us a much more approachable and friendly reality of officer's personalities that contrasts stereotypes many citizens hold of the police being intimidating!" - Akshara Sankar "My favorite part was when I saw the surprised and happy expressions of the police officers when they realized that we were serving them lunch." - Keerthana Aduri "We asked some questions to first responders we met and they said some things that I did not expect. For example they had explained that there are around 20 departments and that Frisco has one of the best responding times" - Radhika Manthena "They sounded very confident and passionate about what they do, and I learned that they deal with cases like robberies, crimes, and fire-related incidents besides patrolling the city." - Meghana Aduri "It was amazing to clearly see the joy in their eyes from being appreciated and hear stories about their job. " - Lakshman Vennamaneni On March 22nd, we had our first tour of the Police department office, where Police officers provided behind-the-scenes experience with hands-on education about various departments, squad car, cool gadgets & equipment that aid them to keep us safe. They explained how 911 calls work and how dispatch flow works. Youth expressed their enthusiasm about this and we plan to have at least 100 youngsters get benefitted from this project in 2021. "It was a wonderful experience! The police officer guiding us was so kind and friendly. I went into this event thinking that I knew most of what was there to know about the police force, but I learned so much! Because of this event, I have a newfound respect for our police and the work that they do." - Sahana Peechara "We met a police officer who acted as our tour guide, and saw his weapons, different tools police officers use, etc.) It was very interactive, and we got to go inside the jail and a squad car (which was interesting)." - Sahiti Peechara

To make a difference in someone's world, you don't have to be amazing, rich, talented, or beautiful. You just have to be you and CARE. - Rebecca Fox Volunteering in 2020 was unprecedented, with the pandemic, not being able to do in-person volunteering, and a lot of uncertainty. But, VT Seva Cary quickly adapted to these trying times by coming up with creative ways to volunteer. Our youth volunteers smoothly transitioned to volunteering their time either virtually or in other ways while maintaining covid protocols. Making cloth masks and distributing them at a senior center, providing lunch to our healthcare workers at Rex and UNC, a two-week online summer camp teaching various skills and subjects, pumpkin carving sessions, a bake sale, biking for donations, making greeting cards for our healthcare workers and patients at UNC, on-line tutoring and college app sessions were few of the ways our youth volunteers volunteered their time in 2020. On February 21st, 2021, some of these VT Seva Cary youth volunteers received their Presidential Volunteers Service Awards at a small ceremony while maintaining social distance. In total, we had eight gold, one silver, and four bronze awards. Volunteers who received the awards are Ashrith Desu, Dhriti Koneru, Ishani Dasyam, Lakshmi Annugu, Mahathi Mallela, Manasvi Gudibandi, Monish Manne, Neeraja Boppana, Rohitha Sanka, Sribhaavita Nekkalapudi, Srichandrika Changalvala, Srinivas Tirunagari, and Thanuj Desu. Together, these kids volunteered a total of 1,617 hours in 2020. Hearty congratulations to them! We would like to thank their parents as none of this would have been possible without their amazing support!! An award calls for a celebration and these kids wanted to celebrate too. But, they wanted to celebrate a little differently this year. So, they donated $35 each, thus raising around $500. With this money they sponsored meals for a day (24th February 2021) to all the students at all the VT Seva Sponsored schools in INDIA - Netra Vidyalaya (School for the visually challenged kids), Netra College (College for the visually challenged kids), and Tribal school (School for kids living in tribal areas), thus showing true volunteerism in their celebrations too. What a wonderful and inspiring way to celebrate any occasion! If you would like to celebrate your special occasions similarly then please visit the below link to know more about the ‘Feed a School’ program. https://www.vtsworld.org/specialoccasion To recognize the efforts of these kids, on February 28th,2021, the VT Seva Cary youth board directed their first PVSA awards ceremony. This eventful session opened up with a blast of energetic words from our directors Kalyani Sanka and Sowjanya Thungathurti, and our amazing emcee and youth board President, Chandrika Changalvala. Then, Thanuj Desu and Ashrith Desu talked about the various activities VT Seva Cary took up so far in 2021. The ceremony started with some inspirational words from our guest speaker, Dawn Dixon. Dawn is the volunteer coordinator for FSSeries, a nonprofit organization specializing in marathon events to raise funds for the REX hospital and other organizations. These funds go towards research for incurable diseases. Recently, she funded education for two visually challenged kids. Dawn spoke of her experience in volunteering and service, helping our volunteers learn how to branch out to gain more experience. While sharing her experience of working with our VT Seva volunteers she said, “In the past, when I have worked with your group, they have been wonderful kids to work with. They have been dedicated and very focused on the task. It’s rewarding to see how much they want to give to the community and how they help the athletes.” Then, our advisor Chakradhar Sriperumbudur spoke about the PVSA awards and volunteerism and the effect it has on the community. Here is an excerpt from his speech, “Do you know what it takes to be a volunteer?: Generosity... willingness... time... understanding... empathy... compassion... patience... dedication. You have shown all these qualities and much more. Thanks for the difference you have made. Because of you, my friend, someone will have enough to eat tonight, someone will have decent clothes to wear, someone will have shelter. Because of you, someone knows that there is at least one person in this world that cares for them. This world is a better place because you volunteer.” Then our PVSA Award winners were recognized by Aravind Parankusam and Subrahmanyam Nekkalapudi. The award winners were asked to speak about their experience and journey that led them to this award. Each volunteer gave incredible speeches that were very motivational to the audience. Below are a few excerpts from their speeches, “The events I went to have taught me that I should always be thankful and appreciative for the people around me.” “Teaching in the summer camp helped me personally because not only did I gain life skills...it also helped me gain a career interest in STEM and computer science.” “At an event I remember it was really cold...and at one point our toes got numb...but I realized that you need to give nourishment and encouragement to the runners and that’s what pushed me forward to just stand there and volunteer all I can.” “Volunteering helped me understand what it means to truly give back to the community and helped me define who I am as a person.” “Volunteering with VT Seva has edified me into being a better leader and bring the best out of me. It has not only taught me to give back but has also helped me get out of my personal box.” “Through VT Seva not only was I becoming an active member of the community, but I was also becoming a better person.” “One of the greatest things that VT Seva has to offer is motivation and encouragement. They will help you in anything you want to pursue.” “VT Seva made me realize how much an individual can do for the community, how important it is to respect and be thankful to people who do so much for us and how much of an impact I can have on the community.” After the open mic with the award winners, Ishani Dasyam introduced VT Seva Cary’s monthly spotlight performance by one of our very own youth volunteers, Sribhaavita Nekkalapudi. Bhaavita played an improvised piece on the drums, in quite a unique circumstance. She had just returned from a seven-hour fundraiser video shoot for our local temple and was fully decked in traditional classical dance attire. It was quite a unique combination of traditional meets western. She gave an energetic performance which left the audience speechless. Session was concluded by conducting a quick game of Kahoot, run by youth volunteer Rohitha Sanka. It was both engaging and entertaining, thus bringing the week-long celebrations of our PVSA award winners to an end. Needless to say, it was a very successful event, leaving all of our volunteers inspired and motivated. Kudos to the volunteers for all their efforts and continued support to this great mission.

VT Seva Detroit Youth Board is working towards a goal of implementing at least one project each month which is initiated by Youth Board members. We had a busy and successful 1st quarter. The team has implemented 4 projects in the 1st quarter. o Operation Gratitude Project o Rescue Animal Towel Collection Project o Foster Care Clothes Drive o Grocery Bag Donation Operation Gratitude Project: VT Seva Detroit Youth Board Thanking our Deployed Troops Operation Gratitude is a program that supplies deployed troops and frontline responders with a variety of necessities including blankets, bags, and letters. VT Seva Detroit Youth Board Member Harish came up with this idea and all the group Youth Board members came together to make handwritten letters for these people who put their lives on the line every day. Writing letters is a very quick process, yet it still means the world to the recipients. By working on this project, Detroit Youth Board members thanked all the troops and responders who have been putting themselves in harm's way to keep us safe amid a global pandemic. 23 members participated and wrote 190 letters to our deployed troops. This is the least our youth can do to show their gratitude for the service of our troops. In this high-tech world, penmanship is becoming a lost art. This project provided the opportunity for our youth to discover their writing skills and creativity. Thank You Troops for keeping us safe Youths who participated in this project are Abhinav, Adhvaith, Aishani, Amogh, Anagha, Dhanya, Harish, Hiba, Kaavya, Niharika, Nikhil, Nikita, Oviya, Rashmita, Risha, Sanjana, Shrikha, Sohan, Srihari, Supraja, Sveya, Vaibhav, Yasaswini Youth Board Member Niharika put together a video for this project FB Link: (1) VT Seva-Detroit - Posts | Facebook Rescue Animal Towel Collection Project "𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝" - 𝐕𝐓 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐚 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐇𝐇 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐉𝐞𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐦𝐢 𝐣𝐢 *𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓬𝓾𝓮 𝓐𝓷𝓲𝓶𝓪𝓵 𝓣𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓵 𝓓𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓳𝓮𝓬𝓽* A rescue animal is an animal that has been placed in a new home after being abused, neglected, or abandoned by its previous owner... Many animal rescue organizations exist to rescue, protect, care and re-home the animals. What a wonderful service provides by the Animal Shelters to save these voiceless animals! VT Seva Detroit Youth Board did their part to help these animals by collecting the used towels. The towels that we think are useless after some time are a great help to these shelters to take care of the dogs after giving them the bath, using as a rag to train the dogs, cleaning after surgeries. This project was initiated by the Youth Board Member 𝗢𝘃𝗶𝘆𝗮. 𝟐𝟔 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫s reached out to their friends and families and collected 210 big towels. Members who participated in this project are Yug, Yasaswini, Vaibhav, Teja, Tarun, Sveya, Supraja, Srihari A, Sohan, Siddharth, Shriya, Sathvik, Saisha, Risha, Rashmitha, Oviya, Nikhil, Niharika, Kaavya, Hiba, Harish, Dhanya, Arya, Anjana, Amogh & Abhinav. Due to the large volume of the collection, we were able to donate it to two different organizations. 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 - supports the rescue animals by fostering them, just a day after we donated the towels, they received 30 dogs from Texas where one of the animal shelters was damaged by a recent winter storm. They were so happy to receive the towels and happy for the timely help. 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 - - Animal shelter rescues the animals using the team of trained and credentialed investigators. They are one of the leaders in the Animal Welfare community. They provide shelter to lost animals and surrendered animals also. At any given time in each of their location, they have 100+ animals (dogs, cats, bunnies.). They were also so happy to receive the towels which will be used in a huge deal to support their mission. Special shout out to the parent volunteers Vanitha ji, Sudheer ji, Sripriya ji, Srinath ji, Priya ji, Madhavan ji, and Architha ji for collecting the towels in each city and dropping them off. Youth Board Member Oviya put together a video for this project FB Link: (1) VT Seva-Detroit - Posts | Facebook Foster Care Clothes Drive: “When you wear clothes that make you feel confident, happy, and empowered, they can act as armor, shielding you from negative feelings and experiences.”- Georgina Lucas Foster care (also known as out-of-home care) is a temporary service provided by states for children who cannot live with their families. There are lots of wonderful foster parents out there, but they do need help from all of us to provide proper care for the kids. The VT Seva Detroit Youth Board helped many foster kids by donating their gently used clothes to the Downriver Foster Closet. This simple gesture brightens the lives of many kids. The Downriver Foster Closet has been helping Downriver Foster Families since 2020. Their mission is to help foster kids rebuild their self-esteem and adapt to their new homes. This project was initiated and led by Youth Board member Harish 𝟑𝟓 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝟑𝟐𝟎 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬. Members participated in this project are: Oviya, Pranav M, Rashmitha, Risha, Rohan, Saisha, Sanjana, Sanjith, Sathvik, Siddharth, Sohan, Srihari A, Srihari H, Supraja, Sveya, Tarun, Teja, Vaibhav, Yasaswini, Yug, Abhinav, Aishani, Amogh, Ananya R, Ananya V, Arya, Dhanya, Eeshan, Harish, Hiba, Jishnu, Kaavya, Nikhil, Nikitha and Nirvan. Special shout out to parent volunteers Sripriya ji, Vidya ji, Architha ji, Sudheer ji, Srinath ji, Vanitha ji, and Priya ji for collecting clothes from different cities. Youth Board member Hiba put together a video for this project FB Link: (1) VT Seva-Detroit - Posts | Facebook Grocery Bags Donation: VT Seva Detroit youth has taken up a new project to convert 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲. Youth Board member Risha initiated this project. 35 members collected 3469 grocery bags and donated them to 2 different groups 1. Foodbank in Canton called Open Door Ministry, use these bags to distribute foods 2. Group of volunteers who make mats for the homeless from the plastic bags. Both groups were thankful for receiving those bags. Members participated in this project are Abhinav, Aishani, Amogh, Ananya R, Ananya V, Anjana, Arya, Dhanya, Eeshan, Harish, Hiba, Jishnu, Kaavya, Nikhil, Nirvan, Oviya, Pranav M, Rashmita, Risha, Rohan, Saisha, Sanjana, Sanjith, Sathvik, Shriya, Siddharth, Sohan, Srihari A, Srihari H, Supraja, Sveya, Tarun, Teja, Vaibhav, Yasaswini Special shout out to parent volunteers Sripriya ji, Vidya ji, Architha ji, Sudheer ji, Srinath ji, Vanitha ji, and Priya ji for collecting clothes from different cities. Promotional Video: Post completion video: Youth Board member Kaavya put together a video for this project FB Link: (1) VT Seva-Detroit - Posts | Facebook Blog Consolidated By Youth Board Member Oviya

North Jersey VT SEVA is partnering with other chapters across the nation to bring to you the Eco Fundraiser! Our goal is for people to experience the joy of growing organic plants in their own homes while learning about gardening. Those willing to participate will plant seedlings in small containers inside their homes and take care of them so that they can grow. After those plants come to a certain size where they can be planted outside, they will be sold to the community and the proceeds received will go towards VT SEVA to support the education of visually challenged kids in India. Come join us in making the earth a better place along with serving our community! Contact : vtsnj.ecofundraiser@gmail.com

VT Seva Detroit is hosting a Toys/Books/Games Drive for the Children's Hospital Michigan NEW ITEMS ARE ACCEPTED APRIL 25 DUE DATE Children's Hospital Michigan relies on the generosity of our local community to brighten the Children's hospital stay. Your donation of new gifts helps create a comfortable, healing environment for them. This is our first community service for Children's Hospital Michigan and VT Seva Detroit is looking forward to a successful donation drive. Together let's bring a smile to a Child's face. Contact : (949) 232-9477 SrinathBabu Karnati VTSEVA DETROIT DIRECTOR VOLUNTEER

Nethra Vidyalaya Students amazing performance in Telangana Paralympics “It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” –Muhammad Ali Our Nethra Vidyalaya students have been participating in various Paralympics state level conducted by various states of India. A Couple of weeks back they participated in Andhra Pradesh state-level Para Athletics and Powerlifting competitions 2021 . They won many medals in various categories. Nethra Vidyalaya students continued the same streak and won 15 Gold Medals, 6 Silver Medals, and 1 Bronze medal in the Telangana Paralympics held at Bhupalapalli, Warangal. Congratulations to all students who have participated and won. It is amazing to see these students excel by their hard work, discipline, and continually striving to improve. Kudos to all the teachers and volunteers supporting them and guiding them through this process. The facilities, care, and dedication Vikasa Tarangini and VT Seva have given through all the years of their stay in Nethra Vidyalaya have shaped the confidence of these kids and the results prove that. The winners are

We are very excited to share the latest news on winning the state championship and medals by students of Nethra Vidyalaya Colleges and Schools supported by VT Seva. AP State Level Para Athletics and Powerlifting Competitions, 2021, were held at Police Training College Grounds, Ananthapuram, Andhra Pradesh on 6th and 7th March 2021. The Principal Secretary for the Women and Child Welfare Department, AP, District Collector of Ananthapuram, DIG of Ananthapuram inaugurated the event. Netra students being visually challenged amazed the event attendees and dignitaries with their disciplined March past performance (parade) and received humongous appreciation from the officials present there. More than 150 visually challenged participants from 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh participated in this meet. 28 students from our Nethra Vidyalaya Institutions went to compete and secured 25 Gold, 13 Silver a nd 10 Bronze medals in Para Athletics (36) and Para Power lifting (7) categories and Overall State Championship . VT Seva CEO and Nethra Vidyalaya visionary HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji expressed joy about students achieving the best in all the activities be it appreciated the students for their dedication, hardwork, and success in all the activities, emerging as champions in international sports , National sports competitions , excellence in academics , NCC parade and many more. He said "You always made us feel proud of your activities. You have gained always good ranks and many first ranks. You have never returned without many firsts in your bag." Championship Trophy K. Lalitha - 3 Gold O. Jagan - 2 Gold and 1 Bronze T. Krishna veni - 2 Gold and 1 Silver B. Sita Lakshmi - 1 Gold 1 Silver and 1 Bronze B. Sanyasamma - 1 Gold and 1 Bronze G. Nagaraju - 2 Silver Vandhana - 1 Silver and 1 Bronze P. Anusha - 2 Bronze Niranjan - 1 Gold and 1 Silver Divakar - 1 Silver S.V. Pydi Naidu - 1 Bronze G. Siva Kumar - 2 Bronze Naresh kumar - 1 Silver M. Anil - 1 Gold T. Santosh - 3 Gold medals M. Satyavati - 4 Gold medals S. Manikanta - 2 Gold 1 bronze K. Punya Srinadh - 1 Gold 2 silver K. Gopalachari - 1 Gold V. Ravindra - 1 Gold Ch. Ramya - 1 Gold A. Swaraj - 1 silver L. Aditya - 1 silver V. Ravani - 1 Gold 1 silver As our students excelled in 2021 state-level championship, they are selected now for national-level competitions. We are looking forward to them emerging as national and international champions in para-sports in the coming few months, similar to the way they won in 2019 at ASIAN Para Games conducted in Colombo, Srilanka, repeating the history. The students of Nethra Vidyalaya schools and colleges supported by VT Seva not only get the best of education and compassionate care but also are provided opportunities to participate in fine arts, sports, yoga, martial arts, and many more. They always exceed expectations making everyone involved with VT Seva proud and inspiring others. We thank all our volunteers and donors for their contributions in making these exceptional accomplishments possible. Your support is our strength to serve!

Growing your own food may be one of the most powerful steps you can take for the health of yourself, your family and your planet. You love gardening and would like to use the skills to help visually challenged? We got some great news for you. Youth volunteers from Boston are welcome to join "Seedlings for Education" team to learn, practice basics or gardening and in turn help Visually Challenged. You get to grow seedlings in backyards. We will provide seeds, and teach the basics of gardening, composting etc. When the seedlings are ready, you can use them for raising funds for Schools for Visually challenged. VT Seva Boston will sponsor educational needs of visually challenged with special needs 3D human body anatomy and telescopes for tribal schools to gaze at stars and reach to the highest horizons in their educational pursuit. Questions? Contact - boston.director@vtsworld.org