Volunteers made posters to advocate about environmental issues last Saturday. These posters shared simple messages about taking care of our planet to help raise awareness in our community

Together with other groups, VT Seva Chicago volunteers helped pack 6,100 lbs of food (including apples and cereal bars), which will benefit around 5,900 families. We know your time is precious, so a big thank you to everyone who participated and made a positive impact in someone's life!

VT Seva Chicago volunteers participated in a rewarding volunteering session at Bernie’s Book Bank. Today, we were fortunate to welcome a few new volunteers to our team, enhancing our collective effort. Working collaboratively, we successfully processed thousands of books. The books we prepared will undoubtedly spark a love for reading and learning among children who may not have had access to such resources before. Thank you everyone who contributed their time and effort to this session: Veda Sivakumar, Ananya Challuri, Ranya Fatehally, Laila Fatehally, Inara Ahmed, Saritha Sirivol, Tanmai Chadalawada, Charvik Gunda, Shreyas Erasani, Rengasamy thayanithi, Akshaya Rengasamy, Aanya Gorintla, Bhamini Chikoti, Ananya Siri Dharna, Mamatha Sripati, Yashmith Sripati, Sumathi Yeddula, Nishanth Yeddula, Sruthi Ranga, Sahithi Ranga & Sridevi Ranga.

VTSeva volunteers helped sort & pack onions at Northern Illinois Food Bank today. Together we packed ~600lbs of Onions. Charvik Gunda, Shreyas Erasani, Inara Ahmed, Rania Fatehally, Sridevi Ranga, Laila Fatehally, Veda Sivakumar, Sahithi Ranga, Sudheeshna Nune, Kiva Verma

Thank you to all those who donated food for those in need. VTSeva Chicago collected around 400 pounds of food which we donated to the Midwest Veterans Closet Food Pantry. VTSeva,, HSS, and Lake County Indian Association came together and donated over 1000 pounds of food to the food pantry. North Chicago 5th ward alderman Kenneth Smith joined us. He was very impressed to see youth volunteers from VTSeva participating in these activities. Thank you to the volunteers who helped unload all the food today: Mohisha Immadisetty, Veda Sivakumar, Sruthi Ranga, Sahithi Ranga & Sridevi Ranga.

On November 18, VTSeva volunteers packed bags filled with different children’s books at Bernie’s Book Bank. These books will go to underprivileged children in the Chicagoland area to further their education. Thank you to Sahithi Ranga, Veda Sivakumar, Lakshmi Immadisetty, Sruthi Ranga, Sudheeshna Nune, Charvik Gunda, Manas Sammeta, Charan Kristem, Shreyas Erasani, Venya Kakrania, Neeraj Kakrania, Rachna Kakrania for volunteering with us.

VTSeva Chicago volunteers dedicated their time on November 4th to assist with potato packing at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. The commitment and efforts of our volunteers are instrumental in creating a meaningful impact. Thanks to these volunteers who did an outstanding contributions by sorting and packing ~2200lb potatoes for the food bank

On November 13, VTSeva partnered with the Rotary Youth Club at Stevenson to make thank you cards for the Bufflao Grove Police department. Thank you so much to the Stevenson Rotary Youth Club for this amazing opportunity!

On October 28th, VTSEVA volunteers contributed their time to pack potatoes at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. It was a unique experience for us as it marked our first venture into packing vegetables. During this activity, *we even added a personal touch by packing a few heart-shaped potatoes, sending our love to those in need*. A total of 11 youth volunteers and 1 adult volunteer participated, collectively packing approximately 1900 pounds of potatoes! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined this session and played a part in making a positive impact on someone's life.

On October 7, 4 Adults and 8 youth volunteers from VTSeva volunteered at Northern Illinois Food Bank. We packaged cereal bars and sorted out food cans. Thank you to all those who volunteered and made a difference in someone's life!

Thank you for all the volunteers who took time out of their holiday on Sept 25th to assist with placing stickers on books at Bernie’s book bank. All the books sorted will soon be delivered to underprivileged children in Chicagoland area, making a significant impact on their access to literature and education. 
 As a token of appreciation for volunteer time, book bank kindly gifted “Hogwart’s library Collection - set of 3 books” for all the volunteers and everyone were very happy to receive it. We want to recognize and extend our sincere appreciation to the volunteers who made a meaningful difference through their dedicated efforts during this activity

On Sunday September 17, 2023, VTSeva volunteers gathered to find more new volunteering activities for the future. They had many flyers from a high school service fair and researched more about those organizations and compiled all that information on a document. Thank you all those who participated !!

On Sept 9th, 9 youth & 3 adults participated in dry food packing activity at Feed My Starving children!

On August 19, VT Seva set up a booth at LCIA( Lake County Indian Association) India Independence Day festival. We were fundraising for NethraVidyalaya along with collecting information of possible future volunteers. In gratitude for donor contributions to NethraVidhyalaya, we offered Indian flags, Indian flag pins, Indian flag stickers, Indian flag hand tattoos, different types of plants, and henna designs. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to all the volunteers who contributed their efforts to the VTSeva Information booth. The event was truly exceptional! Special thanks to Chakri Gandham, Seema Sivakumar, Rithvik Velpuri, Manas Sammeta, Charvik Gunda, Lakshmi Immadisetty, Mohisha Immadisetty, Veda Sivakumar, Sahithi Ranga, Kiva Verma, Ashitha Rudraraju, Sahasra Veerapalli, Sridevi Ranga, Sruthi Ranga, and Somalatha Veerapalli for their roles in booth setup, management, and assisting the LCIA team with various tasks. We extend our appreciation to Steven Joe, Krishna Dheeraj Ranga, Karthikeya Lanka, Shaunak Sahasrabudhe, and Sanchi Deshpande, as well as other volunteers from HSS (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh), for their coordinated efforts in handling car parking. It's worth noting that we received high praise from HSS, with them stating, "We are very impressed by the VTSeva volunteers; their work was truly commendable." A special mention of gratitude to Ameya Gourisetty, Sonali Sahasrabudhe, and Anjali Moore for their wonderful contributions in offering mehndi designs and for Mohisha Immadisetty for making paper crafts for Netravidyalaya fundraising. Our thanks also extend to LCIA organizers Gowri Magati, Rekha Vemuri, and others for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout this endeavor. Overall we collected $386 for NethraVidyalya.

On Saturday Aug 12th, 8 youth & 2 adult volunteers joined a fry for packing session at Feed My Starving children food bank.

On August 6th, VTSeva volunteers went to the Buffalo Grove Farmers Market to fundraise for NethraVidyalaya and local food pantries. In gratitude for donor contributions, we offered thank you gifts such as water based plants, cold water bottles, handmade paper flowers, and Henna designs that one of our volunteers would draw. Overall, we raised $62 for the local food pantries and $130.26 for NethraVidyalaya. 5 adults & 9 youth volunteers assisted with this event.

On July 22, VTSeva volunteers sorted and packed cans at Northern Illinois Food Bank with utmost dedication. Volunteers who made a difference: Sahithi Ranga, Sridevi Ranga, Sruthi Ranga, Atrey Iyer, Lakshmi Immadisetty, Mohisha Immadisetty, Ananya Challuri.

On Jul 15th, VTSeva Chicago youth came together to plant water based plants & soil based plants that would eventually be used to fundraise for VTSeva. Thank you to all the volunteers who came out and volunteered!

Chicago Volunteers had a amazing fundraising event at the Farmers Market in Buffalo Grove last Sunday, June 25. In gratitude for donors contributions, we offered thank-you gifts such as plants, cookies, and brownie brittle. During the event, a reporter from Capital Gazette approached us and expressed interest in writing an article about VTSeva. We're thrilled to share that we raised $183.83 for NethraVidyalaya and $97.88 for local food pantries. Our appreciation goes out to all the generous donors and dedicated volunteers who made this success possible.

As we packed meals at FMSC, on June 17, destined for Haiti, we are reminded of the incredible impact we can make when we come together. Each nutritious meal symbolizes hope, nourishment, and a brighter future for those in need. Join us in creating ripples of change and spreading love across borders. People who participated in this volunteering session: Sahithi Ranga, Veda Sivakumar, Sruthi Ranga, Sridevi Ranga, Smita Pandey, Pooja Angirekula, Ananya Challuri, Mohisha Immadisetty, Lakshmi Immadisetty, Sudheeshna Nune, Kiva Verma, Vamsi Palukuri and Atrey Iyer