On November 23rd, 2024, VT Seva Houston volunteers dedicated their morning to volunteering at the Houston Food Bank from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., assisting with packing cucumbers for those in need. Over the course of four hours, our volunteers successfully packed 7 pallets of cucumbers, amounting to 14,000 bags and 7,000 pounds—equivalent to approximately 5,833 meals.

On Saturday, November 16th, VT Seva Houston volunteers assisted the Houston Visually Impaired Visually Impaired Network and Houston Council of the Blind in conducting a self-defense class led by two talented instructors who were visually impaired. Community members who were visually impaired attended the event, coming together to learn about ways to engage in self-defense. The attendees paired with each other to practice self-defense on each other. As the instructors taught each self-defense technique, our volunteers helped attendees in practicing the techniques among their pairs. In addition, our volunteers assisted the class instructors in traveling to each pair such that the instructors could teach the techniques directly to the pairs. It was inspiring to witness how the attendees were excited and eager to learn. Our volunteers shared that they were very grateful for the opportunity to serve and connect with such an inspiring group of individuals, who reminded them of the importance of community and lifting each other up.

We are delighted to share that Mrs. Lavanya Mugundhan of Vanamaali Arts successfully conducted a Lippan art workshop with the support of Vt Seva youth. Through this initiative, she raised $450 for A:lok. A huge shoutout to Vanamaali Arts!!!

On Saturday, October 5th, VT Seva Houston volunteers enjoyed an inspiring morning at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Founded in 1982, the Susan G. Komen Foundation organizes this charity event to raise awareness about breast cancer and support those impacted by it. VT Seva volunteers helped in providing water to participants and cheering them on during the race. Seeing so many people come together for such an important cause was truly a memorable experience!

This past weekend, volunteers from VT Seva came together to help clean up the Buffalo Bayou. The group worked along the bayou’s banks, picking up trash and removing debris that had collected in the water and along the shoreline. They focused on clearing plastic waste, bottles, and other items harmful to the local environment. The cleanup effort was part of VT Seva’s ongoing commitment to community service and environmental care. Volunteers of all ages participated, helping to improve the bayou's appearance and health. The event not only made a positive impact on the environment but also brought the community together for a shared cause.

This summer VT Seva Houston conducted an art camp taught by one of our dedicated volunteer, also a professional artist Mrs. Lavanya Mugundhan and her student volunteers. India’s diverse art forms which celebrate culture and creativity were included as part of the camp. The basic art form was hand drawn and completed with paint. The campers made The Lotus blooms in the Kerala mural style. A beautiful majestic peacock was etched in the Kalamkari style. They used Patachitra style to potray Fish. They painted the Mandala and Gond art. Overall, it was a great fun artistic journey for all the participants!!! All the proceeds of the camp go to Kids Meals. Vt Seva Houston thanks all the volunteers and participants for making this camp a successful one!!!

This past summer VT Seva youth SriSamhita Ponnapalli and Amrita Bharath conducted a music workshop for 5 days in order to raise funds. The kids from the camp had various opportunities to participate includin Navaratri program at Ashtalakshmi temple. The kids also had great opportunity to sing for a radio program that was aimed to raise awareness about Statue of UNion Abhaya Hanuman. We thank Telugu NRI radio for airing a special program where our music camp kids got an opportunity to sing. . We are proud to say that the workshop kids and youth mentors have partcipated in various programs to raise awareness for several social event and community events. Kudos to our youth and the kids who participated.

This past summer VT Seva youth SriSamhita Ponnapalli and Amrita Bharath conducted a music workshop for 5 days in order to raise funds. The kids from the camp had various opportunities to participate includin Navaratri program at Ashtalakshmi temple. The kids also had great opportunity to sing for a radio program that was aimed to raise awareness about Statue of UNion Abhaya Hanuman. We thank Telugu NRI radio for airing a special program where our music camp kids got an opportunity to sing. . We are proud to say that the workshop kids and youth mentors have partcipated in various programs to raise awareness for several social event and community events. Kudos to our youth and the kids who participated.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the International Yoga Day, themed as “Yoga for self and society”. Yoga is a way to physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Enthusiastic VT Seva Houston Chapter Youth Volunteered and actively participated in International Yoga Day event(June 22nd,2024) on Telfair Grounds. Volunteers showed up early, set up the front desk, sign in and essential supplies for the event to go smoothly. Event was presided by Fort Bend County Precint 3 Commissioner Andy Myers and special classes, workshops conducted by SVYASA professional Instructors In view of rising lifestyle related problems, Yoga has become far more important today. Let us resolve to adopt yoga as an integral part of our day-to-day living and continue to encourage the kids and Youth in this beautiful healthy journey.

On June 7, volunteers from VT Seva Houston dedicated their time to support Lunches of Love, an organization committed to providing nutritious lunches to underprivileged children. Our volunteers helped at the Lunches of Love's Sugar Land location from 9:00 to 11:00 am. From 9:00 to 10:00 am, our volunteers used their creativity to decorate lunch bags with drawings, colors, and uplifting messages aimed at adding a personal and cheerful touch to each meal. From 10:00 to 11:00 am, volunteers assisted in packing snacks into individual portions, so they would be ready to be included in each lunch being handed out that afternoon. Volunteers were able to decorate around 50 bags, and packed more than 100 portions of snacks. We extend our gratitude to Lunches of Love for providing this volunteer opportunity and to all our volunteers for their enthusiastic participation and hard work.

During the disaster relief efforts on May 25th, 2024, VT Seva Houston assisted the Houston Food Bank in supporting those impacted by a recent storm. The team participated in various tasks such as assembling and disassembling boxes, as well as packing essential food items. We were able to help organize 45 pallets, resulting in the preparation of 3,600 boxes containing a total of 50,400 meals! This remarkable effort significantly contributed towards fulfilling over half of the Houston Food Bank's goal for assisting those affected by the storm.

On May 19, VT Seva Houston youth volunteers participated in the MD Anderson Cancer Center - Blood Drive. This event aimed to support cancer patients in critical need of blood, bringing together the community for a noble cause. The blood drive took place from 9:30am to 1:30pm at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, where an MD Anderson blood donation truck was stationed. The event saw a remarkable turnout, with volunteers and donors arriving steadily throughout the day. A dedicated team of volunteers played a crucial role in the success of the blood drive. Volunteers assisted in guiding blood donors through the donation process, from registration until donation. The volunteers ensured that each donor was accounted for in records and ensured all donors took the right steps. The event saw a remarkable turnout with 36 registrants. VT Seva Houston extends heartfelt thanks to all these donors and volunteers who made this blood drive a resounding success!

On April 21st,2024; Vt seva Houston conducted a memorable ‘Meet and Greet’ session. Our Netra Vidyalaya team "𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂" met with Alok Donors, Special guests, Dignitaries, VT Seva volunteers, and other VT seva Youth members in Houston. The event started with a grand welcome from our youth board. The event started off with an inspiring speech from Shireeshaji, head of Netra Vidyalaya team who spoke of the accomplishments of the school in the various fields like Sports, Arts, Singing and Robotics. The coaches Madhuriji, Srinivasji, Nireeshaji and Siddharthji narrated how they worked to build the skills and abilities of the team. It helps us realize that coaching a team is about igniting potential, fostering growth, and achieving collective dreams. Hats off to their hard work!!! This was followed by the team members Spandana, Ravi, Supriya, Sanjey, Dhanalaxmi and Sri Gayatri walking us through their inspiring journey and reflecting their unwavering determination, and strength to believe in one’s abilities as being keys to success. Their journey started with winning showtime championship at the Goa Robotics International festival, Goa. After winning in Goa, they were provided an opportunity to present in the FIRST World Championship in Houston. The team has taken up real time solutions to challenges ranging from everyday activities like building smart trash can to pitching a device that can speak out when the bowler is ready to bowl in the game of cricket. They also showcased their innovative idea of “Sudoku for Visually Challenged”. Next was a motivational speech and demonstration of Voice over device by our esteemed guest Sandhya Rao, Vice President of Ibug today. Ms. Rao has a rare brittle bone disease that causes blindness. Ms.Rao being disabled herself works now to help the community overcome disability. She loves technology and emphasised the need for accessible technology training to be independent. Other special guests include Ms. Peggy Garrett, President Houston Council of the Blind and Mr. Michael Garrett, Secretary of Houston Council of the Blind and they both shared good words with the team from India. Our honourable guest, Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers congratulated the team and acknowledged the Nethra team for their achievements. We thank Commissioner Meyers for the continuous support to VT Seva earlier at Alok 2023 and now for his presence at the Meet and Greet with the Nethra Vidyalaya team!!! Adding to the wonderful session were the cultural performances done by the Nethra kids. Gayatri sang a mellifluous rendition of Aalokaye sri balakrishnam that filled the room with joy. Other songs include Suprabaatam Sri Vandita, describing Sri Ramanucharya and Naa tandri ravayya dasaratha kumara, a song about Lord Sri Rama by Supriya, Spandana, Sri Gayatri, and Dhanalakshmi. Following this was a wonderfully orchestrated dance for the song Kar Har Maidaan Fateh from movie Sanju by Supriya, Spandana, Sanjay and Ravi. A truly captivating exceptional performance enthralled the audience and filled the room with an atmosphere of joy and excitement. The event concluded with cake cutting and a Q&A session between audience and the Nethra kids and coaches. When a question was posed on yoga, the team enthusiastically displayed difficult yoga poses like Veerabhadrasana. Applauds to their everlasting energy and Eveready enthusiasm. We are extremely thankful to all the generous donors and volunteers who made this event a great success!! We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Alok generous donors and Volunteers, Robotics team Travel Sponsors, Our Youth team. Tompkins HSA team, Mr.Chandra Polishetti & FLL 54520/FRC 2976, Mr.Sridhar Dadi of Radio Hungama, India House, India Herald and Katy Hindu community. We wish our ‘Thought Notch Robotica’ team a wonderful future and success in all their future endeavours!!!

The VT Seva team volunteered their time at the Houston Food Bank on March 23rd, 2024. During the event, team members assisted with packing and sealing various food items into bags for distribution. The packaged goods were then organized onto pallets in preparation for delivery to those in need!

This event aimed to promote health and fitness while raising funds for the American Heart Association. Participants of all ages joined in, walking along the designated route while enjoying the beautiful scenery and amazing weather. Participants started out by going either way from the starting point, with one 3 mile and a 1.75-mile trail. The atmosphere was lively and energetic, with the enthusiasm of the participants warming the spirits of all involved. After everyone was finished, we ended off with a quiz on heart health, and participants won giveaway items! The event was a great success, with nearly 175 miles walked coming just from the virtual campaign!

On February 25, VT Seva Houston youth volunteers participated in the Friends of Garden - Annual Gardening Workshop. The activity started with filling the garden beds with soil for the planting activity. Mr. Sasidhar Vajha, the guest speaker for this event and avid gardener in his community, spoke about the importance of gardening and engaged the youth in a rock painting activity. This was followed by the volunteers planting a few varieties of vegetable plants and sowing seeds of cosmos flowers to attract butterflies, which are pollinators, to the ALT garden. Vibha, a youth volunteer, shared her experiences and knowledge about pollination. Ms. Terry, author of Master Garden Urban Dirt, also took part in the event. Thanking the youth volunteers for their engagement throughout the duration of the workshop!

Volunteers cleaned up the premises, removed trash and weeds, consolidated unused soil, and cleaned up the garden beds. The pre-existing dried plants and wood leaves were gathered from the garden beds and repurposed. Despite the very cold and windy weather over 15 volunteers were present for this cleanup - thanking them for their valuable contributions today!

On Nov17th, 2023; VTSeva Houston donated around 200 pounds of excess Halloween candy to Ronald McDonald House Charities. They will share the candy with their patients who include severely sick children and their families. These are kids who do not have an opportunity to play trick or treat in their neighborhood. Heartfelt thanks to all volunteers and families for making a meaningful impact in the lives of these families!!!

It was a splendid day on October 21st, 2023!!! Nearly 30 teams came together for a memorable day of cricket, camaraderie, and charity at the FARA Cricket Tournament. FARA is a medical research charity in pursuit of a cure for Fredrick's Ataxia, a debilitating neurological disorder for which current medical cure in unavailable and research is ongoing. This event was held at Hunter Glenn Soccer Fields in Missouri City, Texas. The donations raised went toward FARA. The spirit of sportsmanship was evident in every game, with players displaying tremendous skill and a commitment to both cricket and the dual causes they were supporting. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all the dedicated VT Seva volunteers for supporting the FARA event.

VT Seva- Houston volunteers spent an inspired and celebratory morning at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 💝 With 10,000 participants and perfect weather, our volunteers provided water and cheered for the participants who crossed the finish line. The program began with wonderful words from Houston news anchor Melissa Wilson, Melissa Chase of radio station 96.5, and presenting sponsor Kroger. The best part was the camaraderie and energy in the air, working alongside a local service organization and Kroger team members! With an early start, we also got to experience a downtown sunrise ☀️Kudos to our youth volunteers for their hard work and enthusiasm in serving for such a great cause!