Jul 22, 20212 min read

VT Seva Detroit: Yard Beautification Help & Facilities Tour at Penrickton Center for Blind Children

Date: June 6, 2021 Time: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

What an exciting way to start off our first in-person volunteering outdoors today (06/06/21) by our VT Seva Detroit Volunteers helping in Yard Beautification at Penrickton Center for Blind Children in Taylor, MI. All our volunteers followed the COVID-19 Safety protocols during the entire stay there. Penrickton center has a very beautiful front yard and our volunteers were helping by pulling weeds, raking, edging the grass around driveway areas and finally cleaning the front yard. The center had all the necessary tools and gears to work with volunteers.

While all of us were working at the yard, we were also greeted by the 3-mile-long Bikers who were 'Riding for a Reason' in support of the Penrickton Center. There were over 500 Bikers riding through the street outside the Center escorted by the Cops on Motorbikes as well. We were thrilled to wave at them and appreciate their support for the full 10 minutes of their Bike Caravan.

We were also given an opportunity to tour their facility by the center coordinator Chelsea. Volunteers were split into 2 groups and were taken inside following all the Covid-19 safety protocols.

It was a great opportunity for all of us to see their facility, to know more about the Penrickton Center. It was enriching to learn how they provide great care and support to the visually challenged, multi-disabled children and their families. Chelsea took us through a day in the life of the children at their center. She was kind enough to show us the Kitchen, Bed Rooms, Activity & Therapy Rooms, Educational and Batch rooms that were all adorned with lovely painting on the wall mostly painted by volunteers. Their Childcare Workers & Staff go above & beyond to help teach important Life Skills to the challenged children to make them independent.

We were shown a video about the Penrickton Center Children and were so touched seeing those children's faces and hearing their stories.

Due to COVID restrictions, we were unable to meet the children this time but they promised us future tours whenever the situations come back to normalcy. Our volunteers could very much relate to the whole experience at the Center since it is very close to what the children go through at VT Seva Nethra Vidyalaya institutions.

These are our 13 VT Seva Detroit volunteers who attended today.

Youth: Abhinav Suresh; Anand Brijesh; Anirudh Venbakkam; Nikhil Aerabati; Siddharth Tirumala Kanduri; Srihari Hebbar

Adults: Asha K Puranam; Gopal Brijesh; Raghunath Aerabati; SrinathBabu Karnati; Sudheer Koppu; Suresh Rajan; Vanitha Gopalan

Kudos to all their wonderful help & time. The Scorching sun didn't make them to stop their excitement and all their volunteering spirit.

AS ALWAYS, YOUR SUPPORT IS OUR STRENGTH TO SERVE