Seva Spotlights: East To West

Sheily Shah

Ruchi Shah, Kairavi Shah, Rashi Haria, California

What we did:

“When the pandemic hit and people were trying to find ways to stay motivated at home, we decided to take our passion for dance and turn it into a service initiative. We organized a dance workshop to fundraise money for the Salvation Army to support military families and officers who were having financial troubles throughout the pandemic. We eventually raised over $500 from the workshop!”

Challenges we faced:

“We love and cherish choreographing and practicing dance together. However, we had to learn a lot about the nuances of event management. A specific challenge we faced was in publicizing the event and learning how to reach out to friends, families, and our community members, and convincing them of our vision. Additionally, during the workshop, we had to take charge and learn how to lead the group when needed. Through this experience, we built confidence in spreading our own hobbies and passions and using the fruits of their efforts for someone in greater need.”

Carrying this forward:

“We hope to host more workshops in the near future to donate to other organizations that will help people through difficult times. Our goal is to use what we love to create an impact that goes beyond ourselves.”

Nishita Shah, Michigan

What I did:

“I volunteered with Hutkay Fusion, a local Ann Arbor restaurant, to donate nutricious dishes to the Safehouse Shelter, a center that supports those impacted by domestic violence or sexual assault. For two to three hours a week, I washed vegetables, cut tofu, and created delicious, vegetarian meals. What started as a one-off volunteering session turned into a commitment that lasted for months. Through this experience, I learned about food wastage and reflected on the affect of produce on the climate, the environmental footprint, and the number of Jivas impacted. I have provided countless meals over the last couple of years, and realized that I didn’t want to just participate in volunteer work — instead, I wanted to take ownership of my volunteer work. I started to decorate delivery boxes and brought my ideas more actively into the kitchen!”

Challenges I faced:

“It was difficult for us to remain self-sufficient during COVID. However, it was so important to us to make sure people received their food. We knew people had lost their jobs and were often struggling to provide for themselves. Additionally, the process to cook and deliver became more complex and there were often times when we had to be very cautious while preparing the meals due to the spread of COVID-19. Even when the workload increased in my personal life, going to the kitchen became a comforting part of my weekly routine. I enjoyed putting my own problems to the side for a few hours of the week. I also learned how to cook through this experience. Prior to volunteering here, I didn’t know how to cook! I learned so many techniques in the kitchen that also helped me grow as a person.”

Carrying this forward:

“I see myself continuing to apply my time, ideas, and passion towards improving food security and reducing hunger for more people. I hope to become a leader in this mission, and upscale the impact I’m making to more communities that experience food insecurity.”