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Posts by Lohith Nagaraj:
Community Conversation
Avani Bhargava:
To me, giving back to my community always meant making a difference in others lives. As Muhammed Ali said, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth”. I have always heard that it feels good to help others without getting a reward in return. I have been volunteering at different places for nearly 5 years now, ever since I became a teenager. Even though I have never physically seen the change my community service work has done, I can always walk away confidently knowing that I made a positive difference in the world step by step. Giving back to the community is beneficial to me because I have acquired new skills and talents, met diverse people, and explored unique careers all which will hopefully help me in my adulthood. My favorite charity has to be St. Jude Children’s Hospital. I have always appreciated how St. Jude is able to restore huge smiles on children after they have to deal with serious, life threatening diseases like cancer. Not only that, but thanks to donations, they have never billed families who can’t afford treatment, they have treated people from all around the world and have raised the cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% in 60 years.
Karthik Babu:
To me, giving back to the community means you are volunteering your own time and/or resources to help leave behind a positive impact on your community; whether it be your school, town, or country. My favorite charity is the American Red Cross; it might seem like a basic choice but they really do do a lot for people all over the country in different walks of life. They provide Americans with access to food, medical care, and shelter whenever they need it. On top of that they also have excellent volunteer training programs to help people start giving back to their communities. For example my family tries to donate to different charities and organizations every month, including Feeding America, UNICEF, and some local organizations like the Westford CAT and Westford Conservation Trust.. Even if you can’t donate supplies or pledge any financial support, it’s really easy to just go out with your family and friends and spend some time volunteering at a local food pantry or shelter
Netra Rajnikant:
Giving is extremely close to my heart. It means simply going above and beyond and putting in time, effort, and money to make a small difference in the world!
It also makes me feel deeply thankful for the opportunity given to do this work. As one of the founding members, my favorite charity is New England Leherein. Each and every member of the Leherein team is passionate about the cause, and works quietly and tirelessly to support the education and livelihood of people in need. Instead of asking for donations we proudly raise funds by the unique concept of offering ‘dabba’, a wholesome meal.
Radhika Pragada:
Giving back to the community, to me, means actively contributing time, resources, or skills to support and participate in a place of your choice – it could be an organization where you are contributing or a place where you are volunteering. It fosters a sense of shared responsibility and hopefully impacts someone positively and makes you happy to be involved. I want my son to learn from all this and carry these values forward. My favorite charities where I keep contributing are the Wish Project in Chelmsford and ‘Spoorti Foundation’ in India, both are dedicated to uplifting and providing for people in need.
Community Spotlight
20 Years of TeamAIDAsha
For last 20 years TeamAIDAsha (TAA) running program has offered the Greater Boston community an opportunity to train for a half or a full marathon and raise funds for grassroots development initiatives in India.
Since 2004, the program has had over 400 runners join the training – many taking up long distance running for the very first time – and complete a half or a full marathon. While achieving something that provides a sense of deep personal accomplishment, the TAA runners have raised close to $1 million for two non-profits: Association for India’s Development (AID) and Asha for Education.
AID and Asha are volunteer managed organizations that support partners in India that work at the grassroots level and have a direct impact on education of children, generating livelihoods for the marginalized, empowering girls and women, building climate-change resilient communities and much more. Close to 95% of the funds raised by TAA are used for these initiatives – a high percentage when compared to other fundraising programs where the costs for managing the program are typically higher.
How did it all start? Parthiv Shah, a transplant from California was looking to join a running program similar to the one in the Bay Area for Asha for Education. As word got around and with common connection between those that had an association with AID and Asha (such as Biju Kalissery), the TeamAIDASha program was born. Jonathan Wyner, an accomplished runner, agreed to coach and a few curious and adventurous folk signed up to run a full marathon!
Each year the program kicks off in April and runners have close to 6 months to train and run a full marathon in the October-November time frame. Along the way TAA offers several clinics for the runners: how to choose running shoes, how to warm up and cool down with appropriate stretches, the best sources of nutrition during training, and how to fundraise. Not only does the program offer the opportunity to be outdoors but also the Saturday long-runs have generated enlightening conversations, interesting debates, friendships, and lifelong bonds.
Anyone can join in on this year’s special 20th anniversary edition:
https://www.teamaidasha.org/signup.html
IAGB Event Recap
IAGB Community Giving: February-March 2024 - Winter Coats Drive
We are delighted to share a heartwarming recap of the Winter Coats Drive organized by IAGB throughout February which is now extended through March 2024! This initiative aimed to spread warmth and compassion within our community during the chilly winter months, through a basic necessity – Coats for Winter.
It’s not just for comfort: going outside without adequate protection against the cold is dangerous. During the winter, the elderly are at a higher risk of heart attacks, and children are vulnerable to hypothermia and pneumonia.
Our Benefactor Choice for the Winter Coats Drive is Action for Boston Community Development, IncABCD helps families in need with warm clothing for the harsh winter months. They accept donations of coats, scarves, boots, gloves, mittens, hats, and anything else that can help a family bundle up in the cold.
Recognizing the persistent need for winter essentials, IAGB decided to extend its Feb. Winter Coats drive through the month of March, allowing for continued contributions and support through the winter months. Donations poured in, reflecting the community’s commitment to making a positive impact.
To ensure accessibility for all, multiple collection points are established at Bedford, Burlington, Belmont, and Westford, making it convenient for donors to contribute gently used or new winter coats. So far we have around 10 bags of winter clothing collected by our community members, surpassing our initial expectations.
IAGB extends its sincere gratitude to each member of the community who contributed to the Winter Coats Drive. Your generosity and compassion have made a tangible difference in the lives of many, embodying the spirit of unity and support that defines our community. Your gift of winter clothing will directly benefit those who need it the most.
Keep giving, keep shining!
Thank You Note – Republic Day 2024
Thousands of Indian American community members in New England came out to celebrate and enjoy the Grand Republic Day Mela hosted by the India Association of Greater Boston on Jan 27, 2024. It has been simply a delightful pleasure and joy to have hosted the IAGB Grand Republic Day Mela this past Saturday, Jan. 27!
Huge “Shout Outs” to our:
- Cheering Audience
- Chief Guest Raj Sharma
- Community Champion Arsh Mehrotra
- Competition participants
- Cultural Performers
- Fellow Community Organizations
- Food Partner
- Media Partners
- Special Guests from the town of Burlington, Jim Tigges & Lisa Chen
- Sponsors
- Vendors & Volunteers
“YOU” have been so kind, supportive, cooperative, and understanding! We stand in AWE. IAGB cannot thank you enough for making IAGB Republic Day Mela 2024 a shining success!
TOGETHER, WE CREATED HISTORY!
Forgive us if we made any errors/mistakes or caused you any inconvenience. We value our friendship and look forward to your continued camaraderie.
Warmest regards & heart-felt gratitude to all,
Tanu Phoenix, President & IAGB Executive Committee
Community Conversations
IAGB just held its annual Republic Day Mela with great enthusiasm. Here’s how some community members articulated their experience:
Bakul Sakhrekar (Cultural Program Participant):
It’s always a beautiful way for us to start a new year with IAGB’s grand event. The mela here is just perfect! We always have a lot of fun and look forward to attending and participating in the IAGB RD event.
Raja Shaikh (Cultural Program Participant):
This is my first time here and I’m really really glad to be here. I’m one of the few male performers who’ve performed today and I encourage more men to be on the stage and compete with the women. As a performer, I’ve been greatly pleased. As an audience, I’ve been immensely thrilled to watch everybody perform. What I witnessed here is a lot of diverse culture that so well represents the Republic of India. And I think the organizers have done an awesome job inviting people, and getting them all on the stage. You must know that music, culture, and Bollywood really unite us all. And this is what you’ve actually done. Thank you IAGB!
Sarala & Sunil Kumar (Family Attendees):
Our son performed in the cultural program on the stage. We enjoyed his and all the other performances as well. Kids have done really well, their hard work shows. We can see how much our kids have enjoyed this event.
Aditi Taylor (Past IAGB President):
IAGB’s Republic Day celebration is one of a kind and it’s a quintessential component of what IAGB is all about. I have been associated with this mela since 2005. Rarely do I ever get a chance to be on this side of the stage and actually enjoy it, so I’m doing my part today.
Ramesh Radhakrishnan (President, TMM):
When you come here, you see diversity – every nook and corner of the Indian community coming and performing on one stage – that’s IAGB! As a community leader, I know how difficult it is to organize such a big event. This program is nicely organized. Another important thing I experienced here is how all the community leaders are honored by IAGB. That gives the leaders a sense of recognition, much needed motivation. Thanks to IAGB!
Lauren Rowles (Booth Vendor):
I think the response we got today is really great. We had a lot of kids at our table. The Rubik’s cubes were a big hit. And we had a lot of kids who really enjoy math.. so that was cool to know. And that some were really interested in being challenged and even taking up some tutoring. We are really hopeful that they sign up! This experience is definitely worth the money and we’ll definitely do it again.
Gopika Sutaria (Booth Vendor):
I met a lot of new people here who were interested in exploring everything we had to offer at our booth. We had good sales. My experience here is very nice. Worth the money we put in. Next year we’ll come back again.
Arsh Mehrotra – IAGB Community Champion 2024
IAGB celebrated the life and career of Arsh Mehrotra – the super entertainer of the New England Indian American community – by honoring her with the ‘Community Champion Award’ during its annual Republic Day Mela! A creative person with immense talent in acting, Arsh started and hosted the television show, Aap Ka Manoranjan, which became a household name in Boston from 1993 to 2006. Every Saturday morning, this graceful lady would bring smiles to the faces of the viewers of that ever-popular TV show.
Entertaining South Asians in New England was not just limited to television shows but also to screening Indian films and live concerts by top stars from India like Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Urmila Matondkar, Sonali Bendre, Karishma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, John Abraham, Mallika Sherawat, Amisha Patel, and ace legendary singers like Asha Bhosle, Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghosal, AR Rahman, Daler Mehndi, Adnan Sami, Jagjit Singh, and Ghulam Ali, to name a few.
To add to her dancing and acting skills, she has earned her bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Education. Above all, she is a person of candor and wit. Having won the prestigious United Producers and Filmfare Talent Contest while still in high school, she worked in lead roles in many films. Having migrated to Nigeria with her beloved husband Anil Mehrotra, she later immigrated to the USA.
