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.