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The Central Pacific regional chapters of HSS initiated a “Vidyadaan” school supplies donation drive to ease the financial burden of needy students and enable their academic success. Other HSS chapters around the country also chimed in by replicating this Seva (charitable) drive in their regions.

• Children volunteers in Mountain House CA set up a Pani Puri stand with the help of their parents to sell these tasty treats and raise funds for backpack donations. They eventually donated 35 backpacks with supplies to SJQ Child Support. Similarly, the nearby Pleasanton Shakha organized a fundraising drive by selling savory chaat items, lassi, and tea

• HSS San Joaquin chapters in partnership with San Joaquin Kannada Sangha, Poorba – Mountain House Bengali Association, Central Valley Marathi Mandali, and Central Valley Gujarati Association donated around 167 Backpacks filled with school supplies to 4 beneficiary organizations in San Joaquin County. Gauri Shakha also set up a buttermilk stand during cricket matches in parks and playgrounds to raise funds for the Vidyadaan campaign. They donated all of the backpacks to the Jefferson School District

• As part of Vidyadaan, the Tri-Valley area shakhas came up with unique ideas for raising funds to help the local school districts in Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton. The Kishor Shakha organized a Bake Sale, the Bala Gana conducted a Jewelry workshop and set up a Lemonade Stall, and the Family Shakha arranged a Chaat Corner/Lunch Corner and a Walkathon, in which each family pledged an amount of choice for the supplies donation

• In Contra Costa, the volunteers of the Rudra Shakha donated 70 school backpacks filled with essential supplies to the Brentwood Union School District. Similarly, the Ayodhya and Chanakya Shakhas donated 50+ backpacks to Los Cerros middle school in SRVUSD along with additional supplies

• The HSS Columbus team in partnership with Sewa International USA organized its annual school supply drive, in which they donated school supplies to Royal Manor Elementary School in Gahanna OH

• The Subramanya Bharathi Shakha in the Seattle WA area concluded their Vidyadaan drive, donating 22 backpacks, along with supplies like crayons, glue sticks, pocket calculators, and scientific calculators to Lake Washington School District

• As part of their Seva initiative, Madhav Shakha raised funds through pledges and donated 180 backpacks to Alcott Elementary School in Houston TX. The school’s principal appreciated the HSS volunteers, stating “The backpacks with all the supplies get our students ready to learn!”

• The Chicago area chapters of HSS organized a notebook donation drive for School District #33. It was their third successive back-to-school drive for the same school district. The HSS volunteers donated around 1,200 notebooks and some cash donations, beating the school district’s request for 1,000 notebooks. Volunteers of Abhimanyu  Shakha, Vivekananda Shakha, and Panchjanya Shakha participated in the drive. The Balas/ Kishores of Buffalo Grove Shakha raised funds through a lemonade stand and also donated from their piggy banks

HSS chapters nationwide observed the annual tradition of celebrating Raksha Bandhan as Universal Oneness Day, which symbolizes the bonds and shared responsibilities of safeguarding one another by exchanging a thread known as “Rakhi.” Below are some highlights –

• 50 HSS volunteers and Hindu community members in Cleveland OH tied rakhi – the symbolic thread of protection – to firefighters, policemen, and city officials. They also set up a display of the Hindu civilizational expo, called Darshana. Mayor Edward Kraus of the City of Solon thanked the HSS for “sharing traditions and ongoing contributions to our shared vision of a harmonious community.” Solon Fire Chief, Mark Vedder proudly displayed a Rakhi tied to his vehicle from last year’s celebration. “This Rakhi is more than a thread; it’s a daily reminder of our noble duty to protect and serve,” he noted.

• HSS chapters in the San Ramon CA area celebrated Raksha Bandhan collectively by hosting 12 first responders. Children and youth volunteers tied them to the rakhi. All the 140 attendees enjoyed a traditional, festive lunch

• The Connecticut chapters of the HSS partnering with other Hindu community organizations visited the Norwalk and Milton Police Departments to honor the staff by tying rakhis, as the bond of “protection, obligation, and care”.

• Members of the Hindu-American community in Livermore CA, including the HSS and the Hindu Community and Cultural Center – Shiva Vishnu Temple, visited the Livermore Police Department to offer their greetings to the community’s protectors—police officers, firefighters, and first responders as part of the Raksha Bandhan celebration. “We were honored to share in this Hindu tradition, where Rakhis were tied as a symbol of unity. We also appreciated their prayers for our well-being and safety”, says the Livermore Police’s post on social media

• HSS volunteers from Austin TX visited APD’s Office of Community Liaison (OCL) and celebrated Raksha Bandhan with Interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson, Community Engagement Officer, Lt. Fausto Rodriguez, and other department members. The volunteers showered wishes and tied Rakhi (Protection) wristbands on their wrists to symbolize the bonds shared between the protectors and the public

• Hindu American youth belonging to HSS Aurora IL visited with Aurora police officers and firefighters, honoring them with rakhis and sweet treats in gratitude for their service to the community. In the nearby town of Naperville, the local HSS chapters organized a similar ceremony outside the Naperville Police Department.  Having witnessed this annual tradition several times, Naperville’s Fire Mark Chief Puknaitis remarked, “I have a collection of rakhis that have been presented to me over the years”

• HSS chapters in Edison NJ celebrated Raksha Bandhan with the Piscataway Police Department to extend their appreciation for the first responders. Volunteers in HSS uniforms and traditional outfits tied rakhi to 20 first responders. In a similar celebration in Parsippany, the children volunteers got to shake hands with police officials and peek inside the police car

• Through the efforts of Shivaji Shakha, the HSS received a proclamation for its celebration of Raksha Bandhan as Universal Oneness Day from Mayor Susan Landry of the City of Campbell CA

HIndu Swayamsevak Sangh, Sewa Internation, Gifthealth Pharmancy and Bharatiya Hindu Temple collaborated to conduct a free COVID-19 vaddine drive on November 21, 2021.

The following youtube video has more details on the activity.

The Austin Hindu community celebrated their biggest cultural event of the year, Diwali – “festival of lights” by having a pleasant surprise.  Multiple city councils around the Austin Metro area proclaimed Hindu Heritage Month to coincide with the months of October and November. Please read more about this activity here.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) concluded the 16th annual Health for Humanity Yogathon, also known as Surya Namaskar Yajna (SNY), on January 29th. Surya Namaskar integrates simple Yoga postures in 10 steps that, along with easy breathing techniques, can provide immense health benefits to the body and the mind. It was first launched in 2007 to create awareness about Yoga and its advantages in fostering a healthy body, mind, and spirit for any practitioner regardless of age, faith, gender, or ethnicity. The event is free to the public from all walks of life.

In this year’s Yogathon, 13,392 enthusiasts from 39 states, actively performed Surya Namaskar sets throughout the two-week duration of the program. This includes over 4,475 students and teachers from various schools who learned the steps and participated. Many participants acknowledged its benefits in attaining physical and emotional balance and committed to continuing this activity regularly. A highlight from the program was that the African American community performed Surya Namaskars at the Martin Luther King Day celebrations in the Dallas, TX, area.

Several elected officials, including US senators, Governors, State representatives, and Mayors, issued proclamations to recognize the Yogathon and encouraged their constituents to participate in this valuable health awareness program.

Appreciating the Yogathon in the Sully School District in Virginia, Fairfax County Supervisor Kathy Smith said, “This was a great community event, and I appreciated being a part of it. The presenters provided valuable information for the families, and I loved the focus on children being physically and mentally healthy.”

“It was a pleasure attending the Surya Namaskar Yajna. Most importantly, I personally benefited by performing Surya Namaskar, as it relieved my longstanding lower back pain. It was heartwarming to see the enthusiasm of youngsters and their parents alike. The overall positive energy in the room was palpable. There was an active exchange of information and ideas with local county government officials and staff from the Fire Station”, said Dr. Krishna Madiraju, President of Century Pediatrics Inc., VA.

Reflecting on the Yogathon, national project coordinator, Dr. Amit Chimanpure, said, “During the pandemic times, we as a community realized the need of mental, physical well-being, and caring for people around us. Through SNY, countless volunteers were able to reach families, community groups, and schools across the country, promoting a healthy lifestyle.”