I am delighted and honored to receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award(Gold) for the year of 2022.
In the summer of 2022, I had joined the Dharma Internship Program (DIP) and had made great memories and impactful experiences there. Joining DIP and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) has impacted me as a youth volunteer to help conduct, and support activities such as the ones I have done in the past two years. Some of them have been making food for homeless shelters, cleaning places in the community, volunteering for events, conducting a charity fun fair, supporting a huge food drive, and writing articles on Hindu aspects of life. All of these projects that I had helped lead and create were counted as hours for the Presidential Volunteer service award (PVSA), where I was able to accumulate around 111 hours worth of community service from the months of June to November. This meant I had qualified to receive the gold level of service award given by the highest ranking office of the United States.
I’m glad that I was able to give back to a country that has done so much for me. The support I have received from everyone is amazing and I can’t thank them enough. This has motivated me to continue serving my community through selfless service, or Seva which is giving back to the community. It reminds me of a quote from the holy book of Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna tells his disciple, Arjuna, “The science of transcendental knowledge has been imparted to you, O Arjuna. No effort ever goes to waste in selfless service, and there is no adverse effect. There is always an opportunity to serve, and there is always time.”
In these two years, I have learned that it doesn’t matter what I get in return(money or this award), but what I do for others with the good intentions of spreading kindness , love and peace around me . In the near future, I am motivated to keep giving back to the community like others before me. Doing selfless service makes me who I am. It has not only made me a better person but given me confidence to lead by example. I would encourage all youth to get involved in any voluntary activities around you because it will shape your character and give a good direction to your future.