Nearly 3,000 Volunteers Mark Gandhi's Birthday through Service Activities

SAALT's Be the Change National Day of Service Inspires Civic Engagement through Community Service

October 6, 2009 - Nearly 3,000 participants around the country marked the first Saturday of October by giving back to their communities through Be the Change, SAALT's National Day of Service. On October 3, community members including students, retirees, and professionals contributed their time and energy to service activities in Atlanta, Boston, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., as well in over 50 other cities and campuses.

"SAALT's Be the Change National Day of Service takes place annually near Mahatma Gandhi's birthday to commemorate his message of community service and action," explained Aaditi Dubale, SAALT's National Be the Change Coordinator. "This year, volunteers participated in a variety of notable activities including restoring a water-damaged food pantry in Rhode Island; constructing homes in Detroit and Alabama; assisting with the Boston Pancreatic Research Walk; and registering individuals to join the Be the Match Bone Marrow Registry nationwide."

Participants echoed Mahatma Gandhi's messages of compassion and service when they spoke about the day's impact. "By being involved in the community, we not only give our lives perspective but we create a better world for all members of our community to live in," noted Swathi Bonda, a volunteer in Washington DC. "I really value that we, as South Asians, come together every year in support of this mission."

Participants also connected with the theme of this year's event, Giving in Action. One of the many campus volunteers that participated in Be the Change events, Tom Abraham from Rutgers University - New Brunswick, remarked, "This was an eye opening experience for me. I can't believe about 20 of us in an hour did enough work to feed 1,800 families."

Participating in Be the Change also helped volunteers become more aware of issues in communities that are often invisible. Shikha Prasad, a volunteer through Ohio State University, shared that "going to ASHA helped me realize that domestic violence still exists in our community."

The values of Be the Change resonated with the event's partners and sponsors as well. "Coming together to help our neighbors and communities develop their potential clearly reflects the meaning of Mahatma Gandhi's famous 'Be the Change' quote that we celebrated today," said Sodexo's Vice President of Food & Nutrition Product Development and Pan Asian Network Group (PANG) Chairperson Nitu Gupta. "If we don't take a leadership role in enhancing the lives of others...who will? As I reflect on the uplifting impact of this day of service-it just makes sense. I am so proud of PANG and Sodexo's partnership with SAALT and look forward to continuing this team effort to make it a better tomorrow."

Kick-off events featured inspiring speakers including Kalpen Modi, Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement at the White House (Washington DC); Premal Shah, President of Kiva.org (San Francisco); Deepa Iyer, Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (New York City); and Manisha Bhatt, Family Law Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services (Boston).

Through Be the Change, SAALT offers the opportunity for community members to take action by serving as a resource for individuals and organizations that seek to participate each October. Starting with its inception at the University of Michigan in 1997, Be the Change has become a national event sponsored by SAALT that draws a diverse range of community members who fulfill Mahatma Gandhi's widely-recognized message: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."