Sri Sathya Sai International Organization - USA

SSSIO members of Northeast Region lovingly rendered a wide range of service to those in need – they served hot meals, provided care packages, donated school supplies and made tie blankets for underprivileged children, and sent relief items to war-torn Ukraine. A few continued to support Afghan refugee families with their resettlement. An exciting development was the Region’s first medical camp post-COVID.

SSSIO members of the Mid-Atlantic Region distributed food, groceries and winter blankets to the homeless, and took part in envirocare activities such stream clean-up and tree-planting. Special projects included providing groceries to a Native American community and sending aid to victims of a volcanic eruption in St. Vincent. Additionally, SSSIO members in New York City were inspired to reignite the long-standing Bowery Food Service, halted due to COVID.

The video features service activities by SSSIO members of the Southeast Region, which included providing food, hygiene kits and school supplies to those in need. Sai volunteers also helped sort and pack food at a local food bank and conducted a regional blood donation drive. A special event was the 41st anniversary celebration of the first Spanish-speaking Sri Sathya Sai Center in Miami Central; many of its services rendered both locally and abroad are highlighted.

SSSIO members of the Mid-Central Region undertook several vital service projects including tornado and hurricane relief, and helping newly arrived Afghan refugee families resettle by providing them with furnishing, essential items and groceries. They continued to serve freshly cooked meals to the elderly and underserved communities and provide food, clothing and backpack of school supplies to needy children. SSE children also made blankets for pets at an animal shelter.

The video highlights inspiring service projects by SSSIO members of the North-Central Region. YAs became pen pals with prisoners and held a 4-day summer program for underserved children focused on reading, science experiments, arts and crafts, and robotics. SSE children packed and delivered care bags in gratitude to janitorial and cafeteria staff in 10 schools and made dog toys to donate to an animal shelter. Other service projects included a forest cleanup and distribution of food to families in need.

The video features YAs of the Pacific North Region spearheading a community gardening project and their continued efforts at building tiny homes for the homeless. The video also shows SSE children’s food drive for families in need and YAs packing hygiene kits for a women’s shelter. SSSIO members also participated in writing Christmas cards for residents of a local nursing home.

SSSIO members continued to serve the community in a myriad of ways – from helping individuals with disabilities enjoy a Day on the Beach, to weekly sandwich distribution to the homeless and providing free medical services through the Ashland Free Clinic. New projects included making quilts for the homeless and holding a COVID vaccine drive. SSSIO members expanded services to schools beyond weekly tutoring to include distribution of school supplies, food and essential items to families in need, hosting various fun activities and building vegetable gardens. Other go-green activities included tree planting.

SSSIO members of the Pacific South Region have been serving the homeless with dedication for several years. The video highlights how the Sri Sathya Sai Center of Torrance was able to continue providing for the homeless even through the challenges of the pandemic by collaborating with other like-minded organizations similarly committed to taking care of the homeless.

The video features some of activities of SSSIO members of the region monthly burrito and sandwich services for the homeless, donation of nonperishable food and hygiene products to a local organization serving those in need, and an innovative service which involves donating diapers for single mothers in poverty and the elderly. A special highlight is the monthly loving leadership series which features inspiring speakers from across the US addressing human values in leadership.

SSSIO members of the South-Central Region continued with large-scale monthly feeding services at various sites, involving several devotees serving between 100 to 500 people at each site. An ongoing project in collaboration with Salvation Army is the monthly donation of groceries and household essentials to low-income families. Several members of the region have also been actively involved in tree planting and building community vegetable gardens. An exciting development was the first SSSIO free medical camp ever held in Louisiana.