A Thanksgiving Thank You!

WOW! I cannot believe it's almost been a year since the Saris for Strength Drive began! And, because it happens to be Thanksgiving day, I thought that this would be the perfect time to write this blog and thank all of you for helping me with the Saris for Strength Drive. Without all of you, this drive would not have been as successful as it was, so again, thank you sooooo much! :)

Speaking of being thankful, I am extremely thankful that I was able to ship nine boxes (it was ten, but I managed to rearrange the clothing and fit everything into nine) of your clothing donations to the New York Asian Women's Center! Ms. Turner, the lady I was in contact with there, told me how grateful she was for the donation! Isn't it unbelievable to think that we are changing women's lives?!

As I look back on the entire drive, I can say that I've learned an incredible amount about service. It takes true persistence and determination to reach the point when you've realized that you have done something to help the community and, believe me... it's not an easy task. Having an idea or plan to engage yourself in community service is one thing, but being proactive in your community and acting on that plan or idea is completely different. As I collected the donations and then watched them sit in my house for a month as my high school schedule became chaotic, I couldn't help but realize the impact this drive had on me. I started putting service as a priority in my life in order to accomplish the goal that I had for the Saris for Strength Drive, but I am SO happy that I did. There is no greater feeling in the world, than knowing that you are helping someone, somewhere in the world.

The idea for Saris for Strength came from cleaning out my mother's closet, and as a high school student, I cannot believe that acting on that idea allowed our Indian community in Cedar Falls to help South Asian women in need, who are victims of domestic violence, in Chicago AND New York. This goes to show that service is not an entity limited to adults -- people of all ages can get involved in their community. So, I encourage all of you to pay it forward. Whether you take a couple hours out of your weekend to volunteer at the Food Bank, shovel a neighbor's driveway, or decide to start a drive of your own, remember that you have the ability of make a difference in the world!

Clothes that all of you donated! :)
For more information regarding NYAWC, visit: http://www.nyawc.org/index.html

Apna Ghar Donation

Thanks for all of your donations! I was finally able to visit Apna Ghar during break and thanks to all of your donations, give the organization $401!! While there, I found out that the NeUsed Closet had been closed due to lack of funding. The Temporary Housing Director, Anuja, assured me that there were other places we could doante the clothes to. There is a woman in Chicago that is starting her own agency who might be willing to take some of the clothes, there is a new agency in Houston that we could ship the clothes to, or we always have the option of shipping the clothes to India. Regardless, we will find a place for all of your generous donations!

Again, thanks for all of your support -- I really appreciate it, and so does Apna Ghar! For more information, please visit Apna Ghar's website http://www.apnaghar.org or continue to visit this blog!

I've included a couple pictures of my visit below!

Hello, again!

Greetings all! Sorry I haven't posted in what seems like eons... I've been very busy! First of all, thank you SO much for all of your continued donations. They are much appreciated! I was going to visit Apna Ghar recently, but found that their NeUsed Closet (the place for all of the clothes) is shutting down because they don't have funding. It was very disappointing news, especially since I collected so many items from all of you! However, they will be expecting to open in the near future, so I am going to hold on to all of the goodies until they can take the clothes. I have been researching other organizations like Apna Ghar, but have been unsuccessful so far... if you know of any, please let me know!

If you have any questions, let me know! Call at 319.988.3299 or email me at dhanwadj@uni.edu. I'd be happy to pick up any donations!

THANK YOU!

Thanks to all who generously donated to the drive tonight at the Diwali Function!! Your donation is much appreciated and will definitely be going to a great cause!

Special thanks to Rupa Aunty, Devi Aunty, Rashmi Aunty and Jhansi Aunty who brought clothing - it was so nice of you to take the time and bring saris for the drive! Also, to those of you who gave a monetary donation - THANK YOU! We raised about $365 tonight.... that's incredible! To the girls who helped me (Avanti, Aastha, Esha, Parthvi & Nikitha): WOW! Wonderful work, girls! Thanks for taking the time tonight to ask for donations -- it is much appreciated!

I will be visiting Chicago next weekend and look forward to visiting Apna Ghar. I will give the donations I have collected so far, but there will be another date coming up soon for those who'd like to donate clothes that didn't get a chance. Remember, both Indian and Western clothes for women, children AND men are welcome! If you'd like me to pick up your donation, or if you'd like to drop off your donation at my home, please email me at dhanwadj@uni.edu. Feel free to email if you have any questions as well! Again, thank you SO much to those who donated. Together, we can make a big difference!!

Let's Make a Difference!

85-95% of all domestic violence victims are female. Nearly 2 in 3 female victims of domestic abuse were related to or knew their attacker. Women between the ages of 20 and 34 years old endure the highest rate of domestic violence. 57% of homeless families identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness. An estimated 3.3 million children each year witness their mother or female caretaker being abused.

The Saris for Strength drive is for these women and children who endure domestic violence. Help support these victims, who are trying to better their lives by leaving their harmful environments. Relieve some of their pain by donating everyday clothes, Indian clothes and household items such as pots and pans. Let's make a difference! With our support and acknowledgement of these women and their families, touching the lives of those who have endured a rough beginning will help make their futures brighter and stronger.

***Bring clothes (Indian, Western, children's, women's or men's) to the NEIIA Diwali Festival on October 24, 2009. The program starts at 5.30 pm. Help support this cause!***