WELCOME TO SAYVA
Northern VA, MD, DC
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SAYVA TEENS: 8th - 12th Grade
JUNIOR SAYVA: 3rd - 7th Grade
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Learn more about SAYVA from our Executive Team
SAYVA'S MISSION
Service. Awareness. Leadership.
With small, and sometimes large, acts of kindness, everyone can make a difference!
WHAT IS SAYVA?
South Asian Youth Volunteer Association
(residing in VA, MD & DC )
SAYVA is a nonprofit, community service organization (501 c3) founded and led by teens serving others in the community to make a difference. "Seva" is a Sanskrit word meaning to serve selflessly and with dedication. SAYVA teens & ambassadors make a difference in their community through service and advocacy.
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Cofounded in 2011 by former director Sumedha Mongia, MD.
UPCOMING EVENTS...
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Get ready to roll the dice and have a blast at SAYVA Game Day! Along with board games, music, and activities, we're coming together to make a difference. Let’s turn our fun into impact as we raise funds to support those affected by the California wildfires.
Date: Jan 25th
Time: 1:30-4:30 pm
Location: Vine Church 2501 Gallows Rd, Dunn Loring, VA 22027. Cost: $10 donation for LA Fires. Please make your payment by CLICKING HERE (PAYPAL DONATION LINK)
WHAT TO BRING:
- 1–2 board games to play.
- Items from the list below to support the Lutheran Social Service National Capital Area Program
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We look forward to seeing everyone there. Don't miss an amazing event with a meaningful purpose! ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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2024-2025 events:
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Happy New Year from Sayva! All 2025 dates are now confirmed, please save the dates! ​
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JANUARY 9 (6-7 PM): Senior Friends Indian food tasting
JANUARY 25 - Game Day - Vine Church 2501 Gallows Rd, Dunn Loring, VA
MARCH 1 - Vienna Community Center Rise Against Hunger
APRIL 26 - HOLI - Cabin John MD
MAY 16 - End of year banquet 7-10 pm
JUNE: TBD 2025-2026 planning meeting for all rising seniors
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Sept 2024-May 2025: NCFF Cares Birthday Parties for children in homeless Shelters (once a month)
Sept 2024 - May 2025: Senior Friends (events held with Teens + Elderly (once a quarter)
our 2024- 2025 leaders
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OUr CEO's
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Riya Budhrani: COO
Arav Madan: CAO - Chief Administrative Officer
Dhillon Ruparelia: CFO - Chief Financial Officer
Neha Parameswaran: COO
Souren Sharma: CTO - Chief Technology Officer
Aryana Bajaj: CCO - Chief Communications Officer
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OUr Committee leaders
Shivani Jain: Party Project Coordinator
Krishna Gupta: Outreach Director
Natalie Dhillon: Director of Health & Wellness Committee
Devan Charaipotra: Director of Fundraising
Riya Wedam: Cultural Committee Director
Alisha Durbhakula: CMO - Chief Marketing Officer & Cultural Committee Director
Saanvi Lamba: CMO - Chief Marketing Officer & Director of Advocacy Committee
Kriti Hota: Director of Advocacy Committee
Tara Bansal: Website Director & Editor-in-Chief - SAYVA Speaks Blog
Shaan Khanna: Director Health and Wellness Committee
Kanav Kachoria: Community Service Director
Avni Patel: Community Service Director
Jaiden Bhargava: Marketing Director
Neera Vyas: Director of Junior Ambassadors
Shreya Kella: Director of Junior Ambassadors
Diya Khetan: Director - Senior Friends​​​​​​
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Thank you to our 2024-2025 Sponsors!
OUR IMPACT LAST YEAR 2023-2024
SEPTEMBER 2023
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Collected Supplies and donations for homeless at The Lamb Center
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SAYVA Juniors Made 304 SANDWICHES, of which 182 sandwiches went to Martha's Table, and 122 sandwiches went to So What Else.​
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SAYVA Teens Volunteered at the World Cultural Festival in DC. ​
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Thank You to Ledo's Pizza Falls Church, North Italia in Tysons, & Bollywood Bistro​
OCTOBER 2023
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SAYVA Alumni College students mentored teens on the college admissions process, study abroad programs as well as Q&A about the college experience.
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SAYVA Giving Day: National Center for Children and Families (Bethesda). Teens organized a Halloween birthday themed party for 30 children and their mothers who are currently living in a shelter.
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51 SAYVA teens, juniors and families participated in the Race For Every Child, raising a whopping $5311 towards research and treatment of childhood diseases. Congrats to top fundraisers J&J Dayal, Aria & Jaya, Alisha and Asha. Congrats to Jaiden B. (15 yrs old) completed the race in 21 minutes coming in 4th place for boys aged 15-19 yrs. So proud of team SAYVA! ​
NOVEMBER 2023
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SAYVA Giving Day:
National Center for Children and Families (Bethesda). Teens organized a special Bollwood Diwali themed party for 30 children and their mothers who are currently living in a shelter at the National Center for Children and Families. We donated South Asian clothes, played games, taught dance, had Henna tattoos, made Diya lamps, and tasted new Indian sweets with the children at the center.
DIWALI MOCK WEDDING:
This year's Diwali Mock Wedding was an incredible celebration! It was filled with decorations, speeches, food, dancing, and celebrating this joyous event! 🎉 We learned how to dance garba, learned about the different parts of an Indian wedding, and developed an understanding of the celebration of Diwali. We are so incredibly grateful for all of the sponsors and families for supporting this event to help us raise funds for Rise Against Hunger. Thank you to to all of our sponsors for making this event possible. (see images below and on IG!). Funds from this years event will go towards feeding 16,000 families with food insecurity.
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DECEMBER 2023
SAYVA Ugly Sweater, Cookie Making, Gift Wrapping Holiday:
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This year, we had our annual holiday party, cookie making, and gift wrapping holiday celebration. This year, SAYVA was able to donate, wrap, and deliver 60 gifts for Children at NCCF. Additionally, we made and delivered 220 snack treat bags for Seva Truck at the SAYVA Holiday party. SAYVA's holiday party was a great success and we are so grateful to all the families and sponsors that helped organize this event.
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FEBRUARY 2024: ​
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SAYVA GIVING DAY
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Valentine's Birthday Party at NCCF
SAYVA Pajama Party Game Night + Shoe Drive​​
- Thank you Aryana Bajaj for organizing!
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We learned how micro-enterprises help alleviate poverty in developing nations from student ambassador Jaiden Bhargava. ​
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We learned from our guest speaker Dr. Bajaj how radiation masks were turned to works of art to help cancer patients.
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We collected 250 lbs of shoes for Funds2orgs and St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
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MARCH 2024:
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SAYVA Rise Against Hunger Flagship Event​​
Thank you to Community Service leader Riya Budhrani for organizing!
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SAYVA Teens packaged 15,120 meals!
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APRIL
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SAYVA GIVING DAY COLOR THEME: HOLI/EASTER Party at NCCF ​
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Annual Holi Event + Olympic Games ​
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Raised $TBD towards the National Center for Children and Families shelter.
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Leaders organized Olympic events for all attendees. Members learned about the importance of sustainability and Earth Day.
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MAY ​
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05/19/2024: 11:30-1:30 pm SAYVA END OF YEAR EVENT
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We honored our graduating seniors, and announced next years leaders and CEO's.
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PAST EVENTS
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Over 116,000+ meals packaged and sent to impoverished countries
$152,800 raised
for our community partners
20,000+ teen service hours and counting!
SAYVA'S COMMUNITY PARTNERS
