THE EXPERIENCE GIVING PROJECT

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

- Mahatma Gandhi

In lieu of traditional wedding gifts we invite you to share of yourself in a new volunteer community activity. This gift of giving can come in many forms ranging from cooking at a neighborhood shelter, planting an eco friendly garden, or teaching a reading class at your local library. Think outside the box! Everyone has a strength, and whichever activity you choose, we encourage you to find yours during this project.

Please send us a write up or a picture of yourself in action! We will be posting your stories on our website so everyone can share in this joy of giving. Submissions can be sent to egp@rimjhimandarjan.com.

We are blessed to have such amazing family and friends and we hope you have a wonderful time with this project!

Lots of Love,

rimjhim + arjan

Experience Giving Projects

Megan & Godfrey, Gurdeep & Pascal

On Friday May 7, we will cater a party for the volunteers of Our Place Society. Our Place Society provides transitional housing, nutritional meals, showers, blankets, clothing, support and more to Victoria’s most vulnerable citizens. Each day, about 35 volunteers give 100 hours of thier time. Our Place Society would not be able to funtion without the efforts of the volunteers, who also give unconditionally, compassion & hope.

On May 7th, we plan to create a memorable evening for these people who give so much to so many every day. We are setting up a team of about eight volunteers, including Megan, Godfrey, Pascal, Gurdeep, Beth, and Marcel and others to put together a wonderful party for the valued volunteers of Our Place Society as well as their employees and guests. We will prepare and serve desert and coffee to about 200 people. And, Brad Potentier, From Bernard Callebaut Chocoletier will kindly provide a chocolate fountain for the evening.

"Feeding Frenzy!" A Great success! After the "Our Place" main staff body feasted, doors opened the place was filled, people dipping sandwiches and Horsd'oeuvres into the Hot chocolate fountian courtesy of Bernard Callebaut.

Our Place

The Ross Health Care Center

The Ross Health Care Center is a skilled, long term care and rehabilitation center licensed by the State of NY and certified for care by both Medicare and Medicaid. The facility also participates with a number of managed care (HMO) and private insurance companies in order to provide the Long island community with quality care affordable to all.

The Ross Health Care Center is conveniently located in Brentwood, New York, opposite the LIRR station. The Facility, while centrally located to major transportation routes, maintains a serene atmosphere, adjacent to an equestrian center.

We are currently updating our physical look so that our appearance will reflect our changes in programs and commitment to providing the highest quality health care to the Long Island community.

www.RossHealthCare.com

Mari Hinsdale, IL

I've dedicated one year to teach Yoga classes on Friday's at 10:30am at the Welness House in Hinsdale in honor of Rimjhim and Arjan's new life together.

The Wellness House provides families and individulas diagnosed with cancer, programs and services for educational and emotional support.

"If there is another world, he lives in bliss, if there is none, he made the best of this." - Robert Burns

Jim & Denise from Hadley, MA

"Pillows for Patients"

"Pillows For Patients will provide patients with a bit of cheer during their hospital stay! This program was brainstormed and executed by 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in a public magnet school who wanted to find a way to help the community.

The students decided that they would like to decorate pillowcases to bring to children in the hospitals. These pillowcases will not only be to sleep on, they can also be used as a place to gather autographs. We plan to include a Sharpie Marker and a note stating this intention.

My students are so excited about this opportunity to bring joy to patients! Help to help them - the sick children in our area!

Thank you for bringing hope & joy into the lives of sick children in hospitals. We would like to make this donation in honor of some dear friends that will soon be getting married, Rimjhim & Arjan. Congratulations!

Bonnie Bednarik - USA

In honor of Rimjhim and Arjan, Bonnnie Bednarik is contributing donations of food to the Sayville Food Panty. This is her contribution to the "Experience Giving Project". The Greater Sayville Food Pantry provides food, information, referral and support services to individuals and families in need in the community.

Pictured on the left is Bonnie Bednarik donating bags of food to the Sayville Food panty. One of their volunteers is on the right .

Bette and Steve Hoffman Steve - USA

We have joined a singing group called the Wing It Singers. We are a group of more than a dozen people who go to at least one Alzheimer's center a month and sing the really really old songs to these elders. We know that persons with this disease respond well to music and we all have the desire to bring them some unexpected joy and maybe sweet memories. Our first experience was a great success. When we first arrived, there was mostly silence to be heard from the more than 30 people waiting for us. We encouraged the people to sing along and sure enough almost every person was singing, smiles were on their faces and the room was full of happiness. These are the songs of their youth. The songs they know by heart. There was one older man who sat in his wheelchair with his face to the wall and his back to all of us - on our very last song he was heard to sing out the very last base note along with Steve who was standing by him. Wish we could have stayed a little longer, I'll bet this man could sing all those songs with us, he just need more warm up time. The staff there said it was a very lively event for the elders, and invited us back any time. Our group is quickly growing in number. We have plans to sing at all kinds of senior centers. We encourage our singers to branch out on their own to form smaller groups who can go more often to more centers and just "WING IT". Steve and I, with our neighbor Clare, plan to go to an assisted living residence nearby and see what kind of sing along we can get going there.

Jeff Tkach - USA

This past January, I began volunteering once per month at a local homeless shelter for men. This homeless shelter is unique in that they bring a more "holistic" approach to rehabilitating these men back into society. Because of my passion for health, fitness and an organic lifestyle, I volunteer once per month and cook an organic meal for these men.

Over the course of the dinner, I get to share with them ideas and concepts for how to live a healthier, integrated life. Some of the topics include nutrition, meditation, exercise, cooking, sleep, and gardening.

Attached are a few photos from last night's dinner. Please know that I share this in humility and feel honored to be a part of your wedding celebration.

Sue and Jim Rose - NY USA

While Sue and I give public talks on meditation and vegetarian diet quite often, we have never done something quite like this before. We will each be holding a spiritual talk by conference call with home-bound seniors in Queens, New York. Sue's will be on the vegetarian diet and mine will be on the benefits of meditation. These talks are being organized and promoted by the Queens Village Library. [See below for actual materials being sent to participants in advance of the talks.]

This is very exciting for us to be given this opportunity. With Master's Grace, it will work out well, and if so, we can perhaps begin to offer this to other libraries as a means to provide spiritual talks to homebound seniors.

We offer a special thanks to Pamela Bednarik for her loving seva in coordinating with the Queens Library and arranging these public talks for us.

With much love and best wishes to Rimjhim and Arjan,

Pamela Bednarik

A number of years ago I encountered an elderly man at a bus stop while it was raining. I offered him a ride home and discovered, after becoming acquainted with him, that he had almost no one around to assist and help him in his daily living. George was not well and was living by himself. Feeling his need I thought that it was right to take an active interest in his daily life. I came to grow very fond of this man and kept checking on him frequently. At times I would bring him food and other necessities. I would take him for rides to get him out of the house, cheer him up and give him something to look forward to. Of course, we would always get his favorite ice cream!!! One day, to my dismay, I discovered his health was in peril and took him to the emergency room of a local hospital where he was diagnosed with some life threatening health issues. He was treated and it was determined that he needed to be in a health care facility. I facilitated the process and found a Veterans home that would give him the constant care he needed. It has been seven years now and I still check in with him whenever I can. I am elated to know that this man, who is my friend, has a quality of life that has enabled him to live a longer life because of Master’s grace. Every time I visit George, I thank God that we live in a time where we have the opportunity to serve and to dignify the elders of our world.

This picture was taken on April 13th 2010 with George. He is comfortable and being nicely taken care of. I dedicate this story to Rimjhim and Arjan. Congratulations in this perfect union of two beautiful souls .

Love in His Name, Pamela Bednarik

Allyson Volpe from Impruneta, Italy

I am grateful to Rimijhim and Arjan for encouraging me to reflect upon my family's contribution to our community.

The most personal way of giving that my husband, Santo, and I have offered this past year, has been the use of our villa for the enhancement of cultural, spiritual and intellectual pursuits. We organize, promote, fund and sponsor events ourselves that allow teachers a space to teach, students the opportunity to learn, artists a stage to perform and guests an opportunity to exchange ideas. We have created our cultural "Sodera Serata" evenings for the enhancement of the arts -- where artists, writers, musicians and poets can show their work and exchange cultural expressions. Our home has become a space for varied classes ranging from drawing to yoga to financial Options courses and wine tastings. By opening our doors to the community we have further widened ourselves to experiences that enrich the lives of all involved.

Jasmine Lamarre Krawchuk - Edmonton Alberta Canada

My Mom and I cleaned up my room. It was very messy. I gave eleven large recycling bags of toys away. I also gave another four bagfuls of English and French books to my school. The librarian was really happy.

I also gave $8.30 to Haiti through my school.

Love Jasmine, 8 years old XOXOXO

Adults : Sion Grably , Bettina Grably, Amina Bouharaka-Bamana, Souad Benfaddoul, Cherifa Zaraoui, Marie-Aimé Karera, Laurence Fort, Jérôme Lemaitre, Ludovic Tourbet, Isabelle Siegel. Children : Safia, Wacil, Myriam, Mickaël, Yacine From Paris, FRANCE

It is with great enthusiasm that a group of satsangis has welcomed the idea of organizing a selfless action in honor of the wedding of Rimjhim and Arjan. Amina, Souad, Chérifa, Marie-Aimée, and Isabelle had prepared delicious pastries and Laurence brought cookies in the shape of a heart to be distributed to the homeless after satsang. Children and adults, their arms heavy with sweets but light hearted, headed to two large train stations located not too far away from the satsang meeting place. We all walked together but would approach people only in small groups.

On this sunny but cold Sunday, we came across people, heart-broken, sitting directly on the ground. Some had an empty look in their eyes. Others were sleeping under shelters made out of cardboard, numb with cold. They all seemed sad and resigned. But such a joy would illuminate their face when given the pastries together with some kind words. Some seemed amazed that anyone would talk to them at all. Satsangis children, Wacil (8), Myriam (5) would rush to give them the pastries with sweetness. Safia (10) who had made and decorated cookies all night could not help but to distribute handful of the pastries. At one time, Yacine (12) started to run towards two women who were looking for food in garbage. Marie-Aimée, together with her son Mickael (7) offered pastries to an old man sitting on the curb, taking all their time to talk with him. Chérifa, Amina, Souad, and Laurence would go to people smiling and warm-hearted, followed by Ludovic, who discreetly would take pictures as a memory of those moments, and by Jérôme who would serve hot coffee. Sion would talk to them in a brotherly manner, discreetly giving them a few euros so they would feel that their suffering was not leaving indifferent. Bettina filled up a bag with pastry for a man who seemed happier for the attention he was given than for the humble gifts.

Back to the satsang meeting place, exhausted by this long walk and to close the day, we all meditated for a while. We will never be able to walk the streets without thinking of this unforgettable sharing experience. We then split with one last thought for Rimjhim and Arjan without whom we would have never lived such a wonderful adventure.

Elisabeth Treefon

What memories you have given us! We are all reeling from our stay in India and the beyond-wonderful time we had there!

I am starting a hatha yoga class, as part of my egp, at my high school after spring break.

Nancy and Lory Ghertner - Sodus, NY

We are very excited to share our “experience giving” activity with you. Both of us have been involved for the last many years with our friends, the immigrant farm workers in our community. Lory volunteers countless hours, inspired by the work of Master Kirpal Singh with bringing public awareness to this hidden community in our area of New York State. We have helped set up food delivery from the regional food bank, brought transportation to those who cannot travel to the grocery store or doctor visits, and are working with high school youth in college application process. The friendships and trust that have been formed have benefited us all. We daily experience the love and compassion of God in the lives of these community members. In honor of this year and the new family of Rimjhim and Arjan we are starting a new project to sponsor children for a summer nature day camp, which is a new experience for many of them.

Brigitta and Guenther Klingel, Mannheim, Germany Renate and Alfons Zinsberger, Laufen, Germany

A few years ago we began a project not knowing that one day it would flow into your loving EGP idea!

We started to purchase high quality Alpaca/Lama coats. Our intention was to provide appropriate clothing to people for the chilly winter months, fur like heavy duty warm coats but not harming animals. I had figured out where to buy the coats for a reasonable price - because normally they are quite expensive. I also learned how to clean them the proper way and even though it was kind of hard to do; it made me very happy! At an intellectual level it was not easy to understand why I was doing all that, yet I had a notion that it must be good for something.

When we learned about your EGP idea we were deeply touched how much you care about the welfare of others.

There was a stirring within us of wanting to contribute to it and we started exploring our options. Right on the next day we had the answer when we met with our friends Renate und Alfons Zinsberger in Laufen (Germany). They were telling us about a wonderful project from the Malteser Group in the city of Bad Reichenhall (Germany) providing clothing and other aid to those in need. Alfons was deeply moved when he recalled the experiences of his boss during the last tour of a very cold area of Eastern Europe. When the group arrived there children welcomed them running barefooted in the snow because they didn’t have any footwear.

At that very moment we knew this would be the right place for the coats to go to.

Renate and Alfons Zinsberger decided to also participate in the EGP by coordinating it and Alfons volunteered as one of the truck drivers. It’s gonna be a four days drive to get the goods there.

The Malteser Group are going to inform us when and to which of their quarters to take the coats for their upcoming tour heading to some of the coldest countries of Eastern Europe.

Thank you very much for getting us on track and gladly we will go on. God bless you!

Daniel Sims and Patricia Thiel - Vancouver Canada

As our contribution to the Experience Giving Project, Patricia and I both continued our volunteer commitment to the local community elementary school in Vancouver where our sons attend Kindergarten and Grade 3.

My contribution was to support classroom teachers with technical support for the Macintosh laptop computer mobile lab which is used in every classroom. I spent several hours over a few days to update software. I was also available to students in the class during their computer time, but found that most students had improved so much since the beginning of the school year they no longer needed help!

Patricia volunteered her time at the first "Sustainability Fair" hosted at the school. The day-long event was put on by more than 60 University of British Columbia Ocean and Earth Science students, who prepared 10 stations for the 350+ elementary students to move through. The elementary students helped move potting soil and compost into new garden beds in the school grounds, learned about organic farming, helped plant apple trees in the school yard, as well as experiencing a great hands-on simulation of the life-cycle of a mobile phone. Parent volunteers helped during the day by taking student groups from station to station, and the parent committee at the school will continue the involvement by tending the new garden beds along with the students.

Peter Ladner

On Easter Day I met a woman who chairs the board of an organization to help inner-city kids in Vancouver-- Contributing to Lives of Inner-City Kids (www.clicktokids.ca). As a runner, I was particularly taken by one of their projects that gets some of these kids into marathon running, with some pretty heroic results. I've made a donation to them and let others know about the good work they're doing.

Peter and Seba Tatto

In keeping with your request to find a new way to share of ourselves in giving back to the community, we are encouraged to continue with what has been our way of sharing. I am an active member of the Knights of Columbus and I have been elected the Deputy Grand Knight of the local Council. The Knights of Columbus is a service oriented organization of Catholic men who join together in fraternal, family, religious, charitable and community activities. As well, in our thirty eight years of marriage, my wife Seba and I have sponsored a foster child in many third world countries in Asia, Africa and South America and currently we are sponsoring our tenth foster child in Peru.

In this photo, second from the right, I am presenting a cheque to the President of the Star of the Sea School Parents Advisory Committee to help them in their fund raising activity to upgrade the school music program. To mention some other organizations that our Council No.7015 supports, these are: the Columbus Residence, a seniors home in Vancouver; The Peace Arch Community Service Food Bank; The White Rock Hospice Society; The Peace Arch Hospital Foundation; The Canadian Food for Children; Operation Eyesight and as a one time special event, 110 wheel chairs were donated to handicapped people in Mexico.

Through Plan Canada, my wife and I are sponsoring our tenth foster child , shown first on the left with her sister and father. She and her family live in the community of Santa Cruz, Peru. In part with our sponsorship, our foster child and her family is able to participate in or benefit from:

Activities to raise awareness of health
Basic education
Installation of a water system in the community
Water management training
Adult training on children's rights

Thank you you for asking us to share some part of our community activities which we generally undertake quietly. To you and Rimjhim, our heart felt best wishes.

From the New York Center - Young adults group

The young adults also ran a food drive and donated vegatarian canned food to the homeless people, through the inn organization.

Goal: To offer a spiritual program on the theme of Valentine's Day, after having received an invitation to conduct a meditation program at the ROSS Rehabilitation Center.

Activity Description: We met approximately 25-30 of the residents along with 3 to 4 recreation assistants in one of their recreation rooms. Each resident was given a beautiful rose with a personal Valentine's Day wish. Jori facilitated a joyful presentation, a spiritual Valentine's Party, in which he told them that God who loved them was waiting inside each of them and that they could connect with God through meditation and give their rose to Him in a meditation sitting. Next, two short videos were shown. Afterwards Roslyn shared a story from Spiritual Pearls about choosing to see good or choosing to see God in everything. Afterwards we served vegetarian food to them. We spent time chatting with the residents while they enjoyed their meal. The residents shared enthusiastic comments during the presentation

It was a heart warming event for all of us - due to Master's grace.

Helen Midwood & Don Budnarchuk - Vancouver Canada

Congratulation on your recent wedding, I am writing in regards to your wishes regarding a wedding gift - ?Be the change you wish to see in the world?. My husband and I have searched for something that was meaningful and special to us as a project and after many discussions we have found and donated to the Richmond Sharing Farm Project. I realize the goal was to donate our time and we are fully committed to do so, however because they are of need of more volunteers through the growing season we thought we would start by offering a donation for much needed tools and/or seed. Therefore we have sent a cheque on behalf of you both to the farm with instruction to purchase tools and or seeds for the upcoming year.

The Richmond sharing farm whose purposes is to grow vegetables and to harvest healthy produce to give to charitable food distribution organizations they also promote sustainability through workshops on issues related to food rescue, food security, organic practices, farm gardens and youth. The sharing farm links with similar projects who embrace the spirit of developing food rescue initiatives for the hungry, food preservation and community development through collaborations and the sharing of resources.

Art and Clare - USA

Like many, we were very touched by your marriage and your fabulous idea of offering gifts of service. After much thought, we decided to combine Art’s work as a teacher of nonviolence and peace studies and Clare’s work with children and families to help co-facilitate a new Peace Camp for children being offered though our university this summer. We have begun the planning stages and already children from diverse backgrounds have been recruited. The majority of these children come from economically disadvantaged families. We will be offering pre-camp training for some of the parents who volunteer as helpers, and hope they will find useful applications in their home for the tools they acquire in nonviolence education .

Camp activities will include the arts and music, gardening, story-telling, crafts and meditation; in short it will be two intensive weeks of having fun and developing skills that will help the kids better understand and get along with children of differing backgrounds.

Ron and Sandy Kulman and grandkids, Gabriel, Lucas and Sophia - Blaine Washington USA

Many have heard of the vanishing honey bees (colony collapse disorder). There are many theories and speculations of why this phenomena is happening. Such as; the bees are stressed from being commercially exploited for their honey, there are pesticides and chemicals on the crops they gather their nectar from, the mites and diseases that attack the bees have developed a tolerance to the chemicals and antibiotics used to treat these problems. Whatever the issue, bees are vitally important to our ecosystem on this planet and without them we wouldn't survive long. At the Sawan Kirpal Meditation Center in Birch Bay, Washington, in honor of the "Experience Giving Project", we have built two Kenyan Top Bar Hives this Spring to raise bees organically and naturally, free from stress, pesticides and chemicals, The aim is to help strengthen the bee population with healthy bees, enhance the local flowers, fruit trees and gardens and to share equitably the honey produced. Our first bees will arrive in April! This was also a great opportunity to involve the grandkids in a project and teach them about the importance of balance in our ecosystem and respecting and honoring all life forms. We would like to invite you and all the other Satsangis to stop by and check out the bees, the Center, and hopefully to taste of the sweet nectar provided to us all by the Great Masters.

Sara and Maria Saez - Castellon, Spain

Spain is the European country with the most danger of desertification. This, together with savage urbanization, greed and myopia, is destroying the Mediterranean landscape. One of the species in danger of extinction is the Millennium olive tree. Many of those trees are being sold at high prices, both in Spain and abroad (mainly France and Italy), for decorative purposes. Our contribution to the "Experience giving project" has been to plant six olive trees in el Maestrazgo, a depressed area in the interior of the province of Castellon, where destruction has not yet arrived with full strength and wild secluded spots can still be found where the last "capra hispánica" grazes and finds shelter. Of those six trees two have been named after Rimjhim and Arjan who are most welcome to come and see them.

SKRM Sangat - South West UP India

In honour of Rimjhim and Arjan ji, we, the sangat of of SKRM- Zone11 ( South West Uttar Pradesh) decided to do plantation as Eco-Friendly Garden on this occasion.This plantation will go on unto 7th march 2010. Upto 3rd march 2010 plantation has done in following center

SKRM Khurja- 52 Acacia-auriculae formis plants
SKRM Pahasu- 500 popular plants and 25 marigold plants
SKRM Jahangirabad -473 plants of popular
SKRM ModiBakapur - 50 plants 45 alstonia (fprou)+ 5 ficas
SKRM Nagla Barkatpur 11 plant (5 Ashok pendula + 2 kgrwr +5 Gulmohar + 2 ficas

KHURJA Youth of Skrm khurja distributed fruits to patients in Government Hospital and also distributes the fruits at Old Age Home.

MUDIBAKAPUR Sangat of SKRM Mudi distributes fruits to 150 patients at Hospital at Lakhawati. They also help to 10 needy children and widows.

Thank for inspiration and motivation to do such a good things. We all dedicate all above to you both on this occasion as gift.

Kathy Marsden - Vancouver Canada

This is my first "new" seva experience. When at the ashram in India in February, I helped Luda, the Russian representative, to learn to use a computer so that she can use the internet and email for her Science of Spirituality responsibilities. It's still a work in progress, but she has a friend in Moscow who can help her further with the project.

Gabriele Böhm- & Stefan Wohnhas - Germany

We wanted to spread the love to as many people as possible, and accomplised this in two different ways:

500 Tulips brigthen up the day for hundreds of people:

The area of lower Francoinia in Germany has been hit by the economic crises. Many people are depressed and are afraid to loose their jobs. In order to brighten up their day, Gabriele Böhm and part of the Schweinfurt Satsang Group gave away 500 tulips to people returning home from work at train station. Each Tulip-Flower had the following quote from our beloved Master Sant Rajinder Singh attached: „Love turns Life into a blooming Paradise“.

This gift touched most recipients very deeply: Many people asked: "how we got the idea to make fellow humans happy with this flower and the wonderful message?“ We explained that it was the wish of a couple that is getting married in India to spread Love instead of receiving wedding gifts. Everybody was moved, happy and totally impressed! Some women even cried! Many were sending their very best wishes and blessings to the couple. Many will send their good thoughts and love to bride and groom on March 5th.

Thank you..... it was such a amazing expierience! The whole atmosphare was full of love and joy!

Another kind of love was the donation of thousands of Wound Care Dressings for the victims of the terrible earthquake in Haiti by Stefan Wohnhas. We hope that many injured people will be feeling better soon and, perhaps, some amputations can be prevented. We hope that the people in need will feel love this way also...

Barbara and Harmony's - Blaine Washington USA

Trusting the great joy continues!

Lucrezia, our dear friend, is dealing with cancer. We decided to plant a tree in her honor at the entrance to the woods where we love to walk. Digging these big holes was quite a feat for Harmonys and me. We planted 4 trees to remember her here. ....and celebrate Master's love and protection in this way with you. Much gratitude, Rimjhim and Arjan, for your inspiring idea to think out of the box of service.

JAGDISH CHANDER MEHRA and family from AMRITSAR (INDIA).

We run a small school for children suffering from multiple disabilities in Amritsar .My 9 yr old son is also suffering with cerebral palsy(physically challanged) and is getting treated here.I have been working as a part time volunteer in this school for past 2 yrs. I became a special educator after my son was born and I felt the need to understand him as only I knew that he was not mentally challanged. We have around 25 special children with multiple disabilities coming regularly .We celebrate all festivals and take them to picnics too.The joy that i get in serving these children has to some extent compensated the loss of my son's disability .The moment we read of Rimjhim Arjan project of the gift of giving we knew we had to do something more.Now we have adopted SUNNY,a 9 yr old boy with cerebral palsy who belongs to a very poor family and cannot afford his education .We will not only take charge of his education but also assist him financially for him to lead an independent life.We are grateful that this project made us all realize the true happiness that comes only with the gift of giving and making a diffrence in someone's life.

Prerna Khanna (daughter of Jagdish Mehra)

Sanjiv, Neelam, Anuj, and Ruchika Akhand from Chicago

Enlarging our comfort zone was the first part of this project. Our family has been used to volunteering at the SOS center, but this new opportunity really let us see outside our environment. The goal of this community service was to give meals to senior citizens. We packed meals for 4 different ladies on Valentine’s Day and delivered them to Marianjoy Hospital in Carol Stream. The meals consisted of mixed vegetables with rice, pasta, salad, fruit, and halva.

They were very appreciative of our help and made us realize how much more we could do. Our family plans to do this every year, but for more than just Valentine’s Day. Near the end of this experience, we sat down to talk to these folks. As a little extra, we wanted to demonstrate meditation to them. They didn’t know what it was, so Vimmi Shukla Neelam Akhand explained the process. We all sat in silence for about 5 minutes. Teaching them how to meditate seemed like giving them an extra gift.

Thanks again, Rimjhim and Arjan, for letting our family reach out to the community and be a part of the Experience Giving Project!

Chris & Vivien - USA

On March 13th, we attended the Relay for Life organized by the American Cancer Society. The objective was to create awareness and raise funds in order to help researchers find a cure for such dreadful disease. This illness claims the lives of millions of people around the world and every 3 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. There were many vendors selling a different array of products, a school marching band, exhibitions, dances, food and music. We walked around the track to support the cause while cheering on the survivors and in memory of those who passed. As part of the fund rising, we were also involved in setting up a raffle for a 2010 Ford Focus that will be given away in the month of June. Although the relay ended on March 14th, we will still be involved in the raffle process until June.

Mark and Jora Young - DeLand, Florida USA

In honor of Rimjhim and Arjan's wedding, Mark and Jora Young planned and sponsored a reading event called ABC's and ZZZ's at Starke Elementary School in DeLand, Florida. The school serves primarily low income families in grades kindergarten to 5th. Teachers, students and their parents came dressed in pajamas to hear bedtime stories and have milk cookies (and some healthier grapes). The emphasis was on family togetherness and the joy of reading. More than 100 people attended the evening event, a record for the school, and all 72 children received a new toothbrush and other gifts.

Vicki Shibley, Sally St. Gelais, Sue Gallagher, Olivia Wallace, Joanne Sprenger, and Mary Pomerantz - Naperville, IL USA

All our friends in Naperville were inspired by the request from Rimjhim and Arjan to take part in a giving project in lieu giving a gift. Shortly before we left for India to attend their wedding, six of us volunteered an afternoon at Second Chance Resale Shop. The shop is a division of Family Shelter Service in Naperville and is located at 1512 North Naper Boulevard. Items in the shop are free of charge to their clients, families in need in the Naperville area. The goal of the service is to supply those in need with gently used clothing and household items that will help to supplement their incomes. The shop also offers clothing and other items to the general public for a good price. All proceeds go to support the Family Shelter Service that helps families of domestic violence.

Vicki Shibley, Sally St. Gelais, Sue Gallagher, Olivia Wallace, Joanne Sprenger, and Mary Pomerantz helped to sort, tag and hang clothes in the store. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we pledged to come more often to help this deserving charity. Thanks to Rimjhim and Arjan for inspiring this project. We all wish them much love and happiness as they begin their new life as husband and wife.

Megan & Godfrey, Gurdeep & Pascal - Victoria Canada

On Friday May 7, we will cater a party for the volunteers of Our Place Society. Our Place Society provides transitional housing, nutritional meals, showers, blankets, clothing, support and more to Victoria?s most vulnerable citizens. Each day, about 35 volunteers give 100 hours of thier time. Our Place Society would not be able to funtion without the efforts of the volunteers, who also give unconditionally, compassion & hope.

Check back after May 7, to view photographs of the evening on Arjan and Rimjhim's website as well as the link to Our Place.

Johanna and Manfred Leunig - Wollerau Switzerland

We would like to dedicate the following activity to your Experience Giving Project.

Just recently we came across a young man with a background in psychology. He has a vision but not the means and knowledge to implement it. His endeavor is to train and coach unemployed people to maintain their self-esteem, to consider losing their job to be not only a loss and defeat but also an opportunity and a chance to realize a better and more fulfilling future and, eventually, how to take concrete steps to that end.

Believing his project to be very beneficial for our community and as he has to start from scratch we provide help and assistance in many ways to get his project started, e. g. in terms of premises, publicity and useful advice.

Vijay Family - Chennai India

CONGRATS !!!!! We have done two projects

1. The first Homeopathy clinic opened at Rajinder ashram in Chennai 21.2.10. The first batch of 37 patients has been dedicated to your wedding by the Chennai Sangat

2. This morning my mother (Pushpa) made 250 Gulab Jamun and distributed then to "Mercy Home" a home for the elderly and physically challenged. Also, 200 choclates were distributed to 100 orphan children in the same premises. This project is dedicated to you guys from Javeri Family at Chennai, India

Paul Smith - Vancouver Canada

As requested, here is a description of my volunteering activity in honour of Arjan and Rimjhim's wedding:

One of the charities I have worked with, and which is a direct form of assistance to people in need, is the Kitsilano Hot Shower program for the homeless and street people in Vancouver.

Every Saturday morning, street people from the Kitsiliano area of Vancouver (and at least one from the Yaletown area) make their way to the Kitsilano Community Center at 7 AM. About a dozen volunteers make the showers available to them, serve them a hot breakfast and coffee, distribute give away clothing and footwear according to their needs or requests, give haircuts and occasionally footcare, as well as conversation and advice.

I volunteered again there on March 6 in honour of the wedding. It was my fourth time helping out. I manned the door and provided the valet service for the guests' shopping carts and bags while they use the facilities and have breakfast. Being at the front, I also get to speak with many of them. I did not take photos out of respect for the guests.

It is always both interesting and enlightening to chat with the street people. One was an air traffic controller in the military, another obviously erudite man speaks in knowing terms of health issues, and another has lived under a car port behind a building for over 5 years. The owner of the adjacent apartment building has given him the keys to the building and he acts as the building supervisor. But my favourite guest is proud to have actually hopped boxcars in days gone by (from whence the word "Hobo" - hopping boxcars). I will call him "Ricky" and he is the most smiling and joking of the lot. He always wears his Canadiens shirt and cap and he relies on them as a conversation piece. Unfortunately, "Ricky" had a seizure at the hot shower program just before Christmas, but he is back on his feet and still attending regularly. About a month ago, I saw and recognized him outside our office one morning and had him wait while I brought down our accumulated recyclable containers to fill his shopping cart. On March 6, he told me that he has had several seizures since the one before Christmas. He will be missed by all who know him when his time comes.

Many of the streetpeople leave the community center at about 9 AM explaining that they are not making any money sitting around drinking coffee and that they have to "get to work", meaning that they need to hit the bins looking for the recyclables to cash in.

The hot shower program is certainly commendable and as it has been running for about 7 years, the persistence, commitment and benevolence of the organizers is to be admired.

Charity Delsie - Chicago USA

I have dedicated this year to service, and am serving as a full-time volunteer through Americorps for a non profit called City Year. I am placed at an elementary school on the West Side of Chicago called the Morton School of excellence. It is a "turn-around" school that has been taken oven by the Academy for Urban School Leadership, which means that its test scores are starting to slowly move up from being almost the lowest in all of Illinois. I spend every day pulling third graders out of their classrooms for half hour sessions of intensive one-on-one literacy tutoring, and every afternoon assisting middle school teachers with test preparation and helping to run an after-school program for third, fourth, and fifth graders.

My students are hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking, and I know that I am making a difference. These students usually create the scary Chicago Public School statistics, but with a little love, attention, and assistance, the school faculty is trying to change that. Our after-school program is currently in its peace unit, and the students have learned a lot about inner and outer peace. They have also been learning about peaceful movements, and about active peacemakers such as Gandhi, and they are very excited for me to come back with pictures from India!

Although this year has been full of long days and hard work, it has already been incredibly rewarding. Thank you for the opportunity to share and the inspiration to keep going!

Beate Sprissler - Germany

On Friday, January 29th, 2010, for the first time I gave a holistic informative talk about the sickness cancer.

The talk included the possibilities in the field of the medical science and the alternative biological treatments.

I mentioned as well the efficiency of activating the power of the soul by meditation.

Harold and Mary Kay Berjohn - Alaska USA

Our gift to you involves a project we took on for a friend of ours who is teaching in a remote village in Alaska this year. She is a special education teacher and she had asked us to look for used books her students might enjoy reading.

On Monday, January 25, 2010, Mary Kay spent a good part of the day looking through shops that stocked second hand books, as well as our local museum, which was having their semi-annual used book sale. She amassed a good-sized stash with a fairly broad range of topics, from classics to sports, and we packaged them and sent them on their way, in two different shipments, to our friend in Alaska. (Please see attached photo). That friend wrote that she has received both boxes and her students are enjoying going through the books.

We feel fortunate that we could be a part of this project and do it in honor of you! Thank you for offering such a creative gift-giving idea!

We went to the Nursing Home last week for our first One Love Singalong. The residents really enjoyed it and sang heartily with us! We attach some pictures. I will send a video in a separate email

Sadly there was a snow storm that day so only half our group could come. The singers included David Edmonston, Marilyn Handel, Jule Millard, and Lisa Smith with Jennifer and Casma.

We will do our second One Love Singalong in the Spring, and we hope that the rest of our group will join us, which includes: Karin Silverman, Katie Ivey, Malik Hodari, Debbie Bennett and Shawn, and Jacki and Mats Jerndal with Luke.

Thank you for the inspiration for this fun-filled service, and we hope you enjoy this gift of love from us all!

Ellen Thompson - Florida USA

I volunteer one morning a week at the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast. I provide hands on Jim Shin Jyutsu to dying patients at their request or the suggestion of their chaplain.

Cécile et Roger - Paris France

Le "CEDRE", Centre d'Entraide pour les Demandeurs d'asile et les Réfugiés, is a mutual help centre for asylum seekers and refugees. L'équipe qui l'anime quotidiennement compte des permanents et des bénévoles dont l'objectif est d'assurer un soutien personnalisé dans de nombreux domaines : démarches administratives pour pouvoir vivre et travailler en France amis aussi ateliers favorisant l'échange d'expérience et l'intégration : cours de français, d'informatique, sorties culturelles, ateliers cuisine...Et c'est dans ce cadre que je me suis lancée dans un atelier de "premiers pas en informatique".

Comme je suis loin d'être une vraie spécialiste dans ce domaine, mon aide cherche avant tout à rendre l'ordinateur moins effrayant au départ pour des adultes parlant encore mal le français. Nous nous réunissons une fois par semaine devant de vieux PC tout à fait suffisant pour apprendre à mettre en marche un ordinateur, savoir se débrouiller avec le clavier, créer des dossiers, les retrouver, ne pas les perdre...(ce qui est fréquent au départ) et surtout pour la plupart d'entre eux, apprendre à envoyer des mails leur permettant de garder le contact plus facilement avec la famille restée en Afrique ou ailleurs. Ce sont surtout des femmes qui participent à cet atelier. Leurs objectifs sont variés : pour certaines simple curiosité alliée au plaisir de découvrir dans une ambiance conviviale un moyen de communication dont souvent leurs enfants allant à l'école leur rabattent les oreilles, pour d'autres, besoin d'envoyer et de recevoir rapidement des nouvelles du pays sans passer par un intermadiaire, pour d'autres encore l'ambition plus lointaine d'un acquis qui pourra peut-être leur être utile par la suite pour chercher un emploi. On est entre 4 et 8 à chaque cours car la présence régulière est souvent difficile pour des personnes qui ont souvent beaucoup de difficultés dans leurs démarches administratives et plus généralement dans leur vie quotidienne. Au début, j'avais essayé de préparer des interventions abordant chaque fois un point particulier de l'apprentissage de la bureautique...mais il m'a fallu très vite changer de méthode car les progressions de chacun des participants étaient trop différentes pour pouvoir faire vraiment un cours unique. : ceux qui avaient du mal à comprendre l'exercice proposé paniquaient très vite et avaient l'impression d'être délaissés ; je voyais la main suspendue à quelques centimètres au dessus du clavier, le regard devenir fixe face à l'écran, toute l'attitude se figer dans l'attente ...d'une catastrophe. Il fallait alors vite jouer les psychothérapeuts rassurants ! En réalité, le plus important dans cette modeste intervention est de faire tout pour éviter que cette panique paralysante ne s'installe Je passe maintenant d'un ordinateur à l'autre en tachant d'adapter les exercices à chacun, ce qui est possible car nous sommes peu nombreux.

Heureusement, il y a aussi les moments de grands fou rire pour un dossier perdu, une mise en page ...surprenante ou une exclamation un peu brutale. Et puis, les contacts qui se créent...au gré de l'apprentissage du processus d'envoi de mails.

Félicitations et merci à Rimjhim et Arjan pour cette initiative généreuse.

Beatriz Callejas & Alberto Alviar - Honduras

We have chosen to help a small village on a mountain near the capital, called ?La Montañita (Little Mountain)?. Very humble people live there, making their living just of farming. They are extremely poor, but have a big heart. Several years ago, we began to develop a project there, for the consumption of soybeans to be processed for both milk, tufo and crop. Unfortunately, for various reasons, we gave up the project until today, as a wedding gift, with Love, to Rimjhin and Arjan, we decided to take up this project to assist back these people who need so much support.

In that sense we restarted giving the villagers soybeans. We brought together a number of people, to deliver a portion of beans and to refresh the knowledge acquired, reminding them about the benefits of this grain consumption and its nutritional value. This activity has motivated us so much to resume the project again and follow it up, because they need much encouragement to break pre-existing mindsets and accept eating soybean products.

Rimjhin and Arjan thanks for motivating me to keep going! This will benefit this so poor community.

Luis Infante, Luz Margoth Pulido and Maria Consuelo Pérez - Bogota Columbia

Life's Mark

When we read about the project, we started a searching and realized that there are so many people in need and so many projects to do from now on. At the end, we chose as the ?Wedding Gift? to visit an Old People Home called ?Fundación Sagrado Corazón? (Holy Heart Foundation), and provided them with diapers, that were one of their main needs at that moment. One old lady, told us that the wrinkles of her face are the marks of the life, and we decided to call the project Life?s Mark, these are words full of meaning, full of love and reflection. Words that give us a boost, to continue with the project in the future, to have them always present, and to strive in order to fulfill the very purpose of our life. Thank you very much for inspiring us. With all our love and best wishes, your brothers and sisters from Bogota, Colombia

Rossana & Francesco - Italy

In our community of Compiobbi (Fiesole -Florence-) we partecipate, with other people, to "special day" for physically and mentally disabled people. These moments are characterised by a lots of activities, for example during the day we stay together to speak, dance and play. This is only one of many initiatives of our church. The photos represent the carnival festival,a good experience to offer them a nice daytime.

Irene, Christian, Selina and Alissa Schramm, Landshut, Germany

As our contribution to the Experience Giving Project we donated the complete equipment a young mother needs for her newborn baby in the first year. Our donation, which was done to an organisation in Landshut (Germany) that supports pregnant women in need, included baby clothes, shoes, sleeping bags and baby carriers. It was a wonderful experience to share in the joy of giving!

Tom & Arlene Samsel - Minnesota USA

Following your lovely invitation and request to send you a picture in action, here is one from Tom and Arlene Samsel.

This picture shows Tom and Arlene Samsel with their instruments they use for volunteer service in the communities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Tom plays the French horn in the St. Paul Civic Symphony and Arlene plays alto saxophone in the Roseville Community Band. We give free music concerts during the year in various parts of the area.

Anamika and Amir Jalalvand and Shakuntla Pun (Birmingham, England UK)

In Birmingham, our family often does voluntary work for a local charity, by collecting donated items from people and delivering it to a large charity warehouse where they are sold or given to the needy.

For this occasion, to honour the loving request of Rimjhim and Arjan’s Giving Project we decided to do a collection to bring across to Delhi, India, where we hope to deliver some supplies (stationary/ books/ toiletries) to an established orphanage in the city. We will also buy some supplies locally in Delhi.

In addition to that, I have also started painting once again and hope to share some positive messages through them. I have also made contact with a local group that helps women suffering from depression and the affects of domestic violence, where I hope to do some painting workshops as part of their therapy.

José Irizarry from Puerto Rico

I have a Foundation and every year we dedicate the activity "Buenos Días Day (Good Morning Day)" to people or communities that need our help. With my Foundation and as Rotarian, we are helping the Haitian community with donations, medicines and others assistance. This is my gift of love for Rimjhim, Arjan and to the world. Thank you.

Blanca - Peru

My name is Blanca and I live in Los Girasoles, near Lima, Peru, in a very quiet neighborhood. I love this place for its natural surroundings, specially at my backyard, which offers a wide view to a nearby river. But unfortunately the whole area looks quite abandoned and neglected because it is common property and nobody really cleans or farms it. Since I moved here, two years ago, I've been expecting to do a constant and caring job to progressively improve this area, but haven't started yet. Inspiration came through Rimjhim and Arjan's EGP website, as they give the idea of planting an eco friendly garden. Thus, my sons helped me and after a couple of weeks the place looks much better! Thank you...

Susanne McCormick, Guy McCormick, Sarah Morris, Robert Martell, Kate and Dan Costa, Vicki Shibley, and Helene Weisback – Naperville USA

Recently a dear friend passed on and left an apartment full of many wonderful and interesting things. Her family does not live in the area and were not able to deal with the belongings. Susanne volunteered for the job. It turned out to be a real giving project. It took her over three weeks working daily with help from friends. Carloads of clothes, books, dishes, art work etc. were brought to the Peoples Resource Center in Wheaton, a group which helps support basic community needs, and the Second Chance Resale Store which benefits go to the Family Shelter Service. Both groups were extremely happy with the donations. Also several people in the apartment complex were helped. One woman had just moved in and had only a bed. Susanne helped her fill her apartment. In addition many members of our community were able to benefit. It was good to see so many people in the community were helped.

From: Elisa Grandis in Fiesole Italy

I have been doing volunteer work for this Association for a couple of years. I wanted to stop, but in honour of Rimjhim and Arjan I decided to go on.

Two years ago our Municipal Art and Culture Councillor asked a group of artists to create an association representative of all the arts practised in the area ; painters , print makers, sculptors , weavers, ceramic artists, writers, poets , musicians , dancers ….etc.

We met several times unofficially , in order to work on the mission and regulations before having our first collective exhibition at the Town Hall over the Christmas period in 2008 .We officially formed the Associaton in 2009 , and since then we have been working hard to develop a program of exhibitions and events.

Due to the lack of funds and the fact that the Association is run by volunteers, progress is slow, but our aim is to create a collective gallery and studio space where we could invite foreign artists, organize exhibitions and courses both for artists and for the local population.

My role as a member of the Board of Directors is to act as an intermediary between the Town Hall and the Association, in order to find places where our members can show their work. I also act as an intermediary between the Association and the local population: our goal is to make art more a part of people's daily lives as it once was in the Renaissance. We want to bring beauty in everybody's life and give to every body the chance of experimenting his own creativity and talents.

Here is a picture of one of my works signed with my art name FLORA:

From: Chana Meddin - USA

I would like to offer this experience giving project in the most respectful way to the newlyweds, who asked guests to "think outside the box." I begun a small guinea pig rescue sanctuary in my home for unwanted, abandoned, neglected, abused and sick guinea pigs who people have "dumped" because they were old, sick, ugly, or just unloved, some traumatized.

And these are some photos of the three who enjoy their forever home here, with the rainbow. Guinea pigs are herd animals and these unwanted precious ones have formed a "herd" full of affection, love, and gratitude. Outside the box! The most recent "rescue pig" came into our lives Christmas Eve (the big brown "Beaver Pig") and the loving adoption of these unwanted, precious children of God are all I have to offer as a wedding gift.

From: Anne and Eric Andrew in Vancouver

What a great idea! We decided to volunteer in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver serving dinner once a week to homeless people at the First United Church on Hastings and Gore.

The chef Pascal, formerly chef to Cirque de Soleil, cooks dinner every evening for approximately 200 people. He needs a team of about 8 volunteers every night to set tables, serve the meals and clean up for two sittings. The church is open 23 hours a day, every day for meals and sleeping purposes.

A number of those who come for dinner sat down at the piano and entertain everyone. Last week one man played popular jazz hits to the delight of everyone there.

We have begun to recognize faces and feel we have benefited from this experience more than those we serve.

From: David Newcomb in Washington, DC

I wanted to respond to your loving request that we all become involved in a give-back-to-the community experience giving project. For several years I have been at work on a project that Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj inspired me to undertake, and I hope soon to begin sharing the fruits of the project with people in the community here in Washington. The project is a musical play called "The Maestro", for which I have been writing the music, the "book" (libretto), and the lyrics to the songs. Act I is nearly complete, and is two hours long, with thirteen original songs. One of those songs that I just finished working on - and shared last Saturday with fellow songwriters as part of the monthly song circle sponsored by the Songwriters Association of Washington - is a lovely duet between the Maestro and the heroine of the play, whom he is helping weather a personal crisis. In coming weeks, I hope to hold a dramatic reading, replete with two singers singing the songs and pianist to accompany them, presenting Act I before a live audience.

From: Mitra in Vancouver

In keeping with your request to contribute to the experience giving project, I am very excited to tell you about a fashion show fundraiser I will be involved with. The event is called "Aint She Sweet" a fashion show where proceeds will benefit the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA). The event will be taking place on November 7th, 2010 at the Hycroft Manor (16th and Granville in Vancouver) at 1 pm. We will be having an afternoon of fun, fashion and fundraising for my favourite cause.

As an optometrist, my personal mission is to make sure people who are living with diabetes are aware of the importance of having annual eye examinations to check for ocular complications of diabetes, which in my experience can be severe and debilitating.

Diabetes is a serious disease in British Columbia. Currently, nearly 250,000 British Columbians live with diabetes. For the past 50 years the Canadian Diabetes Association has been providing support and education for those living with diabetes. Our mission is to support research, advocacy and education for individuals in both BC and Canada living with this disease. The photo below is from our first committee meeting which took place at the CDA headquarters yesterday.

From: Mukesh (Morari) Shah in Dallas

I'm glad to inform you that yesterday (Sun, Dec 20 '09).....I got my first opportunity to start my EGP commitment.

The Gayatri Pariwar of Dallas gave me an opprtunity (15 minutes) to speak on "Jyoti Meditation"....the essence of the entire "Gayatri Mantra".

Obviously, I was very delighted & did my "Best" for our EGP. There were about 30 people (majority Gujarati). Everything went well and I was happy to explain in detail to at least one SINCERE SEEKER.

From Michael Sims in Vancouver

As a musician and entertainer I have often volunteered to play for Seniors and fund-raising projects.

Last year, with my friend Christopher Gaze, we did a concert for the Vivian House, a womens shelter and residence, in the downtown east-side of Vancouver. The concert was at the Academy of Music and we succeeded in raising over $5,000 dollars for the home.

Last month we performed for seniors at The Terraces residence -also in Vancouver. I will include a youtube link for a skit (with me playing piano) that some of the residents performed in addition to Christopher and me. I plan to continue doing this kind of volunteering in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYaVaPnC_Yg&feature=player_embedded

From Sam and Randy Pletcher in Springfield, Illinois

Our opportunity for service blew in with below zero temperatures for ten days at the end of December and beginning of January. We frequent a city park in Springfield, Illinois where ducks and geese live. It’s not unusual for the duck population to be about two hundred ducks. In addition there are five white geese that look like the one on a Mother Goose children’s rhyme book, and two new comers that are light grey called the bean goose. Unlike the wild ducks that can fly to open water when the water freezes, the seven geese cannot fly because their wings were clipped to domesticate them. Their owners have since abandoned them in the park. In good weather there are many who delight in feeding bread to them particularly when there are baby ducks and geese, but they are forgotten in the winter. In very cold weather when the water freezes the geese are in danger of dying because they cannot find food. The ducks can fly to open water and return when the freeze is thawed, but the geese remain. Last winter during the bitter cold days many white geese died.

As our service project in honor of Rimjhim and Arjan’s marriage we decided to feed and protect the seven geese. We fed them cracked corn and brought straw for them to use on the ice. We coaxed them to follow us across the ice to a place near a dam where there was open water. They have been so grateful for the cracked corn that they now eat out of our hands except for the timid bean geese that are shy. It was a challenging service since it was hard to face the cold ourselves, but their blue eyes were so beautiful and enchanting that we have continued to feed them even now that the below zero days have passed. Usually there are the seven geese and about two hundred mallards to greet us when we approach the water. This gift of service has given us the gift of friendship with seven geese that we have come to love.

From: Dean Isensee in Naperville, IL USA

I was very heartened when I saw that you were asking for all of your guests to do some form of seva (selfless volunteer service) in the community. When I began looking for opportunities I discovered an organization that prepares audio recordings of text books for the blind and dyslexic. I realized that this would afford me an opportunity to be of service to a broader base, since the users of these books are spread across the entire country and possibly across the globe. My sense of global community made this a very good choice.

The work consists of three different roles:

The Reader - reads the printed text which is captured on a computer
The Checker - checks against the printed material and notes any errors
The Fixer - uses the notes from the checker to correct the errors on the original recording

Each volunteer will fulfill all of these roles at one time or another during the course of their volunteer experience. This is something than can be done at a wide range of scheduled slots and something than can be done on a regular schedule. I intend to make this a part of my weekly schedule since their offices are not too far from my office I can devote a couple of hours after work one or more days a week.

Although many books are available in braille these days, most textbooks are not. This service gives many visually impaired access to learning opportunities that would otherwise not be available to them.

Thank you for the opportunity and encouragement to do this seva in the community.

From Thomas in Zurich Switzerland

My experience giving consists of bringing and fetching patients to and fro hospitals or similar places, patients who are in need of transport and help. It is enjoyable, mainly because the patients are happy and usually chatty despite the physically poor state they are in.

From: Eve Savory in Vancouver

Yesterday I auditioned for Voiceprint. This is a Canadian NGO which enables the blind, or learning or mobility disabled, to hear broadcasts of entire newspaper articles, features, profiles, book reviews, grocery flyers, community events, movie descriptions, interviews of interest to the disabled.

It will take about three weeks for the panel of judges, which is spread across the country, to hear the audition and decide if I meet the requirements, but the woman who conducted it was very positive. If I am accepted as a reader, I will make a commitment of a year, and I expect do it much longer.

From: Karen, Phil, Matthew and Jonathan Vedova
Naperville, IL USA

Given the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, our family decided to get involved in a tangible way through a local humanitarian service project spearheaded by Pam Caine with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints last weekend. Pam had done prior missionary work in the Dominican Republic and was coordinating an effort to assemble HYGIENE KITS which provide disaster victims with the basic items necessary for health and cleanliness. We told Pam about Rimjhim and Arjan’s request that wedding gifts be our volunteer efforts which they thought was a wonderful idea.

Hygiene kits are always needed in these situations and consist of soap, towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste and combs. These personal hygiene kits not only provide comfort, but can also save lives by slowing the spread of infectious diseases. The original goal of the project was to collect 100 kits. They would be gathered in Naperville and then sent by her organization to a central location to be distributed to the different relief organizations currently operating in Haiti. They have already made deliveries of prior shipments so the kits would definitely reach those in need.

The Vedova family went into high gear on the weekend of January 22nd to first purchase the items for the kits, then assemble on Friday and Saturday and then deliver on Sunday. We first did 15 kits and then were inspired to do 10 more for a total of 25. What fun! On delivery day, we were excited to meet Pam and her family whose house was filled with many kits. When we dropped off the kits they were already at over 425 and the house was bursting with hygiene kits in every room.

At the end of the day, Pam collected over 500 hygiene kits from local families, 5 times the original goal.

Each time you see a picture of a Haitian family sitting under a make-shift tent, can't you just envision them receiving one of these kits and rejoicing in the long awaited chance to wash their face, clean their teeth and brush their hair? It just makes you smile.