OneStar Foundation Spotlights Sewa's AmeriCorps Program

HOUSTON, June 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sewa International Houston Chapter's AmeriCorps program has been featured in the Partner Spotlight section by OneStar Foundation in its 2021 annual report. The recently released report, "Rising to the Challenge," highlighted Sewa's AmeriCorps program celebrating the resilience of Texas communities in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and winter storm Uri. The OneStar Foundation administers the AmeriCorps program in Texas.

President & CEO of OneStar Foundation, Chris Bugbee, in a special note of appreciation to Sewa said, "As a haven for immigrants and refugees from around the globe, the city of Houston has experienced tremendous growth, which has translated into a steady increase in demand for Sewa's services, especially in the areas of disaster relief and education. Many of the families served by Sewa are living at or below the poverty line and lack the resources and English language proficiency to thrive." 

The report quoted Carole Juárez, Sewa AmeriCorps Program Coordinator, on how Sewa and OneStar work in tandem to serve the people in need. "Leveraging volunteer service showed us what we were capable of as an organization. We saw a synergy between AmeriCorps' culture of 'getting things done' and Sewa's core belief that 'together we serve better.' Partnering with OneStar offered the key to Sewa's growth in Texas."

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sewa AmeriCorps team organized workshops and health fairs "…to address vaccine hesitancy and promote mobile vaccination clinics," providing "Spanish-language information sessions to people." Sewa AmeriCorps members assisted nearly 700 people in increasing their disaster readiness, the report said.

The report also lauds the impact of Sewa's work on education: "Through the Alief Independent School District and the organization's after-school academies, Sewa provided individualized support to students and their families. The focused attention of Sewa AmeriCorps members has had a decided impact in the classroom, with 90 percent of students served showing academic improvement and 81 percent demonstrating increased attendance and class engagement."

Acknowledging the funding and support from OneStar Foundation, Arun Kankani, President, Sewa International, said: "We started Sewa AmeriCorps program in fall 2020 with six members. The program has been a phenomenal success and Sewa is able to serve the neediest people of Houston by promoting vaccine awareness and distributing groceries, milk, and other essentials during the pandemic. Sewa is now expanding this program by adding another 44 additional members to the team." 

The OneStar report quotes Nathan Murphy, a volunteer at O'Donnell Middle School: "It has been such a blessing to support students and administrators and teachers right now…" The report mentions Samiksha Deme, a disaster preparedness outreach specialist, who says that working with the Sewa team has taught her "…so much about what service means and how to make an impact in both small and big communities."

Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin. Sewa serves humanity in distress and  run developmental projects.

CONTACT: 
Vidyasagar Tontalapur – 1 - 720-526-9939
Viswanath Koppaka – 1- 404-304-0563
Email: [email protected]  
Web: http://www.sewausa.org      

SOURCE Sewa International