September 2020 – Newsletter
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
As we officially entered into fall and into the last quarter of year 2020, we at EnE have been busier than ever. The limitations imposed upon us by COVID-19 has made our volunteers even more determined to find new ways of serving the community. From making scarves and beanies to baking goodies and conducting online classes, our volunteers have been striving hard to make a difference in the community during these difficult and trying times. We are very proud of our volunteers. Keep up the great work, EnE Volunteers!
Though our schedule has been busy, let’s take a moment to pay our tribute to the Associate Justice of Supreme Court of the United States, Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died at the age of 87 on September 18, 2020. A tireless and resolute champion of justice, she was a longtime, forceful advocate of women’s rights and gender equality. She is a powerful example of someone who lived her beliefs and wasn’t afraid to voice them.
The news of POTUS testing positive further emphasizes how grave this Coronoavirus pandemic really is! Let’s continue to be diligent, wear our masks, maintain social distance and take all steps necessary to control this deadly pandemic! Let’s tip our hat to all those frontline and healthcare professionals who are working relentlessly to keep us safe!
Important Monthly Reminders:
- Volunteer Membership Renewals: We hope you have all renewed your memberships. 31st August was the last day to do so. If you haven’t renewed yet, please follow the following steps:
- Fill the following Volunteer Contract/Waiver Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrz95vHT19wAfMuClIGcl5fRdF1KXk2ZkcLlZeuks_cMJh2Q/viewform?c=0&w=1
- Make $30.00 Annual registration (Aug 2020-Aug 2021) donation per volunteer.
- You can make the payment by zelle transfer (to avoid fees and 100% comes to the org) to: empowerandexcel.np@gmail.com or online (there is a processing fee) at: https://empowerexcel.org/donate/
- Please see if you can get the company (through workplace) matching for your donation. Let us know so we can keep an eye.
- Donating Stocks/Security to EnE: We are happy to announce that E&E is now accepting stocks/security donations. To help clarify a few questions, donating stocks is another option to donating money.
When you sell appreciated stock, up to 37.1% is taxes. When you donate appreciated stock to E&E, E&E keeps 100% and you receive the full market value dedication. If you want to donate stocks, please provide your securities broker with the following information regarding E&E:- Account Name: Empower And Excel
- Brokerage Firm: eTrade.com
- DTC Number: 0385
- Account Number: 4775-8789
- Tax ID Number: 47-3656395
- Phone #: 408-755-0405
- Email: info@empowerexcel.org
- Send a copy of the form to Empower And Excel for follow-up, ATTN: (Treasurer). Keep a copy for your own records.
- Volunteer Hours Recording: Please make sure you continue to record your volunteering hours by logging into our new system.
- Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA): To learn more about hours required to earn PVSA awards in each age group, go to: https://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/eligibility
- Shopping on Amazon: Please use the following link to shop on Amazon.com: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-3656395. When you shop using this link, Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to EnE.
- Stay tuned to EnE:
- Website: https://empowerexcel.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Empowerandexcel/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empower-and-excel/
Now for a Sneak Peek into Our September 2020 Activities:
Volunteer of the Month: Anoushka Kolluru
Anoushka has been teaching sketch and drawing to her peers and special needs children past six months. Her students are thoroughly enjoying her classes and do not want to take a break at all.
EnE Spotlights
- EnE Featured on Bolly 92.3 FM:Youth volunteer Diya Hasteer and Advisor Namrita Grover featured on “Dil Ki Aawaz” show on Bolly 92.3 FM. Our youth volunteer Diya Hasteer and advisor Namrita Grover shared information on the commendable work EnE is doing to make a difference in the community. They shared stories on how EnE is supporting frontline workers and families hit hard during the lockdown.
https://www.facebook.com/1523412216/posts/10223811617348058/?d=n - Get to Know Your Volunteers: This month, let’s get to know what inspires Anoushka Kolluru.
Baked Goodies Project
- Our Baked Goodies Project is on a roll because of the enthusiasm of our volunteer bakers who have been whipping up delicious batches of brownies, cookies and muffins every weekend.
- EnE donates these mouthwatering goodies to Priya Living Senior Community, Westmont Senior living, and Family Supportive Housing (FSH), a shelter in San Jose.
- Every Saturday, we provide 300 baked goods bags to these various centers. We bake these items on a rotational basis as follows: Week 1: Cookies, Week 2: Brownies, Week 3: Muffins.
- Our East bay volunteer bake goodies every week for friends on the East bay streets, for seniors at retirement communities, and for guests at a family resource center.
- A big shout out to all our volunteer bakers from Westmont Senior Living residents. They really enjoyed the baked goods that our volunteers baked for them with so much love and affection.
- Thanks to all our September volunteer bakers and all those who helped drop off these baked goodies at the various centers.
Online Classes
- Anoushka’s Sketching Classes: Anoushka who has been teaching sketching to EnE volunteers organized an art competition to celebrate the six months milestone. Kids came up with wonderful artwork and interpretation of the theme “Hope”. Well done Anoushka for sharing your skills and passing on much-needed fun and joy during these difficult pandemic times.
- Pranav’s Jeopardy for Seniors: Pranav conducted Jeopardy sessions for seniors at Priya Living. The sessions were themed on Indian Geography and Bollywood. Seniors are really enjoying these sessions. What a creative way of keeping them engaged and happy! Great Job, Pranav!
- Tanisha’s Piano Lessons: Tanisha has enjoyed teaching piano to fellow volunteer and special needs kids during these tough pandemic times. Kids enjoy her easy style of teaching. Great Job, Tanisha!
Spreading Happiness in the Community
- Backpack and School Supplies Drive: We donated 25 lap desks, 125 backpacks, and various supplies including 200 each of notebooks, highlighters, crayons, and 1000 each of pencils and erasers to 300+ families. It was an incredibly humbling experience to see families lining up for 2+ hours to collect backpacks and school supplies for their kids. Words alone are not enough to express the excitement we witnessed when kids received basic tools that are necessary for learning.
- A huge thanks to all our donors who supported this drive.
- A big thank you to Councilmember Maya Esparza who donated 100 backpacks and County Probation Department Program Manager Charmayne who helped with distribution.
- PPE Donations: Thank you “Evergreen Pediatrics” for your generous donation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We are truly grateful to see healthcare professionals from the community coming together to support other healthcare professionals. EnE continues to support the need for PPE for bay area healthcare providers in collaboration with a group of physicians called the Physician Support Group.
- Hygiene Packs for Homeless: Our volunteers made hygiene packs for the homeless. These packs included a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, body wash, socks, washcloth, comb, razor, shaving cream, and other basic necessities.
- Sasha’s Scarves Drive: Sasha Masson launched a project to make scarves for people displaced due to fire and the homeless population.
Each signup is for 12 scarfs and 3 volunteer hours credit. You can signup for multiple slots. Since most homeless folks are men, get patterns more appropriate for men. We will be collecting them by end of October.
Meal Sponsorships
- Sunday Lunch for Family Supportive Housing (FSH): Our volunteer families cooked delicious meals for FSH including fresh home made burritos, fried rice, and fruit platter. Thank you to all our volunteers and their families for helping out with wholesome meals during this difficult time: Aanchal Vyavaharkar, Meha & Maaya Selva, Sasha Masson, Soham Pinapala.
If you are interested in signing up to provide meals to FSH, please note:- EnE provides homemade meals to FSH every 2nd Sunday of the month.
- Sign-up for 2nd Sunday of October, November and December through the following link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16HK1inMZlb8Qsoc5WObr4s1PN0XDc_RS0JDo6K5kBps/edit?usp=sharing - The family signing up for a particular item, please add your choice along with your phone number to the signup sheet.
- On the day you have signed up, you will have to drop-off at the Family Shelter at 11:30 AM.
- Please do take pictures of food and notify us on EnE’s WhatsApp group that you have delivered at the shelter.
- Volunteer Hours Credit: You get 3 hours for pasta or fried rice, 2 hours for sandwiches or burritos, and 1 hour for fresh fruit for the quantity specified in the signup spreadsheet.
- Grab and Go lunch Packages for East Bay – City Outreach: EnE will be donating brown bag lunch packs to the City Outreach team on October 22, 2020, at 10:30 AM.
- Brown bag should include sandwiches (veg or non-veg), fruit, snack (chips, bars, cookies), and a juice box. [Veg sandwich: sandwich rolls/sandwich bread cheese, mayo, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, and olives. Non-veg: ham/turkey and chicken sandwiches]. Please try to make sure that there is ample protein each time you provide meals. Sometimes, this is the only meal homeless men and women will have that day.
- Once you sign up you are committed. There will be hungry homeless people waiting for lunch. Thanks so much for understanding!!!
- Every spot is 10 lunch packages and accounts for 2 volunteer hours.
- Drop Off Location: 39155 Liberty Street H840, Fremont, CA 94538. Drive between two buildings and call Jerry: 510-796-7378
- Meal Sponsorship at ASHAJYOTHI: Thanks Alpa Kohli, Suraj Madhav, and our anonymous donor for sponsoring meals during the month of September 2020.
- Meal Sponsorship at SNEHA RIDES : Thank you Aakash Kumar and Trisha Garud for celebrating your birthdays by sponsoring meals at SNEHA RIDES
Meal Sponsorship Opportunities at Shelters
- Meal Sponsorship to SNEHA RIDES, Children Home for Kids affected by HIV: Sponsorship opportunities available to feed ~85 abandoned HIV positive children and orphans. Cost: $200 for full-day meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), $80 for just Lunch or Dinner, $45 for breakfast. Sign up at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090948afae2aaaf49-20201
- Meal Sponsorships to ASHAJYOTHI, Shelter for Special Needs Kids: Sponsorship opportunities available to feed ~70 abandoned special needs children (Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Speech & Hearing Impaired, Polio, Down Syndrome etc.) and their staff of 15 people. We are extremely happy to inform you that our anonymous generous donor is doing a “Meal to Meal” matching gift up to 150 meals You are doubling up your contribution in helping to feed special needs children with nutritious food. Please block your dates and help us to make your contribution more impactful. Cost: $200 for full-day meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), $80 for just Lunch or Dinner, $40 for breakfast. Signup at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090948afae2aaaf49-2020
- Payment Info: For sponsoring at these two centers, you can make payments online at https://empowerexcel.org/donate/ or by mailing the check, payable to ‘Empower and Excel’ at: Empower and Excel, P.O. Box 21555, San Jose, CA, 95151 U. S. A or even by cash. Please note that online transaction fees are charged to E&E, so please include those fees as well. Please do company matching wherever possible. (Tax-id: 47-3656395)
