Norwalk Sai Center Seva Projects 2021-2025

 Diaper Drive

Diaper Drive for Bridgeport Rescue Mission
We supported the Bridgeport Rescue Mission by donating 24 boxes of diapers, each containing more than 100 diapers, along with wipes for all age groups. These supplies directly benefit under-privileged families with infants and toddlers, helping address critical needs within the community. Our contribution provided meaningful assistance to families facing financial hardship and strengthened our ongoing commitment to community support.

Knitting Hats

A total of 168 gentle, hand-knit baby caps were donated to Bridge port Hospital Primary Care Clinic and Optimus Healthcare. These caps were created to support children across multiple age groups, including preemies, newborns, one-year-olds, and toddlers.
This donation helps provide comfort and warmth to young children receiving care at these facilities, reinforcing our commitment to supporting families within our community.

Soup Kitchen

Open Doors Soup Kitchen – Monthly Service
Every fourth Saturday of the month, the Norwalk Sai Center supports Open Doors Soup Kitchen through monthly pizza donations and volunteer service. Some families contribute toward the purchase of the 35 cheese pizza boxes, while other members volunteer to deliver and serve the food at the soup kitchen. This coordinated effort provides consistent support to individuals and families in need within the community.

Soup Bean Jar

Soup Bean Jars – SSSE Children’s Service Activity
As an annual service activity, the SSSE children prepared Soup Bean Jars that were delivered to families in need during the Christmas season. This hands-on project has always been warmly embraced by the children, offering them an opportunity to learn the value of serving the community and appreciating what they have.

Each year, we donate 10 soup-bean jars, each filled with layered dry ingredients and accompanied by a recipe card for families to prepare and enjoy a warm, nourishing soup during the winter months. This simple yet meaningful activity continues to inspire the children while providing comfort to families in need.

Trail Mix

Trail Mix – SSSE Annual Seva Activity
Each year, as part of our SSSE Seva initiatives, the children prepare healthy trail mix bags to donate to families in need during the spring season. This activity is always enjoyed by the kids, giving them a chance to participate in hands-on service while learning the joy of giving and supporting local communities.

We carefully select nutritious ingredients for the trail mix, creating a wholesome snack that families can enjoy during the beautiful spring weather. Every year, we prepare and donate 20–24 bags of trail mix, offering a simple yet meaningful gesture of care and support to families in need.

SSSE 

SSSE Activity – COVID Phase and Beyond
During the COVID period, we leveraged technology to continue our SSSE classes through Zoom, ensuring uninterrupted learning and connection for all students. We also conducted several combined classes, bringing together children of different age groups while still providing age-appropriate guidance and engagement. These virtual sessions kept our SSSE community strong during a challenging time.

Following the pandemic phase, we held SSSE Graduation in person, which became a warm, heartfelt, and emotional celebration. Each year, as our children graduated, the event created beautiful memories for both parents and the center, reflecting the resilience, dedication, and unity of our SSSE family.

Shivratri Celebration

The Norwalk Center is blessed to celebrate Maha Shivratri every year, we have extended this celebration collaboratively with our sister centers, including Shelton and others. Together, we joyfully participate in chanting and bhajans on this sacred occasion, creating a spiritually uplifting experience for all.

The event is filled with powerful and energizing devotional offerings such as Shiva Bhajans, Rudram, Bilvashtakam, and Shiva Stotrams, bringing the community together in unity and devotion. This joint celebration has become a cherished annual tradition, strengthening our bonds across centers and deepening our collective spiritual practice.

Special Satsang at Shelton Center

We had the privileged opportunity to listen to Dr. Siddhartha Raju as our guest speaker at the Shelton Center. This uplifting Satsang was both inspiring and deeply enriching for all who attended.

In addition, we were honored to be given the opportunity to serve food to all members on this special occasion. This act of service allowed us to express our gratitude and strengthen our bond with our sister center, Shelton, reflecting the true spirit of love, unity, and seva.

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GuruPoornima

Guru Poornima Celebration
The summer season brings another blessed opportunity for our center to celebrate Guru Poornima, a day dedicated to honoring the lineage of teachers and the guidance they provide. This celebration is conducted in collaboration with our sister centers, creating a vibrant and unified spiritual gathering.

The event is filled with blissful bhajans, devotional offerings, and heartfelt reflections. On this sacred day, we symbolically receive the blessings of a thousand gurus, reconnecting us to our spiritual roots and reminding us of the importance of remaining grounded in humility and gratitude. Guru Poornima continues to be a deeply cherished occasion for our entire community.

 

Baba’s Birthday Celebration 

Baba’s Birthday is one of the most cherished occasions for our center, and each year it brings our community together in devotion and gratitude. This celebration becomes even more special as many of our YA’s return home for Thanksgiving, giving us the blessing of hearing them sing beautiful, heartfelt bhajans for Swami. Their voices add a deep emotional connection and strengthen the bond within our center.

We warmly extend this celebration to our sister centers in the area, creating a collective atmosphere of unity, love, and devotion.

This year’s celebration is extra special, as we honor Swami’s 100th Birthday. To commemorate this significant milestone, we are also organizing a Food Drive for P2P, extending Swami’s message of love and service to those in need.

Person-to-Person – Food Stacking and Arranging Seva Activity

As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the community, some of our members have participated in a meaningful seva activity at Person-to-Person (P2P). The team assisted with food stacking and arranging, helping prepare essential supplies for distribution to families facing food insecurity.

During this service activity, volunteers worked together to organize food items, restock shelves, and efficiently sort donated goods. Their efforts helped streamline P2P’s operations and directly supported the organization’s mission of serving individuals and families in need.

This activity not only allowed our members to contribute to the well-being of the community but also nurtured teamwork, empathy, and a deeper awareness of local needs.