Volunteer Spotlight

Last year, Sambhali U.S. began a concerted outreach to universities to help attain our goals. This initiative is a part of the work of the Volunteer Engagement Committee, led by board member and Volunteer Engagement Committee chair Khusbu Patel, a University of Maryland graduate who recently obtained her master’s degree from George Washington University.  Khusbu originally gathered other alumni and current students from a variety of institutions to develop and implement an outreach program.

The goals of the outreach are to find new volunteers, raise awareness of Sambhali U.S., and raise funds for Sambhali Trust’s programs in India. Current students play an especially vital role in the outreach. They have access that non-students do not have to groups like Indian student organizations, or Indian dance teams. “I have tried sending emails to them, but they haven’t responded,” says Khusbu. “This is why it’s important to have a person going there, who might have friends at those organizations, who can put in a good word, or make the actual request for us.”

Alumni on the committee reach out to their respective networks and former professors to get Sambhali U.S. mentioned in newsletters. For example, one committee member recently got Sambhali into George Washington University’s Global Women’s Institute news bulletin. Volunteers have also added Sambhali U.S. to on-line volunteer recruitment networks aimed at college students, bringing in new volunteers.

Currently, six volunteers—Nishita Challa, Shumaila Fatima, Manya Kaladi, Vaishali Jha, Jeanne Miller, and Reila Mohammed—are working on university outreach and Khusbu would like to add others. “For people with university connections, you may be able to help Sambhali U.S. more than you realize,” she says. “Even if you don’t think you have resources to offer, it is worth a conversation to figure out what your connections are. It is very difficult to breakthrough the university bureaucracy. Professors and administrators are so busy, and they don’t have time to respond to every email they get, but if they hear from someone they know, it could be just the in that Sambhali U.S. needs.”

If you are a current college student, university employee, or person with strong connections to higher education institutions—or would like to volunteer with Sambhali U.S. in another capacity—Khusbu requests that you reach out to her by completing the form found here.

Once volunteers come on board, Khusbu works with them to determine how they want to volunteer. Currently, primary areas for new volunteers are in the areas of volunteer engagement, communications, and fundraising, but that can shift depending on the volunteer’s strengths and Sambhali U.S.’s needs.

“Sambhali U.S. is completely volunteer run,” states Shereen Arent, president of Sambhali U.S. “I have been at Sambhali Trust’s projects in India since early February and I can tell you that the women and girls who benefit from the work of volunteers feel a family connection with all of us and are extremely committed to giving back one day as well. Volunteering with Sambhali U.S. is a true pay-it-forward opportunity that enables generations of women to strive for their dreams.”