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Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Viswamitra, Dec 2, 2018.

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  1. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    National Online Education in Human Value ("EHV") - Service to the children

    Our spiritual organization that has international presence in 192 countries in the world, has started a national online EHV program for all the students in the age group of 6-17 divided into four groups Grade 1-3 in Group I, Grade 4-6 in Group II, Grade 7-9 in Group III and Grade 10-12 in Group IV. Most students are encouraged to attend local spiritual center for EHV. However, if they are located in cities that have no easy access to spiritual centers, they can attend national online EHV program after registering and getting admitted with a commitment to attend regularly. The parents should also sign a consent declaration sheet for this education.

    Recently, I was requested to create content for these classes and particularly for Group IV. I was very pleased with this opportunity and so far I have created lesson plan modules for a) circle of influence and its effect in life, b) healthy mind, c) forgiveness and d) meditation and transformation (work in progress). The content will have text, videos, games, etc. to teach human values to the children with some practical experience sharing sessions. I have only taken content creation responsibility and there are many teachers who come online to teach these children dedicating their time and effort for the past so many years. I work on this project on Sundays. Frankly, I learn more than the children through content creation for these modules. There are many more topics that have come to my attention with a request to prepare content and I assume this opportunity will help me do some interesting work for many more years and have a wonderful spiritual experience.
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2019
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  2. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    First time you both are volunteering on Krishnashtami.May Lord krishna bless you with more and more serviceable attitude .Wish to know your experience in this regard.
    jayasala42
     
  3. satchitananda

    satchitananda IL Hall of Fame

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    Wow! That is such a wonderful service. This is just the kind of thing we need in India. Wish you and your wife all the best with your first day of volunteering as well as all further such days to come.
     
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  4. Sandyr46

    Sandyr46 Gold IL'ite

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    Please do keep updating this post Viswamitra sir. I had seen a couple of care-givers at Aurobindo Ashram who brought senior citizens for meditation. Will await ur update of 23rd August. All the best.
     
  5. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:A feeling of great satisfaction of rare opportunity to do this type of service must have had enveloped your better half and you. Wish you Godspeed in your endeavour.

    Thanks for sharing and Regards.

    Service to humanity is service to God.
     
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  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Service to the sick, children and seniors is my goal. Poor or wealthy, if they need service, I am ready to help.
    Thank you for your blessings Sir. You might have missed reading Neighborly's mission described above. I would like your opinion on that too
     
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  7. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Eyes welled up.
     
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  8. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:Handling terminal ill patients especially the old suffering from dementia, amnesia is by itself is a great art. There are still few nobles in the world because of which I believe the world spin around its axis and seasonal rains. Nallur oruvar ulathel yellarkum peiyena peyiuum mazhai saidsaint Thiruvalluvar.
    Warm Meal distribution at the doorsteps to ailing old folks is a superior service as it is said when stomach is full the person is greatly satisfied and his or her soul blesses the giver.
    My Chithappa was suffering from dementia in His seventies and used to forget that he had eaten rasam rice and when his DIL Padma served him buttermilk, in my presence he scolded her for not serving him rasam rice. DIL had a trying time for almost a decade with Chithappa. One has to have enormous patience and evolve suitable methods to deal with such oldies.
    From your accounts, it is clear the organisation distribution flow chart designed and crafted with great care and attention.
    May your spouse & you continue to have strength and attitude to serve the needy.
    Thanks and Regards.
     
  9. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Thyagarajan Sir,

    The most satisfying thing we learned from the orientation is many times, we, the volunteers, are the only person these elders meet in a day. They are so happy to know that someone cares for them by bringing meals even though we are not personally preparing the food. Sometimes, they consider those volunteers as friends and request for some errant or even fix a TV remote or a shelf or fix the leak in their sink. We were told if we decide to help them, we should do that outside the route time and with the assistance of appropriate professional technician, carpenter, plumber, etc. The trainer/coordinator told once she helped a person because she knew her cousin was a plumber and went back with him to fix the water leak.

    We need to shower love to them but with care and diligence that it doesn't hurt Neighborly organization's great work.

    Viswa
     
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  10. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Friday, August 23rd, 2019

    That was my first day of volunteering with Neighborly. I reported promptly at 10:15 a.m. for leaving with the meal at 10:30 a.m. I was given a specific route with 10 cold meals nicely packed in a cold zipper bag with dry ice placed strategically to keep the food cold. Vast majority of them are living in mobile homes while some are living in apartments and independent houses. Only one of them lived in gated community in a palatial house which made me wonder what was the criteria for getting this meal. Welfare abuses are quiet common in the US, I thought. Who am I to complain about it?

    This trip being the first one, it was hard finding the delivery locations even with GPS. Most of the addresses are not shown in the GPS and the addresses were very confusing. Some of them had entry from a different road while the address is in a highway. It took more than 3 hours and 15 minutes before I could finish all the meals distribution as I spent at least 15-20 minutes to find each location. I left sharp at 10:30 a.m. and returned the bag with the list consisting of signature at 1:45 p.m. Either this must be a new route or those who did this route earlier hadn't given much hint for the future volunteers.

    The most satisfying experience is how happy the recipients were when they met me. When I greeted them each one of them asked me to come in and signed the sheet gladly except one in Oxygen asked me to sign her name and initial next to it. Most of them indicated that I was the only one they were going to meet that day. Some engaged in a 5 minutes conversation while others understanding that I have other places to go, let me go quickly. One lady from Latvia was very nice and asked her 3 times whether I would come again to visit her. An Islamic gentleman who I called couldn't give direction to his house as he doesn't leave the mobile home much.

    Initially, I was little concerned that how a brown person will be received by these recipients of meals. Frankly, they all welcomed me with a smile on their face and talked to me as though they knew me for years. I enjoyed this experience but made a request to Neighborly to give an easier route that I could finish in 2 hours as I am taking time off from my work to do this service. They agreed and will call me when they are ready with another route.

    I have a lot of suggestions to give to Neighborly about how the locations need to be written in the sheet. The sub-division name should be in Bold letters on top and if the access to be made from a different road, it should be prominently mentioned on the top. Gate code, if any, should also be given in bold letters. Every phone number given should be working phone numbers. Preferably, they should pair two volunteers one to drive and another to navigate. As a driver, looking at the sheet, focus attention on the road, make phone calls, etc. are hard. To the extent possible, if a new route is developed, one of the staff should go on that route and make notes before giving that route to a volunteer.

    Viswa
     
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