If anyone had told me about some of the adventures and experiences I would encounter in my first year after launching Charities2Love, I would have thought they had a very vivid imagination. What I learned is that we should not be limited by our imagination!
The vision I had to support causes and charities doing amazing work in our communities started as an initiative in April 2023. We bloomed into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by the end of the year! Since our launch, we have had a whopping FOURTEEN volunteer events!!
Impact of 14 Volunteer Events by Charities2Love from
April 2023-April 2024:
- 525 total volunteers
- 30 nonprofits supported in various ways throughout the year
- 1,200 collective volunteer hours given back to the community
Although the idea and groundwork was laid long before, Charities2Love (C2L) was officially introduced to the world one year ago during Global Volunteer Month and National Volunteer Week in April 2023. The strategic timing was important to me since one of the founding principles of C2L is increasing volunteerism in our local communities. And what better time to get started than the month and week specifically dedicated to this mission?
What an incredible ride it’s been! While there are so many reflections, here are 10 highlights as I look back on the first year of launching Charities2Love:
- Collaborations are key
Collaborating with others amplifies community service! I have loved partnering with other organizations to provide a volunteer event that collectively magnifies our total impact. A huge thank you to all those who have reached out to partner and work with us throughout the last year! Take a walk down memory lane and see all of the highlights of 2023 and highlights of 2024.
- Meeting inspiring woman founders and leaders
Who runs the world? This past year has given me an incredible opportunity to meet, learn from, and be inspired by incredible women in our communities! Some are founders of nonprofits, others are leaders in their organization, a few are business owners, and all are rock stars! Thank you for your guidance and insights to help me and Charites2Love grow. There are too many to name individually, but please know that if I have met you, worked with you, collaborated with you, or even had a conversation with you, I am blown away by your commitment to doing all that you do to make the world better! Thank you for sharing your stories and wisdom, and allowing me to learn and grow alongside of you.
- Power of the South Asian Community
The community you are from is in many ways your family. Being part of the Indian community has inevitably shown me how my community has supported my journey without even asking. We are so grateful for friends making key introductions at their workplace, offering unsolicited help, and utilizing their businesses and expertise to get us up and running from day one. We have also had Indian community leaders providing thoughtful guidance and support, which has been a true gift. It has really been beyond any expectations I might have had. We have so much gratitude and appreciation to each one of you that have helped us get here.
Since getting the South Asian community out volunteering and giving back locally is a passion of mine, it really has been heartwarming to see them join the C2L movement to support and uplift one of their own.
It reminds me of a quote from Buddha: “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened”.
- Enthusiasm from many different communities and generations: 8 – 88 years young
We are proud that our volunteer events have been well attended by a diverse group of communities and ages! From our youngest and most talented artists that decorate brown bags and create stunning handwritten notes, to the seniors who love to fill up bags of apples and potatoes at the food bank, we are grateful for every single volunteer.
We have loved having fraternities, sororities, youth from other service organizations, high school and college civic groups, and cultural groups join us and share our events with their networks.
- Corporate Volunteering
It has been a wonderfully surprising turn of events to inspire those at work through volunteering and awareness! The initial idea of “can you bring volunteering to us during our work day?” propelled us to figure out a way to provide a volunteer opportunity in one hour that would be fun and impactful. In the 3 corporate events we have done so far, 150+ employees have made 2,500 PBJ sandwiches for those experiencing homelessness! We look forward to providing more opportunities for employees to serve their community in a variety of ways at work to other companies in the future.
- Opportunities to share the story of C2L
Being contacted to share the story about Charities2Love and my personal journey getting us to where we are has been humbling. I am honored that Voyage Dallas and Shoutout DFW felt that the C2L story was worth sharing! In addition, we are extremely grateful when nonprofit partners write a blog about us to share what we do.
- Bringing Awareness to Nonprofits
From the original format of the Charity Snapshot to the current Nonprofit Spotlight on our blog, the goal of C2L has remained the same: to bring awareness to nonprofits so that they can get the resources they need.
Since this is a foundational principle of C2L, being able to actually witness it in action has been incredibly fulfilling, and a dream come true. Thank you to all of our Charities2Love nonprofits that have taken the time to share their stories so far. There will be many more to come!
- Awareness -> Action
I am a firm believer that awareness leads to action, therefore all of our volunteering events provide awareness of the cause and charity. Not only does this provide the volunteer with the satisfaction of understanding the impact of their time and energy, it also provides them with information that can lead to independently supporting the charity. This has proven to be true since several nonprofits have received independent donations due to our awareness efforts.
We are so proud to have brought awareness to all of the causes this past year in our six primary focus areas of: children/women, environment, health/wellness, homelessness, hunger, and seniors.
- Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) Certifying Organization
In November 2023, we became certified to award the Presidential Volunteer Service Award! This allows us to reward volunteers for their exemplary service. Since then, we have had volunteers interested in earning the nationally recognized PVSA from all over the country! So far, we have awarded 28 Bronze, 7 Silver, and 4 Gold PVSA awards! Look out for more information on the awardees as we congratulate them on their service to the community.
- Going from Initiative to Nonprofit
With the steady growth of the number of volunteers at our volunteer events (70+ at our recent April 2024 event) and our desire to provide more programs to the community, we decided to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This decision was not lightly made. We are grateful for the tremendous love and guidance from both of our parents, who have been firm believers in our mission from its inception.
In addition, our children, family, friends, core group of volunteers and supporters who love #DoingGood are the other reason we were able to wholeheartedly embrace joining the nonprofit world. Finally, our immense gratitude and recognition to our inaugural board members and staunch supporters: Sonu Sharma, Ketan Patel, and Dr. Madhukar Trivedi.
Join the C2L Team
The logistics of nonprofit management primarily falls to my husband and co-founder, Urmesh. Although behind the scenes and in an advisory role, he is a key reason for the success of Charities2Love. Since we remain 100% volunteer driven, we are always seeking others who would love to be a part of the next chapter of C2L. If that is you, please reach out since we would love to have you on our team! Many of our needs can be done remotely, so supporters living in other areas are welcome.
What a year: serving causes and nonprofits
In 12 short months, Charities2Love has assisted a range of causes and nonprofits all over the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. We have supported and volunteered for hunger, disability access, domestic violence, the environment, those experiencing homelessness, and a range of issues that impact children such as foster care, literacy, cancer, abuse/neglect prevention, and those that are disadvantaged/under resourced.
Thank you Volunteers!!
It’s been a whirlwind year, filled with incredible memories. None of that would be possible without the enthusiasm and support from the volunteers who have joyously attended our events and supported our mission. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
As we fondly look back, we dedicate this past year to you for your commitment to serve your community. You inspire us!! We look forward to what’s ahead: continuing to serve alongside you so that you can go make your impact and inspire you to find your cause!
3 responses to “Celebrating One Year of Charities2Love: 10 Highlights from our Launch Year”
[…] It was surely an eye opening and heartwarming experience. I attended the event alongside my 8 year old daughter. I learned that Charities2Love has 2 main goals, which is to have local volunteer events to inspire people and to bring awareness to different charities. The event I attended was also celebrating their one year anniversary. […]
Maitry
I am so impressed with your work. You have achieved so much in such a short time.
Wishing you continued success in your noble charity work.
Anil and Purnima
Thank you so much for reading and letting me know. It truly means a lot to have your support and encouragement!!