This is a transcript of a YouTube video (uploaded Oct 17, 2024) where Sunny Reddy speaks with members of VT Seva (Volunteering Together for Service). VT Seva representatives describe being present across the USA (25+ branches), supporting 50+ partner organizations, and running many projects (72 projects across 52 weekends in 2023 benefiting 27 nonprofits). Sunny Reddy praises the volunteers, shares his personal motivations (lost his mother; immigrant student experience), says he supports education (adopted 25 children in Hyderabad post-pandemic by paying tuition), and offers to collaborate with VT Seva and match fundraising for youth-led events.
Questions this video answers
25+ branches.
2013.
About 50+ organizations.
72 projects across 52 weekends in 2023.
27 nonprofit organizations.
Chapters
And what do you guys do?
So we are from VT SEVA and we do community services. And VT SEVA stands for volunteering together for service.
Okay, and where are you from?
Where are you from? We, we have presence all over the USA with 25 plus branches.
And you live Michigan Branch.
Michigan Branch. We established in 2013.
Perfect.
And what organizations do you help?
We have about like 50 plus organizations.
Starting from Detroit to Pontiac to South Bay. You can name the organizations Destined for Greatness, Forgotten Harvest Gleaners Food Bank. Please and thank you. Our organization for Children's Hospital Michigan, Pendington School for Blind Children, Whole Medical Relief and Lighthouse Food Pantry and tons of other organizations who are very, very, you know, we always help them out.
Last year from in 2023, so in 52 weekends. So we did 72 projects. From 72 projects, 27 nonprofit organizations are.
Benefited collaborated with 25. Wonderful.
Well then we're here with Sunny Reddy.
Hello everybody. First of all, thank you very much for what you guys do. You don't have to do this. You are doing it. You're making a difference. That's the main thing. So it's not easy. It's not easy giving up the family time, being here. I can see it for last 14 months, what I missed. I can see it. And like you guys, the position I'm running is a voluntary position. It's not paid.
Right.
So many people don't realize that it is a voluntary. And you know, when I talk to you guys, I said, you know what? This is the probably the kind of organization. So my end goal was, as I said again, I asked you a question. Where is the money for you? We want to make sure that when we give something, it reaches the beneficiary, not the middleman. That's my biggest concern. Always my biggest concern. If I want to help somebody, it reaches the beneficiary, not the middleman. And any organization, as long as the 95% goes to the beneficiary, 5% for the expenses, that's okay. Yes. But not other way around. Spending the money on the television ads or whatever it is. Somehow I'm not comfortable those kind of organizations and you guys do a lot of hard work. Everybody. Actually I, I was amazed when I came to your event last time. That's wonderful. Excellent event.
Thank you.
Yeah, the yoga, I was impressed. I was impressed actually. So you guys do a wonderful job and thank you very much. And I'm proud of myself that helping you guys help the people in need and when it comes to cancer, just to let you Know that I lost my mom. I have a personal connection with the cause. I lost my mom when I was 21. I came to this country right after one year, after I lost my. I was in school. I mean, my situation was. So I know what the hardship is. I know how important the college is. I know how important the affordability of the college is. And that's why I said, you know what? I want to do something. I want to make a difference. So I said, you know, where could I. Where could be the best place than the place which gives me everything. I started my life at Wayne State and said, you know, let me start this one also in the main state. That's why I decided to run for Wayne State. And thank you very much for what you guys do. I think the money is going to the right place. When you help VT Seva, I can give you 100% assurance that money is going to the right people. Right place. And I really appreciate what you do and I'm honored to present the check to you guys. Thank you so much.
I would like to add three words about the cost that we are doing.
Thank you. Yeah, yeah. Thank you very much.
So as we said, like, okay, is the international organization. We have like four main pillars. Education, Health, disaster recovery and environment. But we do all those four pillars. We support those four pillars. Empowering youths. And this is one of the biggest examples that we can proudly say in Detroit branch.
Right.
We are doing for our healthcare pillar.
Excellent.
Leading by the youth. This is this one. This is our fourth year. We are conducting the.
Families.
Are like leading like anything.
Excellent, excellent. You know what? I hope I can win and my position also can contribute what you guys. So I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure there are a lot of possibilities and we can do together. We can make a difference just to.
Connect with your main school.
That's what I'm saying.
We have four school clubs that you can.
Yeah, we don't have like, like Sunny is standing for the election for the main state university. We not, like we say, we're not just doing the community service with the adults only. Obviously we are empowering youths. And we established four high school clubs in Michigan and we are in work like two more high school clubs. So the. The youths are the key for us and they are doing a very great job. And we are thanking you so much for all the support that you provided for the vak.
Thank you. You know what, I'll tell you especially when it comes to education. Last Year I adopted about 25 kids who lost their parents in the pandemic in Hyderabad. So I'm paying from their, their tuition from the kindergarten to the high school. So I want to see when they succeed, I want to see, I want them to come back and say thank you, you made my life. That's what I'm looking for. I want to see so 25 families. I did that and I'm willing to work with you guys. Let's make a difference. Let's make a difference together. I think when you win the board elections, I think if we can collaborate and get a BT Seva club in, be amazing.
We'll do that.
We'll do that. This is, this is the kind of organization, nonprofit organization. Everybody is a volunteer and nobody gets paid. And that's what we need to for the community. Absolutely. VT Seva is like 100% volunteering organization. Everybody has their day job, but still we contribute back. Giving back to the community, which is so, so important. So every one of you guys, work, passion. Yes. That's what volunteers. That's what I've been doing it last because of my passion. Because the way I walk through what today's student is facing. I live there, I experienced. And that's one of the reasons I said, you know what, I can make a difference. Definitely I can make a difference. And I want to make the difference where I started my life.
And we are hoping our youths also will have that same motto, same model.
Exactly. And it's a motivation. It's a motivation for the rest of the kids also. You know, they can do something, they can make a difference. And that's what I want to do it. Thank you very much all of you guys. Just like, you know how you went through your childhood. Right, right. Same thing. I mean, you know the reason that.
We are starting off with your school.
Class is like mother kids, right. Feel that and you know. Right, right. You know, every one of us has a success story. Like everybody. I came here as a student, 20 year old kid not knowing anything. And I see, I see a lot of kids right now. You are the one also doing the same thing. Currently came here with a one semester. My dad gave me the fees and then he gave me thousand dollars. That's it. I didn't lose anything. I returned thousand dollars back to my dad within the same 64, five months. And I built my life. All of us, we work hard. One good thing about the Indian community, you don't see anybody doing a crime, anybody doing anything other than going to school, making it better every day. So great work. Thank you very much VT Seva. And I'm looking forward to working with you guys.
I just want to add two more lines. Okay. So since 10 years I am staying in Michigan. But this is the second time I'm meeting Sanniji. You know, the very first time when I met, I talked to him. I explained about what is VTC. Only in shortly less than 10 minutes. He immediately connected with what we are doing and immediately said let me know what I can help. How can I help? So that is where then as soon as our VT Seva Youth board they came up with such a nice initiation of helping the cancer families through walkathon. Sunny Reddy heard that immediately. He said he encouraged the kids to motivate the kids. He came up with an idea saying how much ever you raise and I will match that much. So that is where and this all happened only through the phone. I never saw him. I want I met only once and this is the second time. So today. Thank you so much, Saniji. Again, thank you Shirishaji too. So for coming forward to help us and such a for a great cause. Really appreciate all the very best, sir.
Thank you. Thank you very much. So we need such people to be on the.
