Sewa LEADs assist the Shiv Durga Temple for the Hindu festival Maha Shivratri

Sewa International, a Hindu-based, nonprofit volunteering group, allows student volunteers (or LEADs) in grades 8-12 to participate and lead in community service and humanitarian aid projects while helping them gain volunteering hours in the process.

On Feb. 18, LEADS volunteered at the Shiv Durga Temple for the Hindu festival Maha Shivratri. The festival is celebrated in honor of Lord Shiva and is celebrated through prayers and fasting.

The Aurora temple hosted, in total, around 200 people.

Due to the big occasion, LEADs volunteered in two 4-hour shifts for morning and evening. For both the shifts, they were divided into groups.

One group guided people where to go, gave instructions, and facilitated traffic and parking. Another group oversaw the worship of Lord Shiva as numerous devotees came to pray and celebrate the festival. The last group packed and served food for the evening; they included meals for both those fasting and not fasting. The priest of the temple expressed his gratitude for these services and invited us to volunteer at the location again.

Founded in 2003, Sewa International is part of a movement that started in India in 1989 and is active in 20 countries.

Sewa International serves humanity regardless of race, color, religion, gender, or nationality. It specializes in disaster relief and rehabilitation, and the development programs focus on family services; child, tribal, and refugee welfare; women empowerment; health; and education. In addition to their work in the U.S., they have also undertaken development projects in Columbia, Guyana, India, Kenya, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Learn more about the Sewa International Chicago Chapter at www.sewausa.org/Chicago or facebook.com/sewainternationalusa/.