Investing in Community Through a Variety of Volunteer Work

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Anwesha Shah. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

For Anwesha Shah, volunteering is not only fun and fulfilling, it’s a family tradition she and her younger brother have participated in for as long as she can remember. It’s also a way to invest in the community that has invested in her. A violinist since sixth grade, Anwesha is currently in the second highest orchestra in her school as a freshman. One of the several places she volunteers has awarded her with multiple grants to assist with costs of her musical education.

When people help each other, everyone in the community benefits. Anwesha spends every other weekend at her temple getting younger kids involved in service initiatives, teaching them the lesson that already guides her life. And as a Girl Scout, a library volunteer, an assisted living companion and an advocate for education and mental health, she brings joy to all corners of her community.

What inspires you to volunteer?

My parents have taken us to volunteer since I was a little kid. Every year, for as long as I can remember, we’ve made around 300 meals for Wheeler Mission with family friends. Volunteering in the community that has given me so many opportunities has always been a big part of my life.

Carmel Porch Fest is a music festival with a music grant program you can qualify for once you volunteer for four hours. If you’re chosen, you get a certain amount of money to help pay for lessons, camps and instruments. I’ve received this grant three times. But mainly, I volunteer because I enjoy talking to the musicians and helping people there.

Tell us about your various volunteer roles.

I’ve been involved with Girl Scouts for a long time and have done a variety of activities like baking cookies with members of a nursing home. A few years ago, I got my Bronze Award, which is 20 hours of work on an initiative that can be done with your troop. We made and donated around 100 kits to a children’s shelter. We sewed pillow cases and put toiletries and other goodies inside.

The Silver Award project is 50 hours of work and has to be more long-lasting. You can do it individually or in a group of two or three people, and I did it by myself. I made a Little Free Library in Arcadia, because the kids there don’t have as much access to books and educational resources. I regularly update the books as well, ensuring there are options for various age groups.

Outside of Girl Scouts, at the Hindu Temple of Central Indiana (HTCI), I teach younger kids to get involved in the community. We’ve done things like hold a food drive, make sack lunches for people facing food insecurity and make blankets for a shelter for the unhoused.

We run an annual music night fundraiser with other HTCI members to raise money for children and schools in rural India through Ekal Vidyalaya. For $500, you can fund a school for an entire year. I’ve helped organize it and collect donations for the past three years.

I volunteer at the Carmel Public Library by reading books and giving reviews so people can make more informed decisions when they’re borrowing. I organize activities and help put the books back on the shelf, too.

My dad, a few others from the temple, and I have run a 5k to raise money and awareness for the National Alliance of Mental Illness for the past three years. We raised around $30,000 or $40,000 this year as a group.

I also volunteer at an assisted living facility. My mom works as a physical therapist, so I’ve been going to her workplace since I was three and talking with patients. It can brighten their day and has always been something I enjoy. To help them improve their coordination, cognition and hand-eye movement, we also play games.

What are some of your long-term plans or goals with your volunteer work?

I want to complete my Girl Scouts Gold Award, though I don’t know what exactly I want to do yet. The project is done individually with 100 hours of work. Your initiative has to be completely sustainable and able to be used in the years after you’re done. I also want to expand our fundraising for EKAL.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

The most rewarding part has been seeing the faces and hearing the stories of the people we’ve helped. It makes me feel like I’ve made a difference. It’s also the values and things I’ve learned.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

Residents of assisted living facilities don’t often get to talk to people besides other residents. That’s why I like going back, to give them that connection to the outside world.

I’ve also learned that I have a great life. I’ve seen so many people struggling, who don’t have as much as I do, and I’m so grateful to my parents for everything they’ve given me. That’s what makes it possible for me to volunteer. They put so much work into coming here and giving me and my brother a better life.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

It takes a village to raise a kid, and contributing to that community and to the people who have done so much is valuable. Even a little bit can do so much; it can make someone’s day. The food we make for Wheeler Mission might just help someone for one meal, but it’s going to make them so much happier. Contributing to something that you’re invested and interested in is what your role in your community is.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

Everything you do counts. Even doing something that feels small can make an impact you might not even be able to see. It’s important to keep going, and always do your best.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Anwesha? Find local volunteer opportunities.