Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Charvi Bhardwaj. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Charvi Bhardwaj is cultivating a future without food insecurity. Growing up, Charvi was frequently encouraged by her parents to pursue volunteer opportunities. When she entered high school, she was eager to find a volunteer role that would allow her to learn and grow. When a friend mentioned that their church was connected to a farm, Charvi’s interests were piqued. She began volunteering at the YMCA’s Share the Harvest Farm, harvesting and packing crops that could then be shared with people struggling to put food on the table. Charvi was so determined in her pursuits that her role has grown exponentially.
Currently a senior in high school, Charvi serves as a volunteer coordinator. While she continues to work with the farm program, she also recruits other volunteers and brings them in to help at different branches of the YMCA. From harvesting crops to mentoring young children who are struggling to read, Charvi is now bringing in other students to step up and pursue a life of volunteerism. Her role has been so successful that Charvi has completed nearly 800 volunteer hours over the past three years. She’s hoping to hit 1,000 by the time she graduates high school.
Going forward, Charvi is planning to attend college. She’s inspired to take her work with the YMCA with her and recruit additional volunteers at whatever college she attends to work alongside her, helping combat food insecurity and other issues that could be alleviated by community engagement. But Charvi is also interested in parlaying her work in food insecurity into a career. She’s inspired to go into science communications, which she feels is a direct result of the work she does in sharing the message about agriculture and volunteerism. She is frequently asked to present her work to people and talk to them, and Charvi would love to pursue that on a professional scale.
Charvi’s dedication to helping her community through volunteerism has set off a ripple effect. Not only has she potentially found her future career, but she’s inspired endless other members of her community to get involved in helping others.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
Since I was a little kid, my parents have always put me in volunteering, where I’m either packing boxes for unhoused people or working with the community. Moving on into high school, where I’m more independent, I thought of something I wanted to carry with me. One of my friends’ churches was doing a drive for food and charity. I went to her church once, and I wanted to know more about where this food was coming from. A nearby farm was called Share the Harvest Community Farm, and that’s when I really started helping out at the YMCA. I signed on as a volunteer and helped the farmers harvest the crops, pack them up, and send them to the nearby churches. After I was an avid member there for about a year, they made me a volunteer coordinator. I had my own team of people, whom I would assign tasks to do.
What inspires you to volunteer?
My parents are always pushing me to give to my community, and I really feel like the world has given me so much, so I have to give the world something back in return. I feel like volunteering and helping people in need is the perfect way to do that because I feel so much appreciation I get from other people, and I feel so much love. I think it keeps me going.
Tell us about your volunteer role with the YMCA.
My first year when I was volunteering with the YMCA, I was just like any other volunteer there. I would go in the morning, harvest crops on the nearby farm, and then during the afternoon, I would wash them and pack all the crops up. During the evening, we would go to the church, where there’s a gathering of people we give the food to. After that, I became the volunteer coordinator, where my work expanded a bit more than just harvesting. I joined other branches where I helped children do their homework and learn to read. Now, every weekend when I go, I have a group of around 35 kids from high school. I can connect with them and tell them what to do for volunteering, and try to make that connection with them. Every weekend I do something different.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Seeing everybody smile at me at the end of the day and saying thank you. I feel like all the appreciation that I get from people really makes my day. I feel gratitude is being lost in a lot of aspects of life. But I feel like whenever I’m working and I see I made somebody’s day, I get fulfillment from that. It brings me back to thinking this is what I’m meant to do, and I’m doing it. There’s a purpose for my life.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Through my experience as a volunteer, I think I’ve learned more about myself and about how privileged I am to be able to have all these things and help other people get all these things. I’ve also learned a lot of leadership qualities, since I’ve had to work with so many high school kids.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
I feel like this type of stuff spreads by word of mouth. If other people are involved, they’re more likely to go around telling other people, and it’s kind of like a ripple effect. If I bring someone from college to work with me, they’d probably tell their friends and family, who can find other people in need and help them. So the work just keeps growing and growing, and it can reach as many people as possible.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
The first step is just doing your own research and finding something that interests you, but can actually be impactful. I had to build up from a normal volunteer to a volunteer coordinator. I would advise everybody to start small and be smart. Whatever you’re doing, make sure it’s something that you love. If you love it and you’re good at it and you actually care and you’re passionate, you’re going to get more opportunities to go higher and higher and make an impact on a bigger scale.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
If people can take away the fact that those who have a lot should help others, that’s one of the best things you can do in life. And again, start small wherever you start. Do something that you love because when you get to a bigger scale, it’s really all about passion. And if you’re able to put time towards something, you’re going to get fruitful results.
Do you want to make a difference in your community like Charvi? Find local volunteer opportunities.