Hindu Temple DE Volunteers
Get to know the dedicated volunteers!
“I get a lot of energy from volunteering.”
Mr. Shankar Ram grew up in Chennai. He came to the United States in 1998 and now lives in Hockessin, Delaware. He mostly volunteers in the kitchen serving and cooking food as well as planning how much food they will have to make, however he helps wherever it is needed. Mr. Ram is great at handling crowds during large festivals such as Holi and Diwali. He also assists the priests during these major events. He has been a volunteer since the temple started. Mr. Ram volunteers because of his belief in Hinduism and the sense of satisfaction he gets from being of service to those who come to the temple as well as people who just want to know more about the temple, Hinduism, or the Indian community in general. He loves being close to this community and has made several friends and connections here. He is family oriented, methodical, and takes things on a day to day basis. His kids grew up at the temple and made friends, which made it easier for them to follow the cultural traditions that the temple celebrates. Mr. Ram does not get tired even after volunteering for many hours because it keeps him refreshed and his energy up.
“It is in my nature to give back to the community.”
Mrs. Vani Sridhar grew up in Bangalore. She came to the United States in 1992 and currently lives in Hockessin, Delaware. She has been volunteering since the start of the temple. She used to get groceries, paper products, vegetables, and fruits. She also made a sign up list and schedule for families to make food at home to bring to the temple. Mrs. Sridhar continues to help out with the kitchen every Sunday and assigns shifts for large functions. She does anything that is needed in addition to bringing flowers for poojas. Always ready to help out, Mrs. Sridhar knows how committed one has to be in order to be a volunteer. She is a people person and is open to new things. The language classes, Sunday class, and other things the temple has to offer are just a few reasons why Mrs. Sridhar enjoys volunteering. She especially loves how it feels like a family with the temple community.
“It is like a home away from home for us.”
Mrs. Chitra and Mr. Ramesh Damaraju both grew up in Mumbai, India. They came to America in 1996 and now live in Hockessin, Delaware. When Mrs. Damaraju started volunteering, she was in charge of coordinating cultural activities, including koti archana, singers, and dancers. She also organized large Diwali functions for about 12 years. Mrs. Damaraju was one of the founding teachers for the Balvihar and Hindi language classes at the temple. Mr. Damaraju helped out with getting trophies made, printing certificates, and making sure the sound system worked. They both helped clean and set up for koti archana as well as assisted with fundraisers. Mr. and Mrs. Damaraju currently help in the kitchen by preparing and serving food every Saturday. They are always ready to chip in however they can. Having seen the temple grow over the years, they feel proud that they were able to contribute. Through their volunteer work, they have learned how to arrange big events and make sure everything is on time. Mr. and Mrs. Damaraju have been volunteering since the start of the temple. They even used to prepare food at home and bring it as prasad because there was not a kitchen. They enjoy helping others and making new friends. Volunteering is a very rewarding experience for them. Both feel a sense of accomplishment because they have been able to contribute to the happiness of the community. One of the main reasons Mr. and Mrs. Damaraju volunteer is to be an example for their children, showing them how to be immersed in their culture as well as help others. The temple became a social and cultural hub for their family where their children were able to learn the values of Hinduism. Their kids were so involved that they say their kids grew up at the temple. Mr. and Mrs. Damaraju’s favorite part about volunteering is the sense of camaraderie and pride they feel.
“I feel peace at the temple.”
Mrs. Vasantha Nagandla is from Hyderabad. She came to America in 2005 and now lives in Landenberg, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Nagandla works in the office, taking care of transactions and sales as well as answering phone calls in the evenings. She also takes care of the saris offered from devotees for Mahalakshmi poojas in addition to regular archanas. Mrs. Nagandla started volunteering in the office in 2013 and about 2-3 years later started helping out with the saris. She also volunteers during festivals and special occasions, like Diwali. Mrs. Nagandla volunteers because she feels peace at the temple and loves giving back to the community. Her favorite part about volunteering is coming together to celebrate events because it feels like a family.
“I like making a difference.”
Mr. Anil Nagandla grew up close to Hyderabad, in Khamma and came to the United States 20 years ago. He now lives in Landenberg, Pennsylvania. He does a variety of things as a volunteer based on what needs to get done, such as helping serve food in the kitchen. He also assists with managing the temple’s properties and oversees their maintenance. Mr. Nagandla has been volunteering for around 10 years now. He does it because he loves connecting kids to the temple and their culture. He also enjoys helping his community and loves all the aspects of volunteering. In 2019, Mr. Nagandla hosted an event with the Telugu social activist, Jay Prakash Narayana, who gave an inspirational message to the youth. Mr. Nagandla was glad he was able to bring such an uplifting speaker to the local community. He loves seeing kids connecting to their roots in India and reaching out to their community.