SERVICE PROJECTS
The Sai Baba Group of St Louis carry outs many service projects. A few of them are regular, a few seasonal, and there are many one-time service projects (mainly donations) that take place throughout the year. In addition, our volunteers are always there to assist other organizations during time of crises.
Below is the list of the major service projects undertaken by the St Louis Sai Center.
- Soulard Project.
- Night Shelter Service Project.
- World Bird Sanctuary Project.
- Environmental Projects.
- Medical Camp Project.
Soulard Project
This project started in 1987. Sai Devotees meet regularly on to prepare and distribute meals to residents of two communities in downtown St Louis.
This project can be divided into two parts – food packaging and meals distribution. Volunteers get together at the Sai Center around 8 AM on Saturday and start with food packaging. The delivery team consists of 5-6 volunteers. There are two delivery teams. One team delivers food item to residents of Allen Lane Street in downtown St Louis. The other team delivers meals to residents of Grand Street downtown. Residents who are served meals are elderly or disabled people. They are signed up to receive meals every 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month. Group 3 and Group 4 SSE students are allowed to contribute in packaging the meals.
- Location: Greater STL Sai Center
- Dates: 1st and 3rd Saturday of the Month
- Time: 8:00 A.M.-9:00 A.M.
Peter & Paul Shelter Project
The Peter & Paul Shelter (formerly called “Night Shelter service project”) started in 1985. This project used to be a seasonal project (Nov-April). Since May 2023, the Sai Center of St Louis voted to make this service project a regular, on-going service project. Sai Devotees have been preparing freshly prepared vegetarian meals (pasta, corn, potatoes, salad, rice, dessert) for the shelter residents. Time to time our center has delivered pizza for the residents.
The Peter & Paul shelter moved to a new, bigger facility in July 2024 and presently only allows meals drop off. Sai Devotees continue to prepare fresh, vegetarian meals and drop them off twice a month. In addition to serving meals, Sai Devotees also donate clothes, blankets, shoes, and household items to the residents on a few occasions. During the pandemic, Sai Devotees also designed and delivered masks to the residents at Peter & Paul shelter. There was a shortage of masks during those days and hence the Sai Committee at St Louis took the initiative to assist the residents. Group 3 and Group 4 SSE students are allowed to contribute in packaging the meals.
- Location: Greater STL Sai Center
- Dates: 2nd and 4th Saturday of the Month
- Time: 8:00 A.M.-9:00 A.M.
World Bird Sanctuary
The project at the Bird Sanctuary is outdoors grounds maintenance work. The WBS Volunteer Coordinator looks around the facility and determines a project that needs to be done at the sanctuary and then assigns it to us. We usually learn what the project will be a couple of days before. They have a number of groups who come and do service at the sanctuary and have to schedule everybody in, plus they are a small staff. We have done painting, cleaning, moved wood planks, planted flowers, and gathered fallen branches and other maintenance work of this type around the sanctuary. Many youths and SSE students participate in this service project. They are accompanied by their parents.
- Location and Time : Will be updated as Available
Environmental Projects
The Sai Center of St Louis has been aggressively participating in various environmental projects (other than the World Bird Sanctuary) since 2023 as part of Sai 100 initiative. Many of such project involves “Tree Planting & Maintenance” and other involve trash/waste pickup and removal.
The Volunteer Coordinator has been in touch with the following organizations to pursue environmental volunteer opportunities,
- Open Space STL
- Great Rivers Greenway
- Gateway Arch Park Foundation
River Cleanup Project
- Location and Time : Will be updated as Available
Tree Planting Projects
In 2024 alone, Sai Devotees (incl SSE students) participated in a few “Tree Care” projects. In a few projects, there were around 35 volunteers including many SSE students. All devotees were given a brief orientation and equipment. We always assign 1-2 volunteers as Team leaders to guide other volunteers. All SSE groups are allowed to participate
- Location and Time : Will be updated as Available
Medical Camp
Once in a year (generally in October), Sai Devotees hold a Medical Camp and provide medical services to the needy (incl immigrants) all free of charge. Group 3 and Group 4 SSE students are allowed to contribute in the service at the help desk.
- Free preventive health services have been provided by the Sathya Sai Center in St. Louis to underprivileged Latino Community since 2004.
- Annual free medical camps conducted.
- Received proclamation from Mayor of St. Louis City and County executive 3 times in past years.
- Benefited over 3200 people in the Latino community from 2004-2019.
- More than 250 registered in National Bone Marrow Donor Program during camps.
This project is led by Dr. Raghu who is assisted by Sonal Doshi.
- Location and Time : Will be updated as Available
Other Service Projects
On certain occasion every year, Sai Devotees collect and donate food and household items to charitable organizations in the Greater St Louis area. Generally, such donations are made on Maha Shivaratri, Aradhana Day, Thanksgiving, Guru Poornima, and during XMAS. The management of Sai organization will create a sign-up sheet. Sai Devotees sign up and leave donations at the center. .
Institution that our group delivers donated items to are, but not limited to,
1. Foodbank
2. Circle of Concern
3. Mother Theresa Kitchen
4. Peter & Paul Shelter
In Feb 2023, the Sai Baba Group started assisting the United Volunteers Group who were in the urgent need of blankets, sleeping bags, and shoes for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Many devotees made donations, and our group made multiple trips to donate items. This will be an ongoing service project since a large number of people have been victimized in Turkey.
- Location and Time : Will be updated as Available