Two feet and a pair of running shoes!

Sikhcess and Team Asha have teamed up to host our First Annual 5K Family Walk/Run to help promote education in both the United States and abroad.

All registration fees and fundraising will support making education possible to children in low-income and underserved areas. Each runner makes a big impact in helping us afford books, resources, and outreach materials.

Sign up today as we take one step closer to changing the lives of children and their families!

Date : 9.26.10 (Sunday)
Location : Chicago, Illinois
Time : 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Contact : info@sikhcess.org, or call 630.533.1346

Click the link below to get started!

http://ashanet.org/chicago/blogs/asha-sikhcess-5k/register/

The event is less than three weeks away and will attract many families and young adults who want to support the cause. If you are interested in learning more about event sponsorship or volunteering at the event, contact us at info@sikhcess.org.

It’s great to know we have the leaders to make it happen, but what about having a fundraiser of your own? What if you want to put together an event for a good cause, have fun doing it but aren’t sure where to start?

Well, I’m glad you asked.

• The first step in organizing a fundraiser is defining your goals. You need to have a purpose that everyone can support. The more specific you are, the better your energy will be spent and the better the results. Ask yourself questions such as “why do you need the money?” or “how much money do you need?” or “who can we help?”

• When deciding your fundraiser event, keep in mind the income level of your community, what events have worked in the past and something that can target a wide ranging age group.

• Next, build your team. Designate a few people to guide the event and then assign ownership of different tasks that need to be done. Don’t fall into the trap of doing everything yourself. Let those guiding the event trust those responsible for getting each task completed, giving them goals and deadlines.

• With your goals defined, event selected and team organized, you can then discuss the all important budget. This will ultimately determine where your event will be and how many people you need to attend. Most importantly, select a prize or prizes that you can give at the end of your event, which is a big “Thank You!” to everyone that participated, making it fun and generating excitement.

It’s recommended the above steps should be completed about 6 months prior to your event. This should give you enough time to build a strong foundation for your fundraiser.

• With the budget determined, you need to then select your event location. It’s best to have at least 5 options and visit each one, thoroughly discussing who we are and what we do, but also their level of sponsorship. Have your fundraiser selected at least two months prior to the event.

• This is also the time to start marketing your fundraiser. With the heavy lifting done regarding budget, team roles, event selection, etc, your team can now focus its energies on spreading the word. This means creating flyers, sending emails to your friends and community (do not spam) and posting the event online. Continue to market until the final day before your fundraiser, even if you exceed your participant goals. Some people may not show up.

Never underestimate the power of online marketing. We almost doubled our total turnout for the bowling fundraiser in the last week by posting a blog and with reminders on Facebook and Twitter at no expense.

Finally, as the fundraiser approaches, assign your team to handle specific tasks during the event, such as checking in your guests, taking pictures, setting up tables and chairs, decorations, etc. If you need more help, make sure to find interested volunteers within your community to participate.

This is a general outline on how to host a fundraiser but there is plenty of good information online as well. Your best resource, however, is Sikhcess. If you have an idea for a fundraiser or want to organize an event, make sure to let us know. We have the experience to help guide you through any event and can help get the word out to make it successful. If you’re interested, we can email you a copy of the outline we used for the Strike for Success Fundraiser a few weeks ago.

We want to see all our regions feel empowered to do what they can for their community, from fundraisers to volunteer services to feeding the homeless. Let us know if there’s anything we can do, to help get you started: to having fun and also giving back!

By Amardeep Singh Rehal

Volunteers will help prepare the nutritious meals by assembling them into food packages. Packages will contain a Veggie Sandwiches, Peanut-Butter Jelly Sandwiches, Granola Bars, Bananas, Potato Chips and Bottles of Water.

Volunteers will help cut up veggies on Friday night and prepare the packages on Saturday morning. The packages will then be delivered.

How you can help:
• We are looking for volunteers to help out on Friday night at 5:00 PM to help cut the veggies and prepare them for the morning.
• Saturday morning at 8:00 AM we will need volunteers to help prepare the wraps and packages.
• Once the packages are ready, we will need drivers (around 9:30 AM) to help deliver the meals to homeless on the streets and to shelters in the Bay Area.
• If you can not make it to the event, you can always donate at the location or online! For donations on site, please call 909.262.8730. For online donations, please visit www.sikhcess.org/about/donate.

We need YOU to come and volunteer some time!

Project Description: Sikhcess serves thousands of freshly prepared, delicious, and healthy food packages to the needy in cities across the world. Each city is responsible for creating and serving a vegetarian menu that fits their community’s unique needs.

This effort starts with volunteers arriving early in the morning to cook individualized meals. Throughout the day, volunteers help package the tasty and nutritious meals by assembling them into food packages. Packages contain healthy, freshly prepared vegetarian entrees, bottles of water or boxes of fruit juice, granola bars, and other desserts. Once ready, these packages are distributed to the needy on streets and in shelters.

Every month, the homeless and needy take delivery of these food packages. In exchange, Sikhcess™ volunteers receive countless hugs, smiles, and a heart-felt “thank you”, many times over.

The UK is on a run for rallying the world to vote for Sikhcess!

Neel Thakerar Encouraging People: http://sikhcess.org/vote

Volunteers have used ordinary tools like paper, mobile phones, and YouTube, and creatively put super-energy in to capturing people’s attention.  The result has been a charged up movement that’s viral – changing the agar of the world!

They’re doing this to bring attention to a remarkable idea – to end the word’s most challenging problems; things like war, drug trafficking, ignorance, ad terrorism – and unite the world. This is an enormous undertaking, and they’re using creativity to convince people.

Their goal is to spread a message: uniting the world’s children in the spirit of global synergy; engaging them with world-class education, advanced digital technology, and culturally-rich interaction.

Take Action Now. Vote for Sikhcess.

http://vote.sikhcess.org

The implications are staggering.

Vaz Singh's Mobile Phone - http://sikhcess.org/vote

The opportunity that exists is giving each child the confidence, knowledge, and ability to make positive choices that lead to productive contributions for our world. The moment is upon us to increase global awareness for our future generations – and to enable them to create outcomes that are seemingly unattainable. One People. One Humanity. Working Together. Global Peace.

Sikhcess is dedicated to enriching peoples lives through regular, sustained, and meaningful volunteer service. Sikhcess believes passionately in the ability and effectiveness of transforming and enriching the communities in which we live. Our work is based on the basic humanitarian principles of sharing, inclusiveness, community, and public service.

Changing the world is just a click away.

http://sikhcess.org/vote

Sikhcess™ Detroit and RB1 are teaming up to raise school supplies for students from inner-city Detroit, Monday January 18 through to Friday, January 22, 2010.

Please join our cause and help equip Detroit children in need with the tools to succeed.  Every donation counts!

What to Donate:
pens
pencils
crayons
notebooks
folders
backpacks
erasers
markers
organizers
reading books
textbooks

Old reading books / textbooks / backpacks are welcomed

Anyone interested in tutoring with Sikhcess STARS this semester please email us at detroit@sikhcess.org!

You will be helping kids improve basic reading, math, and analytical skills.  If you need community service, this is a way to fill that requirement and you’ll be making a difference in a child’s life!

We work with inner city students across Metro-Detroit, the United States, and have recently gone international, too!

How you can help:
• We are looking for volunteers to be a mentor / role model / teacher to at-risk inner-city youth with poor educational opportunity.
• Volunteers work with one or more students each week to teach basic reading, math, and analytical skills.
• Volunteers also participate in developing and leading exciting lesson plans including science, history, and current events to bring greater visibility and global awareness to students.
• If you cannot make it to the event or volunteer your time, you can always donate online!  For online donations, please visit www.sikhcess.org/about/donate.

We need YOU to come and volunteer some time!

Can’t wait to see you there!

Agenda:

1 – broad based intro to Sikhcess

2 – value assessment

3 – program information

4 – development initiatives

5 – Sikhcess mentoring

6 – Canadian operations – outreach / marketing / development – expansion of Canada – Hardeep to present building blocks and development of new cities

7 – Q&A

8 – Sikhcess Stars – special two hour training

As we approach the end of 2009, Sikhcess has received an overwhelming response from do-gooders across the globe. These good people come from all walks of life — representing diversity in age, ethnicity, race, demographics — with one thing in common, that is, to give their time and energy to a good cause.

These requests, literally hundreds of them, have come in a variety of ways; via word-of-mouth, email, phone calls, letters, and even a note slipped under a hotel room door — all expressing one thing — “I want to help make this world a better place….tell me how do I do it!“

In response to each message — we’d like to announce that we’re more ready than ever — to work with you and work for your communities.

Sikhcess is proud to announce the launch of its new website — which has been meticulously designed for improved information, organization, and communication — all towards helping easier access for a volunteer to get involved. We have created a website that we believe is indicative of our members, representing our energy, passion, and dedication to our mission statement.

Please take a moment to explore this new site at www.sikhcess.org. Our site includes new information on many integral components of our Sikhcess, including our grassroots beginnings, current leadership, and brand-new campaigns that we’re looking to kick-off in the year 2010!

2009 has been an amazing year of steadfast growth, hoops and hurdles, and exciting new beginnings. We are humbled to work in cities across the world, including our signature locations in U.S.A and Canada. Our team is excited about developing and interacting with new leaders in existing locations and enthusiastic about entering new locations around the world.

Now we are looking to you to help guide our future – 2010 and beyond. Write back with ways that you would like to get involved, ideas you’d like to see Sikhcess take on, or even to tell us what you think of the brand new site.

We’d love to hear from you. Leave a message, let us know!

*Seva refers to ‘selfless service’, that is service performed without any thought of reward or personal benefit. The literal translation of Seva means to ‘serve with honor and devotion’, which closely relates in English as ‘giving back’.

Written by Poonum Kaberwal.

Our very own Executive Director, Amit Singh, represented Sikhcess in this competition.

During the talent show portion Amit performed a Detroit anthem, Lose Yourself, by Eminem with a Punjabi flare. Amit took the meaning of the song, but using his own lyrics in Punjabi, related it to his life, his own story, and the way he felt. Many attendees felt that this performance was the highlight of the show.   While familiar with hip hop anthems like “Lose Yourself”, many people in the audience had not experienced Punjabi music prior to the Amit’s piece. The dhol and tumbi, along with Amit’s encouragement generated a deafening and enthusiastic response from the audience.

In the fashion phase of the competition, Amit represented his hometown with his Mr. Detroit tee by the Detroit Manufacturing Group’s Robert Stanzler, and jacket and scarf by San Francisco designer Estrella Tadeo.

Often considered the most controversial section of the competition is the sleepwear competition.  In prior years, contestants shed their clothes to attract a larger following and win more audience cheer.  Amit, always keeping it classy, decided to remove his turban-crown and let down his hair, and the audience, while initially stunned, quickly applauded the bold move. Amit strolled out on stage wearing a raw-silk sherwani, in the mughal style of centuries back.

Written by Damanjit Singh.  Photo Credits: John C. Liau / Andria Lo / Jennifer Yin