Starting from rock bottom with a simple 5 min routine every day and modifying his training to what his body needed, Earl was able to turn around his life, reach newer heights and become an inspiration for others. How far will your running journey take you? How will it transform you?

Find out more about our speaker today Earl Hooks on IG @hookdonfitness and [email protected].

Check out our other episodes in this Running Series:

It takes all of 5 mins for you to move towards a path of fitness. Vibha DreamMile is celebrating its 25th year and is the perfect event to train towards, not to mention a lot of fun for the entire family. Please register here: https://runsignup.com/TheDreamMileBayArea2023

Runners can be ambitious, they set preposterous goals and don’t rest until they achieve them. Have you ever wondered about what it takes? Let’s find out in this episode. There’s insights and life lessons you don’t want to miss.

Hear from our guest speaker, Maya Bisineer (IG @thinkmaya). Mom, entrepreneur, Boston Marathon finisher, triathlete and an inspiration of all.

And if that inspired you, the  2023 season of the Vibha Striders Half Marathon Training Program starts soon! For more information and to register, go to https://www.striders.vibha.org/

Listen to this episode on any of your favorite podcast app … https://anchor.fm/vibha-connection

Sources

From couch to running multiple rounds of Mission Peak*, meet Anil Chandran! An alumni of the Vibha Striders program, techie during the day, clicking pictures for fun, parent of two at all times and running sometime in between. Listen to his journey and get inspired!!!

*Mission Peak is a popular and challenging bay area hiking destination, gaining 2000ft in 3.1 miles.

@clicks.by.anil, https://www.clicksbyanil.com/

Vibha Striders: Half Marathon Training Program

https://www.facebook.com/VibhaStriders/

@vibhastriders

Running for a cause gives us that extra impetus to exceed our limits for a higher purpose. This is what makes athletic fundraising so effective. It also builds community with the volunteers, strengthens the organization and eventually helps us evolve into a better version of ourselves.

Register for Virtual Dream Mile (September 2022) at https://dreammile.org/

Register for Sevathon (Sunday, Aug 28 @ Vasona Park) at https://tinyurl.com/VibhaAtSevathon

For more information about Sevathon, visit https://iccsevathon.org/

Sources:

https://www.learningtogive.org/resources/fundraising-through-races

https://greekreporter.com/2021/12/12/stylianos-kyriakides-marathon-man-runner-greece/

Title music by Campfire by Roa https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031

Additional Music “Beautiful Oblivion”  by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au

As volunteers, your top priority often is raising funds. You work hard for it. We believe it is important to match that passion with information on how the funds are used. Who decides what to fund, how much to fund, how do we monitor the funds. Come join us as we lead you through the Funding Trail.

If you would like to submit projects for potential funding by Vibha, please click here (bit.ly/Vibha_ProjectsProposal).

The first step to making a difference is to say “I care”.

A school may have all the resources it needs, but if the students, teachers and community are not engaged, learning outcomes are bound to be affected. Motivation is at the crux of the issue of inequity in education and this is the problem Sikshana, a pioneering NGO started to solve, one school at a time. Partnering with the government to reach the remotest school, they have scaled to multiple states and are now building solutions for the next gen problems.

Prasanna Vadayar, CEO of Sikshana and Scotlin Maryma, Vibha volunteer and Project Manager of Sikshana will take us through their journey of Sikshana and its growth across India.

Also, sign up for an in-person Dream Mile Marathon, hosted by Vibha Bay Area at https://runsignup.com/bay-area

Sources:

https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/education

http://img.asercentre.org/docs/ASER%202021/ASER%202020%20wave%201%20-%20v2/aser2020wave1report_feb1.pdf

http://www.asercentre.org/

Can you imagine an adventurous boat ride in the jungles of Sunderban just by being part of an NGO like Vibha? This episode is about stories. Join us as two Vibha veterans take us down their memory lanes and share their journey.

We volunteer for various reasons - to make an impact, solve a problem, learn new skills, build a community, guided subconsciously by the question “What’s in it for me?”. As we continue on our journeys to change something, we often find that it is us who really change. We invite you all to join Vibha, volunteer for any cause that speaks to you, find your own adventure, and write your own stories.

Volunteering in the United States

America's Health Rankings - Volunteerism

The Relationship Between Happiness, Volunteering, and Donating

Episode 4 of Vibha Connection brings a conversation with a team of dynamic youth leaders. Our very own Vibha Youth volunteers Jiya Singh (Bay Area), Shreya Ravi (Dallas), Dishi Shah (New Jersey) and Siya Singh (Atlanta) share their insights and experiences with volunteering and beyond. With a giving heart and can-do attitude, they remind you to practice gratitude, prioritize giving and do more with whatever you have.

In “From around the Globe”, we talk to another youth role-model - Krisha Thakker, a high school student from San Diego, who with the initiative she took to generate support for India’s Covid relief efforts, reminds us that even small actions can have a big impact.

In "A Good Word”, you will listen to a story of human determination and how one person can bring about meaningful change.

Vibha’s board member Keyur Shah also shares an update on Vibha’s Save Lives, Save India campaign that raises funds and provides much needed relief efforts on the ground. Visit the campaign website for the details and please do contribute however you can!

Listen to Vibha Connection - A Podcast series at https://anchor.fm/vibha-connection or any of your favorite podcast app.

Vibha Bay Area is proud to bring Episode 3 of Vibha Connection, a podcast for the Vibha family. Understand the Vibha 3.0 focus on public education and listen to some of our leadership team’s insights. “A Good Word” will inspire you with a story of human determination and the hope literacy brings. In ”From around the Globe”, we call prospective participants to Dream Voice, organized by Shankar Mahadevan Academy & Ramachary’s Little Musicians Academy in conjunction with Vibha Atlanta. Link HERE. And a call for help to support Vibha’s Fundraiser to reach and assist COVID impacted communities in India. Link HERE.

Sources used in this episode include

http://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/out-school-children-and-youth

https://en.unesco.org/themes/right-to-education

http://righttoeducation.in/know-your-rte/

http://www.asercentre.org/

Stay engaged with the Vibha Community.

Vibha Bay Area is proud to bring Episode 2 of Vibha Connection, a podcast for the Vibha family. Learn about project LeapForWord, understand it in-depth with an interview with Pranil Naik, Founder of LeapForWord, Jyothi Wadmare, Program Manager for Vibha and Kshitij, Project Lead and Vibha volunteer. Be inspired with "A Good Word" and in "From around the Globe" this time learn from a youth volunteer at Dallas Action Center about ‘Study Buddy’ a unique program to help Bhutanese refugee children, and so much more. Stay engaged with the Vibha Community.