PURE Youth St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
PURE Youth, a leadership program, specifically aims to facilitate discussion and awareness of the impact that education has on society through numerous projects, outreach, advocacy, and fundraising campaigns. PURE Youth also supports projects from all program areas, such as PURE Femme, PURE Abhyasa and other causes PURE champions which gives the ambassadors an opportunity to understand the depth and breadth of the issue, solution and impact on the lives they are helping change. St. Louis PURE Youth chapter, the first chapter in the state of Missouri ,was started with a vision to help children in need. The St. Louis chapter was started by Vishal Vaheesan and Yash Chigirupathi in 2020.
Vishal's friends and acquaintances heard about the cause and 15 members from various St. Louis schools offered to join Pure. Currently, the chapter has expanded to 19 members. In a short span of time, the chapter passionately raised funds for various causes such as Covid Relief projects, PURE Femme project, and Vocational training fundraiser for Uganda young women empowerment. The team’s fundraisers were not only planned creatively, but also ignited the community's sense of compassion to these noble causes. The Pure St. Louis team also coordinated with local organizations and donated essential items during the pandemic. During the COVID pandemic, PURE St. Louis Youth took special care in fundraising lunches for front-line workers and had a huge part of contributing essential items including masks and gloves to homeless shelters as well. Other notable projects include donating handmade face shields to the essential workers, handmade Bird feeding bowls to the Town & Country parks, Fundraiser for Miracle feet organization to support clubfoot kids medical treatment, Fundraiser for Disabled kids through PURE, and Zoom Yoga meal sponsorship fundraiser for PURE Abhyasa school children.
Over the course of the 2020-2021 service year, the team grew from 5 members to 15 members from the various schools in St. Louis. The chapter grew to 21 ambassadors in the following 2021-2022 year, and has currently expanded to 22 ambassadors.
In short spans of time, the chapter has passionately raised funds for various causes such as Covid Relief projects, PURE Femme projects, Vocational training for struggling young women in Uganda, and Abhyasa Schools. The team’s fundraisers are not only planned creatively, with events like Badminton Fundraisers and Diwali Hamper Sale, but also ignited the community's sense of compassion to these noble causes.
During the COVID pandemic two years ago, the St. Louis' team is proud to say they showed special appreciation to front-line workers by making over 150 hand-made thank you cards, and providing fundraised lunches at different hospitals.The chapter also played a huge part in contributing essential items including masks and gloves to homeless shelters during those difficult times.
The St. Louis' team also coordinates with local organizations and has done projects like donating essential items during the pandemic, collecting school supplies, hygiene products, and shoes, for in-need children in the area throughout the years, and more.
Other notable projects include donating handmade face shields to the essential workers, making handmade bird feeding bowls to the Town & Country parks, fundraising for Miracle feet organization to support clubfoot kids medical treatment, fundraising for Disabled kids through PURE, organizing Zoom Yoga with all proceeds going to meal sponsorship for PURE Abhyasa school children, and writing thank you cards to 3 different fire stations in the area, along with giving food on 9/11 this year.
We voiced the projects to our schools, neighborhoods, and hospitals. The St. Louis community was supportive and donated generously for all our projects. Our chapter engages and provides opportunities to all the ambassadors. We believe in teamwork and quality community service.
We thank Ms. Shyla Talluri, Ms. Hema Kanthamneni, Ms. Rajani Vemuri, and Mr. Mahendar Aenepalli for all the support and guidance.
Awards
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 - 2021 | Vishal Vaheesan | Pure Human Award 2020 |
| 2020 - 2021 | Yash Chigirupati | Pure Human Award 2020 |
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 - 2022 | Vishal Vaheesan | West News Magazine April 2021 |
| 2021 - 2022 | Yash Chigirupati | O Fallon Mayor Office Youtube April 2021 |
| 2021 - 2022 | Sravya Reddy | Town & Country Newsletter April 2021 |
| 2021 - 2022 | Shruthi Senthil | Pure Human Award 2021 |
| 2021 - 2022 | Vishal Vaheesan | Best Director Award 2021-22 |
| 2021-22 Presidential Awards | |
|---|---|
| Name | Award |
| Vishal Vaheesan | Bronze |
| Pranav Visveswaram | Bronze |
| Sushanth Vanka | Bronze |
| Divyanksha Vanka | Bronze |
| Avyukth Raghuraman | Bronze |
| Ashu Srirangam | Bronze |
| Tejas Reddy Guda | Silver |
| Sravya Reddy Guda | Gold |
| Shruthi Senthil | Gold |
Ambassadors List
| 2020 - 2021 |
|---|
| Vishal Vaheesan (Director) |
| Yash Chigurupati (Director) |
| SRAVYA REDDY GUDA |
| Divyanksha Vanka |
| SAMUEL MUTHURAJ |
| SHRUTHI SENTHIL |
| AVA PENELOPE BARTLETT |
| Daya Deepu |
| Sanjay Ishaan Alur |
| Sanjana Alur |
| Ashu Srirangam |
| SUSHANTH VANKA |
| Dheeksha Ananth |
| Rohit Sayeeganesh |
| 2021 - 2022 |
|---|
| Vishal Vaheesan (Director) |
| Yash Chigurupati (Director) |
| SRAVYA REDDY GUDA |
| Divyanksha Vanka |
| SAMUEL MUTHURAJ |
| SHRUTHI SENTHIL |
| Daya Deepu |
| Sanjay Ishaan Alur |
| Sanjana Alur |
| Ashu Srirangam |
| SUSHANTH VANKA |
| Dheeksha Ananth |
| Rohit Sayeeganesh |
| Nidhi Tangirala |
| Pranav Visveswaran |
| Avyukth Raghuraman |
| Tejas Reddy Guda |
| Sahana Solai |
| Pranavi Chigurupati |
| Hridhay V Suswaram |
| Saumya Janakiram |
| 2022 - 2023 |
|---|
| Sravya Reddy Guda (Director) |
| Divyanksha Vanka (Director) |
| Shruti Senthil |
| Ashu Srirangam |
| Sushanth Vanka |
| Dheeksha Ananth |
| Nidhi Tangirala |
| Pranav Visveswaran |
| Avyukth Raghuraman |
| Tejas Reddy Guda |
| Sahana Solai |
| Pranavi Chigurupati |
| Hridhay V Suswaram |
| Saumya Janakiram |
| Sannidhi Varnika Nidamanuri |
| Shritha Parnika Nidamanuri |
| Sahana Mandala |
| Praneetha Talluri |
| Om Uppara |
| Chetan Uppara |
| Srijani Samala |
| Mahanth Samala |
| 2023 - 2024 |
|---|
| SRAVYA REDDY GUDA |
| SHRUTHI SENTHIL(DIRECTOR) |
| SUSHANTH VANKA |
| DHEEKSHA ANATH |
| AVYUKUTH RAGHURAMAN |
| TEJAS REDDY GUDA |
| SAHANA SOLAI |
| HRIDHAY SUSWARAM |
| SAUMYA JANAKIRAM |
| SANNISHI NIDAMANURI |
| SHRITHA NIDAMANURI |
| PRANEETHA TALLURI |
| OM UPPARA |
| CHETAN |
Projects
Fall & Winter 2020
- Thanking the health care workers at SSM SLU hospital and BJC hospital by providing Panera food and handmade thank you letters
- Fishes and loaves Essential items drive where we donated essential items including masks, gloves, and paper products to the homeless shelter.
- Handmade Face shield to the essential workers at O’fallon city during the pandemic.
- Tutoring to fundraise the proceeds to help Disabled kids through Pure.
- Covid India Leaders of Today Relief project to help establish isolation centers with surgical beds, oxygen concentrators, and PPE kits
Spring & Summer 2021
- Pure Femme Fundraiser through zoom art fundraiser, zoom science experiment fundraiser, bake sale, and plant sale to provide feminine hygiene products to disadvantaged girls in India
- Fundraiser through door-to-door campaign to support the Miracle Feet organization, an organization dedicated to assisting children with clubfoot.
- Donating handmade Bird Feeding Bowls to Town & Country Parks
- Anti-bullying project posters at local schools
- Toy and Book Drive for disadvantaged youth in St Louis designed to provide stimulation and education during Covid limitations through Goodwill Organization
Fall & Winter 2021
- Fundraised for Masaka women vocational training in Uganda through local restaurant partnership and zoom fundraising events
- March of Dimes Letters of hope project where volunteers handed over handmade cards to parents of NICU premature babies and the NICU health care providers.
- 5k/10k Marathon Fundraiser for Hurricane Ida disaster relief for families affected by the major tropical hurricane
- Baking cookies to pediatric patients and families at St Louis Children Hospital
- Donating essential items to Afghan refugees through House of Goods organization and International Institute of St Louis
- PURE Abhyasa fundraiser through Panera Restaurant
- PURE Abhyasa meal sponsorship fundraiser through Yoga zoom event
- Toy Drive for pediatric patients at SSM Cardinal Glennon hospital which bring smiles to young patients who miss home during the holiday season
Awards, recognition and special contribution
Four ambassadors from St Louis chapter are Presidential Volunteer Service
Award recipients - Sravya Reddy Guda , Shruthi Senthil, Yash Chigirupati, and Vishal Vaheesan
Two ambassadors Vishal Vaheesan and Yash Chigirupati were bestowed with PURE HUMAN AWARD 2020 for their pandemic community service.
Team
2020-2021
Directors: Vishal Vaheesan and Yash Chigirupati
Ambassadors: Shruthi Senthil, Sravya Reddy Guda, Samuel Muthuraj, and Ava Hosea Bartlett
2021-2022
Directors: Vishal Vaheesan and Yash Chigirupati
Ambassadors: Shruthi Senthil, Sravya Reddy Guda, Samuel Muthuraj, Dheeksha Anant, Divyanksha Vanka, Daya Deepu, Sanjay Ishaan Alur, Sushanth Vanka, Sanjana Alur, Ashu Srirangam, Rohit Sayeeganesh, Avyukth Raghuraman, Pranav Visveswaran, Sahana Solai, Nidhi Tangirala,Tejas Reddy Guda, and Pranavi Chigirupati
