Hindu YUVA, a student-run organization, is currently holding a SewaDiwali Food Drive to celebrate and share the spirit of Diwali following an eventful Universal Oneness Week.

The food drive will run from now until Nov. 15, with donations going to IMPACT Community Action Partnership, a food pantry in Boone, Iowa.

Items that can be donated include non-perishable food items and toiletries. Donations can be made in person at 103 Campus Ave., through drop-off orders via messaging and online orders through Venmo.

SewaDiwali is an initiative that focuses on togetherness and Sewa, or selfless giving, for the welfare of society. It is also meant to promote Diwali’s enlightening spirit, according to the organization.

“By doing this food drive for the month of October and November, we are bringing light into someone’s life in a meaningful way,” said Kaushiki Singh, president of Hindu YUVA and a graduate student in the economics department.

The food drive, which began during the organization’s celebration of Universal Oneness Week, also reinforces the theme behind Universal Oneness: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or the whole world is one family.

Universal Oneness Week is Hindu YUVA’s celebration and way of promoting universal brotherhood. The inspiration for this event came from the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters, according to the organization’s statement.

Along with promoting oneness through the beginning of the SewaDiwali Food Drive this week, Hindu YUVA also held other events to celebrate the festival with the community.

At Iowa State, the students of Hindu YUVA met with the Office of the President, Office of Diversity and Iowa State University’s Police Department to offer thanks for their service to the community as well as thank the Ames Fire Department and Ames Police.

“Everyone loves being recognized and thanked for their services,” Singh said. “Recognition and moments of gratitude not only cheer them up but also motivates us as youth and a community at large to strive for the betterment of society in every way we can.”

Other events during the week included a presentation under the Iowa State Lecture Series by Dr. Kiran Bedi. Bedi is an activist and the first Indian Police Services Officer in India who gave a presentation titled ‘Fearless Governance: Using Trust, Empowerment and Accountability to Lead.’

Rakesh Chowdari, a member of Hindu YUVA, said that Bedi’s presentation offered inspiration and motivation and that her presentation also coincided with Navaratri. Navaratri is another Hindu holiday that emphasizes the importance of women in Hinduism and for the creation and sustenance of the world.

“She also talked about connecting with your fellow colleagues and team workers one-to-one, which is also one of the facets of Universal Oneness Week: connecting and serving with your team as well as the community at large,” Chowdari said.

To learn more about Hindu YUVA and the SewaDiwali Food Drive, visit their Instagram.