When Priya Menon, Youth Coordinator at the Hindu Temple of Central Indiana, reached out to Goodwill Horizon House, we were truly honored to partner with her community. Each quarter, HTCI selects an organization for their youth to support through seva, a practice rooted in selfless service. It’s a tradition that helps young people build a steady habit of giving back, not just during the holidays, but all year long. For the final quarter of 2025, they chose Goodwill Horizon House as their partner, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

On Sunday, November 9, the Balagokulam youth group, HTCI’s version of a Sunday School, gathered with their ever-supportive parents for a special purpose: creating warm, handmade blankets for neighbors experiencing homelessness. What followed was two hours of teamwork, laughter, focus, and heart. By the end of the afternoon, the group had crafted 20 cozy “no-sew” blankets, each one carefully cut, tied, and assembled with love.

This project beautifully embodies seva. In Hinduism, seva is more than volunteerism, it’s a way of living with compassion, humility, and responsibility. Through activities like this, children and teens learn that even the simplest acts of care can ripple outward and brighten someone’s day, or even their season. For the HTCI youth, this wasn’t just a craft project; it was a hands-on experience in empathy and community connection.

And the timing felt almost poetic. The very next day, Monday, November 10, the blankets were delivered to neighbors at our service center, just as the season’s first snowfall dusted the city. As temperatures dipped, the warmth these young volunteers offered became even more meaningful. Their generosity arrived at precisely the right moment.

Our hope is that experiences like this spark a lifelong commitment to service, while deepening the bond between HTCI’s youth and the wider Indianapolis community