Washington–The spirit of volunteerism and community service should be taken beyond a single day of service. This was the message at the annual “Be the Change” national day of service, said South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) Executive Director Deepa Iyer.

SAALT, a non-profit organization based in this capital, hosted the yearly event. The event took place October 1, in coordination with campus and city planning teams nationwide.

This year’s activities included organizing and cleaning children’s playrooms, sorting food at food banks and assisting South Asian community-based organizations.

Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s message, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,” the day drew over 2500 volunteers. These included students, retirees and professionals from Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, New Brunswick, Philadelphia, and this capital. College campuses from Wyoming to Minneapolis to New York coordinated the activities.

Rupal Shah, Project and Volunteer Coordinator of the Austin, Texas planning team noted, “We are empowering others to find joy in service while strengthening the community.”

Partners ranged from South Asian sororities and fraternities to national Asian and Pacific Islander organizations and South Asian professional networks.

As in previous years, Be the Change was supported by Sodexo. “Be the Change mirrors Sodexo’s service spirit and highlights the importance of community,” said Senior Business Technology Manager Bill Codus, who is also National Chair of Sodexo’s Pan Asian Network Group.