By: Krishnapriya Thirumala

While the coronavirus pandemic has presented a unique challenge for everyone, it has also provided an opportunity to more deeply reflect on societal problems and ways to alleviate them. Recognizing this, the CommUnity for Society movement, organized by Chinmaya Mission Niagara under the guidance of Shri Vivek Gupta, has worked consistently over the past eighteen months to support a variety of pertinent social causes. The movement—which began in April 2020 and culminated in October 2021—has raised both awareness and funds for a diverse range of charitable endeavors across the world.

In total, CommUnity for Society included ten charitable initiatives. The most recent of these were The Yoga Challenge and Elevate HERstory. The Yoga Challenge—a 21-week campaign (from May 22nd to October 15th) wherein participants committed to donating $5 a day to a cause of their choice—raised over $40,000 towards various education-focused initiatives, including ‘Teaching With Tech,’ an effort by Chinmaya Mission Trinidad to equip its students and teachers with smart technology, and the Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Fund, a program that provides direct support to over 40 Indigenous-led charities across Canada.

The Elevate HERstory campaign—a long-term effort centered around women’s empowerment—also culminated on October 15th and raised over $40,000 for the Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development (CORD) Sidhbari, which implements several programs designed to provide rural women with personal and financial independence.

As of October 2021, CommUnity for Society has contributed over $500,000 towards a wide variety of charitable causes at local and global levels.

Apart from these two initiatives, other CommUnity for Society efforts included

• the May Day initiative, which raised around $110,000 towards various COVID relief charities;
• the November 2020 Elevate HERstory campaign, which raised over $33,000 for three prominent women’s shelters in Canada;
• the 100 Day Giving Challenge, which raised over $28,000 towards a range of social justice-focused charities; and
• the Healing with Hanuman campaign, which raised around $105,000 for Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth, a university dedicated to cultivating civic-minded and socially conscious students by integrating Indian knowledge systems with contemporary coursework.

Led by Shri Vivekji, the Chinmaya Mission Niagara community has worked steadily over the past eighteen months to instill a greater sense of awareness both within and beyond its membership regarding pertinent social issues. As of October 2021, CommUnity for Society has contributed over $500,000 towards a wide variety of charitable causes at local and global levels. Through this endeavor, the Chinmaya Mission Niagara community has further cultivated an attitude of giving that will enable it to keep serving society long after the pandemic is over.

Unto Him Our Best!