The Monthly Newsletter Team was formed earlier this year. Led by Ruchi Iyengar, Himaly Shinglot as the lead editor, and Sharanya Kalasekar as the design lead, the newsletter has seen a major shift in its visual appeal, content, and release schedule.
Ruchi Iyengar, a Dental Surgeon by profession, has been volunteering for Vibha for almost 4 years now. She started her volunteer journey as a participant in a dance performance for Dream Mile in 2016 in Atlanta. There has been no turning back from there for Ruchi. She then took a key role in Vibha’s Vibe 2017 – Dancing for a Cause event in Atlanta. Since then she has been a co-lead for the event for two consecutive years managing every detail and aspect of the event. In 2018, she was the host of Vibha’s national volunteer gala in Atlanta as also for Vibe 2018 at NJ action center. Her unparalleled & infectious enthusiasm, energy, and ability to connect to the audience has since then been the key to Vibha’s events, big and small in Atlanta – Dream Mile 2018, Women of Vibha 2019, Dream Mile 2019, Dream Voice 2020 to name a few. Ruchi took on the charge for the newsletter along with Himaly and Sharanya earlier this year and has transformed the cadence and look for this critical communication piece with Vibha’s patron base. In addition, she helps with national marketing efforts in collating content, email campaigns, and is a sounding board to many volunteers across the country. Ruchi received the Volunteer of the Year Award 2020 from Vibha Atlanta Action center for her many contributions over the past 4 years. “It has been a fun journey volunteering for Vibha and there are tough days but honestly what keeps me going is the cause, friends who are like family, the infectious enthusiasm of the Vibha volunteers, and more than anything else the support of my family”, reflects Ruchi on her association with Vibha. In addition to volunteering with Vibha, Ruchi is a known cultural & dance enthusiast in Atlanta’s Social Scene, and enjoys little things in life, spreading joy and laughter all along.
Himaly Shinglot, by profession, is a cancer researcher; but at a personal level, she considers herself to be a community servant. She strongly believes that what she is today is not only because of her family but also the community at large, be it in India or in the US. Hence, Himaly believes in giving back to the community. While in India, she volunteered as a community pharmacist in health centers in tribal areas of Gujarat. In the US, her journey as a Vibha volunteer began in 2013. She became a part of the NJ/NY action center and eventually got into managing the Vibha blog as a lead editor. Earlier this year, Himaly joined the Monthly Newsletter team and continues to manage the blog as well. Himaly’s passion and commitment to Vibha is evident in her contribution to Vibha. In her words, “There are several people at Vibha whom I look up to and wish to be as passionate and ardent as they are towards accomplishing Vibha’s vision. I have learned so much working with them directly or indirectly. Every volunteer at Vibha is extremely dedicated to the cause they work for and give their time to fulfill Vibha’s mission without any return expectations. I am truly fortunate to have known such individuals and to be a part of Vibha.”
Sharanya Kalasekar has been a volunteer with Vibha since July 2020. As a new volunteer, she quickly imbibed the volunteer culture of Vibha and jumped on to Vibha’s Publicity team, helping with some major campaigns – like the virtual DreamMile X. Sharanya also helps Vibha with the monthly newsletter and other promotional campaigns. Her creative skills and ability to get apt visual content has been key to the success of the newsletter’s reach. She was instrumental in getting the brand new look for the 2020 monthly newsletter. Though relatively new, Sharanya has become to go-to person for visual creative content. Sharanya grew up in Chennai, India, and received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Houston. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.