Talking generosity with the Shrikhandes
In third grade, Maitreyi Shrikhande began visiting her old preschool to read to students. It was only many years later, crafting a talk for TEDx Youth@Davenport, that she realized this was her first volunteer experience. In fact, a whole series of activities that had filled her days with fun and satisfaction revealed themselves to be examples of community service, from escorting student musicians to auditions for the Quad City Youth Ensemble to packing backpacks with her parents at River Bend Food Bank.
“Reflecting on it, I started to understand the profound impact all these things had on me,” said Maitreyi. “They all had to do with something I was passionate about, and they all made me better in some way. And I saw how those values were already in me from an early age because of my parents—they showed me that was just what you do when you’re in a community.”
Maitreyi and her parents, Malavika and Devendra, sat down with us to talk generosity.
How did that first volunteer experience of Maitreyi’s come about?
Malavika: She came up with the idea herself! She didn’t say anything about “volunteering”—it was just that excitement of going back to her old school. As a mother, I thought it was great reading practice.
Devendra: We’ve had parental pride and appreciation for everything Maitreyi’s done, but we’ve also looked at it as an opportunity to see her grow as an individual and become independent from us, develop her own personality and her own pursuits.
In high school, Maitreyi joined Teens for Tomorrow (T4T), the Community Foundation’s youth philanthropy group. How did that continue to deepen your family’s appreciation of generosity in the Quad Cities?
Maitreyi: It opened my eyes to how many amazing efforts are going on. When all you hear about are the problems, you can start to feel hopeless. But you don’t hear as much about how many people are actually doing something about it and have devoted their lives to helping other people. T4T is an amazing opportunity for high schoolers to see how it works and make an actual, real difference.
How generosity connects us
Malavika recently shared her perspective on giving one’s time and building networks of support for causes in our community. “Building a network can serve not only to address issues,” she writes, “but also create new opportunities.” Read more.
Malavika: T4T teaches students to think critically. It was beautiful to see how Maitreyi’s thought process was changing every time she came home from a meeting. Yes, she might have seen us out in the community, but at T4T she was also part of a system, the Community Foundation, where she was listening to experts, experiencing the grantmaking process hands-on, and visiting nonprofits.
Devendra: Having been in the nonprofit sector for a long time, I realize that it’s easy to equate philanthropy with writing a check. There’s also the important concept of responsibility. It may be your own funds, or it may be someone else’s, like with the Community Foundation. We have to be proper stewards to make sure that we find the causes that are important to the community and that have an affinity with the donor so we can meet that responsibility. These are lessons that will come back to Maitreyi as she continues to grow.
What has it meant to you to be part of a family that gives back?
Malavika: Every single time, whatever we have done together, it’s been a family experience. But it just happened to be that way. When Maitreyi was in the youth ensemble, for example, they would need volunteers for the concerts. We would always jump at it. Not only did we get be part of her experience, but it helped us to make new friendships and understand what others were doing in the community.
Devendra: Seeing Maitreyi on her journey reminds us that we also have so much more to grow. Whatever one of us is doing in the community, it all works together, and we all learn from each other. Maitreyi has done leaps and bounds more than I have done in my years. We can learn from anyone of any age and any experience.
What advice do you have for Quad Citizens who would like to do more for their community?
Maitreyi: If you want to make that difference and do something, just discover what makes you excited, what you really care about. Start with that and go from there.
Devendra: We are all busy—but we all have priorities. You don’t have to volunteer today; if you need to, you can schedule it. Few of us can say every hour of ours is booked in August. You might be surprised at how much enjoyment, benefit, and fulfillment you will get from making that time a priority.
Maitreyi: Generosity doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. If you notice that your class isn’t participating, it could be just raising your hand. Complimenting someone’s outfit. Treating people with empathy and kindness. Small things mean a lot.
Malavika: Maybe our thought process needs to change. Because everybody is already doing something.