The spirit of Seva in action - Beach Cleanup

Early evening on April 11, volunteers from CMLA descended on Bolsa Chica State Park with trash bags and other equipment to help clean up the beautiful beach at the park. Organized by CMLA CARE (Chinmaya Aid Relief and Empowerment) group, this Beach Cleanup Seva event helped members pay back to the local community, connect with nature, protect the ocean and clean up the environment.

It was a truly rewarding experience—both physically energizing and spiritually uplifting. We were grateful to have State Beach representative Elisabeth Bailey, who provided a wonderful introduction and guided our group from Sections 21 through 25 and back. In just about an hour, we collected a significant amount of waste, including cigarette butts, bottle caps, cans, and a large volume of plastic.

We concluded the Seva with light refreshments and time to connect. Due to the winds and cooler temperatures, we decided to postpone the bonfire and s’mores for our next beach cleanup, likely in September.

We also welcome your suggestions on how we can make our future Seva efforts even more impactful.

A special thank you to Karni, Ashwin, Sri, Himesh and Prithvi for their efforts in planning and organizing the event.

-- Ravi Ramchandani