• Event: Winter Cloths & Shoes Drive
    Dates: Monday Nov 20th
    Location: Salvation Army, Florissant
    ​
    We collected of shoes,  winter cloths and other clothing items at the GSSTL Center over the course of 4 weeks, sorted them, packaged them in 32 bags and donated to the Salvation Army of Florissant.  
    Event: Sandwiches for the Hungry
    Dates: Monday Nov 20th
    Location: Loaves and Fishes, 2055 Concourse Drive, St. Louis 63146
    ​
    30 sandwiches were prepared at the GSSTL Center and delivered to the Loaves and Fishes on Nov 20th providing lunch to 30 residence at that location. 
    Event: Foodbank
    Dates: Wednesday Nov 15th
    Location: Bridgeton Foodbank, St. Louis
    ​
    Members of the Gujarat Samaj of St. Louis packed food boxes for providing 10,041 meals for the local community.
    Event: Feed the knowledge
    Dates: Saturday Oct 7th, 9 am to 11 am
    Location: Truman Middle School
    ​
    Several members of the Gujarat Samaj of St. Louis participated in packing food bags for 190+ children of the Sunset Hills School District to curb childhood hunger in our community.
    Event: Blood Donation Drive
    Dates: Saturday Sept 16th, 8 am to 12 noon
    Location: GSSTL Center
    ​
    The blood donation was organized in partnership with ImpactLife.  And collected 11 whole blood and 2 doubles totaling 13 units. Blood products are broken down into multiple units so up to 25 lives could be impacted by this blood drive alone.  

    Every day, patients who need blood are in crisis.  Less than 10% of the population gives blood, so donors that give on a regular basis are important to meet these needs. The Gujarati Samaj organizes blood donation drives twice a year to support this critical need.
    Event: Health Fair (open to public)
    Dates: Saturday Sept 16th, 9 am to 1 pm
    Location: GSSTL Center

    The Health Fair featured several free health screenings like primary care, nephrology & urology, blood tests & typing, bone density, pediatrician, cardiologist & EKG, diabetes, nutrition & diet, vision. Vaccinations was also available to eligible participants – pneumonia vaccine, COVIO vaccination-booster, shingles vaccine (age 50+ years), tetanus, flu shot.

    The Health Fair was supported by over 75 medical professionals and volunteers. And featured key health care partners vendors including Walmart Pharmacy (Walmart.com) and SSM Health (ssmhealth.com), ImpactLife and Prairie Farms.
    ​
    The Health Fair was attended by over 125 participants who availed of the above services. 
    Maui Wildfires Relief
    Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis, in Aug/Sept, collected donations from members towards Maui Wildfires Relief. These donations, along with additional donations from the Gujarati Samaj, were donated towards this cause to American Red Cross.
    ​  
    ​On August 8, devastating wildfires moved through the Hawaiian island of Maui, destroying numerous buildings and forcing residents and visitors to evacuate. A fast-moving wildfire has devastated the historic town of Lahaina on Maui, Hawaii’s second-largest island. 
    Event: Blood Donation Drive
    Dates: Saturday June 17th, 3 pm to 7 pm
    Location: 1000 Lakeside Park Dr, St Peters, 63376

    The blood donation was organized in partnership with ImpactLife.  And collected 17 whole blood and 2 doubles totaling 21 units. Blood products are broken down into multiple units so up to 60 lives could be impacted by this blood drive alone.  
    On Oct 7th, show your support by wearing pink in support of breast cancer or purple in support of RET syndrome.

    October is Rett Syndrome Awareness month.
    Rett syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that causes severe disability in young children, mostly girls, about 1 in 10,000 females. After a period of relatively normal development, children with Rett syndrome lose skills which affects almost all areas of active daily living.

    These girls are smart and can achieve great potentials with proper support and accommodation. One of our community members who suffers from Rett Syndrome has received President Obama’s Academic Achievement award along with many other awards and is an honor roll student.

    October is also Breast Cancer awareness month and October 16th is the official Breast Cancer National Mammography Day. Let’s inspire the women in our lives to get screening by showing our support to everyone who have survived and going through this treatable disease.

    As an involved and passionate community, we want to raise awareness to everyone in the journey of living with Rett Syndrome & Breast Cancer. And how we as a community can do our little bit to spread awareness and help towards a cure.
    Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, July 29, 2022
    Small changes can make BIG difference. And you have experienced some of the changes we are making during our events. For example: stacking up food plates and bowls. This REDUCES garbage bags usage and labor to dispose of the waste.

    Many of us make environmentally friendly choices at home. We are getting ready to provide some of those choices during our events.

    Providing clean drinking water continues to be our priority. However, bottled water leads to a whole lot of plastic in our waste stream. For all future events, starting with July 29th event, we will NOT be providing plastic water bottles. Please bring a mug, refillable drinking cup, or a REUSABLE water bottle to Samaj events. Use the water fountain and well-placed water dispensers / coolers and prevent water waste.

    Some facts on plastic water bottles:
    • It takes 1,000 years for plastic bottles to bio-degrade (very unfortunate since approximately 77% of water bottles are not recycled)
    • A lot of the bottles that are not recycled end up littering beaches, polluting the seas, harming marine life and covering landfills
    • More than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide is used when bottling water
    • It takes 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water (That shouldn’t be the case just to drink clean water)

    Please use the RECYCLE bins for any item that can be recycled.

    We appreciate your support and patience on this journey to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE.
    Earth Day, April 22, 2022
    Earth has always been a generous mother, by providing us with food, shelter, and happiness.  Let us return the favor by preserving and protecting her!  It is our responsibility to take care of Planet Earth, and it is our responsibility to handover mother earth to our future generations in a healthier place.  We all need to work together to make it a better place. 

    I am proud to inform you that the Gujarati Samaj of St Louis has been actively trying to go green over the last few years. One perfect example is our Culture Show’s program guide.  By making it available electronically, we are no longer printing hundreds of copies of the program guide.  As a teenager myself, I am very happy to see that we have recycle bins and water bottle filling stations at our GSSTL CENTER.  Let’s join hands on Earth Day, to make our Earth a better place to live in.
    Donate For Disaster Relief - Tornado Devastation in the U.S.
     
    A monstrous tornado outbreak tore across 220 miles last Friday evening, creating devastation in parts of Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The storms spawned at least 50 tornadoes, destroying countless buildings, factories, roads, bridges and a nursing home.

    We have started a donation drive to help those most affected by the storms, to help support the families that are affected by the disaster, to provide them a safe place to stay, providing medical supplies, etc. in the face of one of the most devastating tornado outbreaks in years.
     
    It is the season of giving. Let us all stretch our giving and donate towards this urgent need. 
    Date: Sept 18th, 2021 Health Fair
    The Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis organized a Health Fair, that was open to public, at the GSSTL Center.

    The event hosted 40+ heath care service providers across 15+ services like Primary Care, Cardiologist, Blood Tests & Typing, COVID Booster Shot, Shingles Vaccines, Diabetes Specialist,  Tetanus Vaccine, Pneumonia Vaccine, Urologist, Kidney Specialist, Nutrition & Diet, Flu Shots, Vision blood drive and others.

    The event, supported by over 50 volunteers, was participated by 175+ attendees who availed of the various health services offered. Special thanks to all Doctors for donating their valuable time and expertise along with our valued partners - Walmart, Affinia HealthCare, ImpactLife, Prairie Farms, and Parties & Props. 

    ImpactLife collected 27 units of blood, against their goal of 12, impacting over 76 lives.
    ​Date: July 19th, 2021 Blood Drive with ImpactLife
    We participated in the 20th Annual Hazelwood Police Benevolent Assoc Golf Tournament, that was held at Whitmoor Country-Club, to support fund raising. The organization provides benefits and financial relief to officers of this department that become ill, injured or disabled.
    Date: June 12th, 2021 Blood Drive with ImpactLife
    A message from our partners @ ImpactLife 
    "    Thanks for hosting another successful Gujarati Samaj blood drive at Park 370!  We registered 18  donors, had 4 deferrals, resulting in 14 units on a goal of 12.  And, since each whole blood donation can be broken into multiple components, 42 lives or more can be impacted based on the donations at this drive alone!  Thanks again to all involved on behalf of the donor recipients!"​

    A sincere thank you to all our donors, with gratitude.
    Date: May 22nd, 2021 COVID Relief Fund Raising
    We organized a fund raising drive to help COVID relief, raising and distributing $8,500, globally. We sincerely appreciate everyone involved in making an impact on this global unprecedented crisis.
    Date: Nov 7th, 2020 Canstruction
    The Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis organized a collaborative community project event, “Canstruction” drive, partnering with Bal Vihar of St Louis. A mural from 2000+ cans was created by the youth of the community. They also  worked on team building skills along with participating in other activities like debate, and discussions. Projects like this can help put emphasis on team building for our youth; in unison, this cause can make a difference in our continued effort on beating hunger.  The uniquely designed and created mural wall of canned goods will be on display for a couple of weeks at the GSSTL Center. Afterwards, the cans will be donated to the Hazelwood TEAM Food Pantry.
    Date: Sept 26th, 2020 Health Fair

    We are very happy to inform you that we will have blood screening and flu vaccinations available at the FREE and open to ALL Health fair. 

    Please see the flyer for more details on the health fair and the services available. 

    In partnership with the MRVBC, there will also be a blood drive, which will run in parallel with the Health Fair.
    Date: July 25th, 2020
    Blood Donation Drive - on July 25th, we successfully organized a blood donation drive with our partner organization Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC). Here's a message from them "This units are especially helpful in the summer, and even more so in our current COVID environment.  And, since each whole blood donation can be broken into multiple components, 17 lives or more could be impacted based on the donations at this drive alone.  Thanks again to all involved on behalf of the donor recipients!"
    Date: June 13th, 2020
    ​Food Donation Drive
    Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis collected over 1000 food cans, during the Open House of our GSSTL CENTER, benefiting Team Food Pantry in Hazelwood.  

    Thanks to the generosity and selflessness to help feed the hungry families in our community.  With your help we made a big impact in the community of our new home.
    ​
    "On behalf of TEAMs volunteers, clients and the board we wish to say thank you to, the GSSTL CENTER, a non-profit organization (Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis). As president of the board I wish to thank ou for choosing our North County community and thank you for what you have done for TEAM." Mark Behlmann.
    Blood donation is important because maintaining an adequate blood supply in our community secures blood transfusions for patients. And IT SAVES LIVES.  The Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis organizes regular blood donation drives in tandem with local blood banks like Mississippi Regional Blood Center, America Red Cross and others. ​
    Dozens of member volunteers traveled to Moore, Oklahoma to help the tornado ravaged communities with the storm recovery and cleanup.

    Food Bank - our community youth stepped up to support fighting hunger and feeding hope in our community, by participating at the     St. Louis Area Foodbank, spending time sorting, packing or stacking food and making an enormous difference for the food banks and the families they serve.

    Engaging senior residents in meaningful activities. Studies show that seniors who stay socially active and engaged experience a variety of benefits including an improved mental, emotional and physical well-being. Monthly, senior citizen events are hosted and facilitated by the members of our organization.
     
  • May the festival of lights dispel the darkness of ignorance and spread the light of knowledge and wisdom. Happy Diwali!

    A special thank you to ALL the volunteers who have helped throughout the year and helped us deliver so many programs to our membership. Some of you were in the spotlight while some of worked behind the scenes. Regardless, please know that you are the backbone of every event. Please know that we could not do this without your hard work. We are forever thankful for the time you have given. You have made an significant difference.
    2022-2023 in Review
    Event: Diwali
    Dates: Nov 11th starting from 5 pm
    ​Venue:     GSSTL Center

    This is a member-only event. Guests of members will be allowed entry, however, they will need to be accompanied by members. 

    Parents will be required to fill out a consent form at the front entrance.  Children between the ages of 3 to16 will be allowed to participate.  We encourage you to complete this consent form ahead of time and bring it with you. 
    Event: Navratri
    Dates: Oct 27th and 28th starting 7 pm
    ​Venue:     GSSTL Center

    Members, with their paid 2023 membership, can attend this event for free. 

    Oct 27th & 28th is a members ONLY event. Any guests of members are welcome to attend but must be accompanied by members. Such guests will pay $20 entry fee per guest. Entry tickets will be available at the event. 
    Event: Annual General Meeting (AGM) & Elections
    Dates: Nov 5th 12 noon onwards

    As members of Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis we all have a BIG responsibility towards identifying and electing leaders of this community for the upcoming year. We earnestly request you to participate in this important activity.

    Please use the     committee member nomination form (2024) to file a nomination for Board of Trustee or Executive Committee. Both the candidate and nominator must be active paid member of Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis for the last two years (2022 & 2023)

    Light refreshments will be served.

    The following topics are covered in this email 1. Agenda for the AGM/Elections event 2. BOT nominations / elections 3. Executive Committee (EC) nominations / elections.

    Agenda for the AGM/Elections event:
    1. Review of last AGM meeting minutes
    2. Financial report for 2023 – Treasurer
    3. Review 2023 events & accomplishments – BOT Chairman & EC President
    4. Elections by the Election Commissioners

    Voting for election will be for only member who have paid their due for year 2023 as of October 31, 2023. You must be present to vote. (Two votes per family membership, if both husband and wife are present).
    PAST EVENTS
    Everyone is invited to participate in the Health Fair on Saturday, Sept 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the GSSTL Center.

    The Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis wants participants to provide access to health screenings, information and resources that aim to improve the health and well-being of the community. The Health Fair, scheduled for September 16, is one of several planned events and opportunities to help build a stronger community through good health.
    Event: International Yoga Day
    Dates: Wednesday June 21st, 6 pm Onwards

    Members and non-members are welcome. Please RSVP by clicking on this link.

    Gujarati Samaj of St Louis in partnership with Art of Living and Balvihar of St. Louis celebrates International Yoga Day.
    Event: Picnic
    Dates: Saturday June 17th, 3 pm Onwards

    Get ready for the upcoming fun filled Picnic event for all ages with food, blood drive, games, bicycles and music on the 17th of June, Saturday. No RSVP required for this event and no fees applied. Please, do bring your own water bottles which you can refill for free

    ​We are still looking for people to donate their blood. Let's change the world, together. Please click and reserve your spot for the blood drive. 

    Appetizer will be served between:- 3:00 to 5:00 pm 

    Dinner starts at 7:00 pm

    Location: 1000 Lakeside Park Dr, St Peters, 63376
    Event: Gujarati Natak - Shreeman 420
    Dates: May 6th, 5 pm Onwards

    Members and non-members are welcome.

    Gujarati Samaj of St Louis is very excited to bring you the superhit comedy play Shreemati 420.  Come watch the live show on Saturday May 6th, 2023 at the GSSTL CENTER.  210 Fee Fee Hills Dr, Hazelwood MO 63042.  Light dinner will be provided from 5pm to 6:30pm.  Play will start at 7pm SHARP.

    In order to properly plan for food preparations, you will be required to RSVP by no later than Sunday April 30th. NO EXCEPTIONS!  The charge for members to attend the natak will be a minimal cost of $5 PER PERSON.  Nonmembers cost is $30 PER PERSON.  PLEASE NOTE…..We are kindly requesting no children under 12, as we want to prevent disruption for the performers and the audience.  Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.  

    MEMBERS can purchase their tickets for the natak and also renew their yearly membership by clicking the link http://www.gujaratisamajstl.org/store/p27/Gujarati_Natak_-_Member_Entry_Ticket.html.  

    NONMEMBERS can purchase their tickets by clicking the link http://www.gujaratisamajstl.org/store/p28/Gujarati_Natak_-_Non-Member_Entry_Ticket.html 

    As a reminder, please make sure you pay your annual membership by no later than May 15th to avoid late fees.  Please contact Didi Patel at 618-581-3096 with any questions.​
    Event: Cultural Show
    Dates: Apr 22nd, 6 pm Onwards

    ​This is a members only event. 
    Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis would like to thank all the community member who participated in large number for the election of the Board of Trustees & Executive Committee for the two years (2023/2024) term. We sincerely appreciate the Election Commission of Gopal Patel, Jayesh Desai and Nayan Patel for conducting the elections. The following are the results:

    Elected members of the Board of Trustees:
    • Sharad Parikh (Chairman)
    • Samir Bhakta (Vice Chairman)
    • Smita Parikh (Chief Financial Officer)
    • Kaushik Bhakta (Secretary)
    • Vinod Patel
    • Vince Patel
    • Kantibhai Bhakta
    Elected members of the Executive Committee:
    • Didi Patel (President)
    • Tejas Bhakta (Vice President)
    • Jignesh Patel (Treasurer)
    • Niraj Patel (Secretary)
    • Rakesh Bhakta
    • Hemal Sanghvi
    • Mitesh Amin
    • Amit Bhakta
    • Jatin Bhakta
    • Gaurang Bhavsar
    • Mahendra Patel
    • Prasand Patel
    • Rajesh (Raju) Patel

    Following are minutes from the AGM held on Nov 20th
    - AGM minutes
    Event: Annual General Meeting (AGM) & Elections
    Dates: Nov 20th 3 pm Onwards

    As members of Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis we all have a BIG responsibility towards identifying and electing leaders of this community for the upcoming year. We earnestly request you to participate in this important activity.

    Light refreshments will be served.

    The following topics are covered in this email 1. Agenda for the AGM/Elections event 2. BOT nominations / elections 3. Executive Committee (EC) nominations / elections.

    Agenda for the AGM/Elections event:
    1. Review of last AGM meeting minutes
    2. Financial report for 2022 – Treasurer
    3. Review 2022 events & accomplishments – BOT Chairman & EC President
    4. Elections by the Election Commissioners

    Voting for election will be for only member who have paid their due for year 2022 as of October 31, 2022. You must be present to vote. (Two votes per family membership, if both husband and wife are present).

    Candidates for Board of Trustees (3 seats)
    We will need to elect 3 members from 4 nominations. 
    Below are the nominations.
    1. Arunaben Tailor - (Running for 2nd term)
      1. Engaged & Served various Indian communities for the last 30 years in different capacities throughout St. Louis Metro, including GSSTL, Indian Association, and Balvihar, a few from the long list.
    2. Kantibhai Bhakta  - New Candidate
      1. Actively serving Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis for the past decade at full capacity. Has a major contribution toward building GSSTL.
    3. Kaushik Bhakta - New Candidate
      • Actively serving Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis for the past decade at full capacity. Has a major contribution toward building GSSTL.
    4. Vinod Patel - (Running for 2nd term)
      • Actively serving Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis with lots of Business Management & development background.  Has a major contribution toward building GSSTL.

    Candidates for Executive Committee (7 seats)
    There are 7 open positions and 7 eligible nominations have been received. So all are selected for the upcoming term. Below are the new committee members
    1. Mitesh Amin 
    2. Amit Bhakta 
    3. Jatin Bhakta 
    4. Gaurang Bhavsar 
    5. Mahendrabhai Patel 
    6. Prasand Patel 
    7. Rajeshkumar Patel 

    Download nomination form here.
    You can access the Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis by-laws here.
    Event: Diwali
    Dates: Oct 29th 5 pm Onwards
    Appetizers, dinner & entertainment
    Event: Navratri
    Dates: Oct 7th & 8th, 7:30 PM Onwards

    On Friday Oct 7th, ONLY 500 NON-MEMBERS will be permitted entry to the event. And this will be strictly on a first come first serve basis. We apologies for any inconvenience. However, we place utmost importance to the safety and health of all the guests. 

    Oct 8th is a members event ONLY. Non-members will not be allowed entry.

    Program Details 
    One of the most popular festivals, NAVRATRI, is finally here!  We are very excited to inform you that we'll be celebrating Navratri this year for 6 nights with the following details:

    1. 2022 dues paid members will have free entry and non-members will pay $15 per guest (age 12 years & over). Tickets will be available at the venue, on the date of the events. You can still pay your dues here https://www.gujaratisamajstl.org/pay-membership.html

    2. Each person (member) will be provided ONLY one entry wrist band

    3. We have made special arrangements to house strollers. Please use the hallway behind halls C,D,E (far right) to put your strollers.

    4. Seating arrangements have also been made on the stage. Please use these to help provide more room for garba & dandia.

    5. Please contact the following people for sponsoring Aarti and/or Prasad:
    a. For Sep 23rd & 24th – Dharmendra (DiDi) Patel @ (618) 581-3096 or Niraj Patel @ (314) 478-7224
    b. For Sep 30th & Oct 1st – Mahendra Patel @ (314) 255-8609 or Rakesh Bhakta @ (636) 373-0451
    c. For Oct 7th & 8th (members only) – Gaurang Bhavsar @ (314) 799-7287 or Hemal Sanghvi @ (314) 662-4049. Please note: Oct 8th is a member only event. 
    Please note: Samaj will provide Prasad, however, members can choose to sponsor / donate towards the same. Absolutely NO outside food or Prasad will be allowed!  

    9. Liquor (of any kind) will NOT BE PERMITTED in the entire facility including the parking lots. This will be monitored by the security guards.

    10. To ensure safety of all guests, we will have security monitoring and facilitating the event, all days.
    Date: July 29th, Sundarkand @ GSSTL Center
    Program Details
    Sundarkand Path by Atul Purohit Group
    5:30 pm Onwards followed by dinner.
    ​Dinner is included in the cost to attend the event.

    ​Use this link to open / download Sundar Kand (in Hindi) or Sundar Kand (in Gujarati) to follow along during the Path.
    Date: June 11th, Picnic & Blood Drive
    Program Details
    3:00 pm to 9:00 pm – Picnic at 370 Lakeside Park
    3:30 pm to 7:00 pm - Blood drive
    Will you give? Masks and Appointments Required
    Click here to schedule your appointment today! 
    Date: April 23rd, Culture Show @ GSSTL Center
    Program Details
    6:00 pm to 9:00 pm – Culture Show
    Refreshments will be available for purchase from 4 pm onwards.

    Note: this is a member only event and you must be a 2022 PAID member. Please click on this link to renew your membership, immediately - https://www.gujaratisamajstl.org/store/c2/Membership.html
    Date: Dec 11th, Fund Raiser & Trivia Night @ GSSTL Center
    Program Details
    Here are the details of the event: 
    •            5:00 pm to 10:00 pm – Social gathering, Trivia Night & Banquet Dinner
    Date: October 2021
    Certificate of Recognition of October as a Hindu Heritage month.
    Date: Oct 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 15th & 16th, Navratri @ GSSTL Center
    Program Details
    1. 2021 dues paid members will be (free) and non-members ($15 per guest). Tickets will be available at the venue, on the date of the events. You can still pay your dues here https://www.gujaratisamajstl.org/pay-membership.html
    2. All guests aged 12 and above MUST be fully COVID-19 vaccinated with all doses at least two weeks prior to attending.
    3. All guests (no exceptions) aged 12 and above WILL BE REQUIRED to provide a photo, electronic, or physical copy of their vaccination card with a legible name as provided by your local jurisdiction, at the entrance.
    4. Venue: GSSTL Center at 210 Fee Fee Hills Dr, Hazelwood, MO 63042
    5. Dates: Oct 1st & 2nd, 8th & 9th and 15th & 16th
    6. Timing: 7:30 pm onwards
    7. Please contact the following people for sponsoring Aarti and/or Prasad:
      1. For Oct 1st & 2nd - Dharmendra (DiDi) Patel @ (618) 581-3096 or Prashant Patel @ (314) 495-8686
      2. For Oct 8th & 9th - Mahendra Patel @ (314) 255-8609 or Samir Bhakta @ (636) 734-7812
      3. For Oct 15th & 16th - Gaurang Bhavsar @ (314) 799-7287 or Hemal Sanghvi @ (314) 662-4049
    Please note: Samaj will provide Prasad, however, members can choose to sponsor / donate towards the same. Absolutely NO outside food or Prasad will be allowed!  
    1. Liquor (of any kind) will NOT BE PERMITTED in the entire facility including the parking lots.  This will be monitored by the security guards.
    2. To ensure safety of all guests, we will have security monitoring and facilitating the event, all days.
    The Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis is organizing a Health Fair (Sept 18th, 8:30 am to 1 pm) at the GSSTL Center, 210 Fee Fee Hills Dr, Hazelwood, MO 63042.

    The event is open to anyone & everyone with most offered at no cost.

    The Health Fair will host Primary Care Physicians, Cardiologists, Blood Pressure Screening, Vision Screening, Urologist, Pain Management, Height, Weight and BMO, Blood Testing/Screening, Diabetes Screening, Flu Shot, COVID vaccines, Nutrition & Diet and Blood Typing.

    We also want to assure you that the event will be held in accordance with local and state COVID guidelines and with a safety-first mindset. All attendees will be required to wear a mask at all times and will also be required to submit a COVID questionnaire before entering the event. 
    Date: Aug 23rd, Updated and Executed Bylaws
    Attached are the updated and executed bylaws.
    Date: Aug 14th, Gala Event @ GSSTL Center
    Program Details    ​
    5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Appetizers
    6:30 pm - 7:00 pm Entry & Seating in the Hall
    7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Speeches & presentations
           a. Welcome by President Mr. DiDi Patel
           b. Presentation and update by Board-of-Trustee Chairman Dr. Sharad Parikh
           c. Keynote Speech by guest speaker Mr. Rick Stevens, CEO Christian Hospital
           d. Journey of GSSTL Center by Board-of-Trustee Vice Chairman Mr. Samir Bhakta
    8:00 pm Dinner & Live Entertainment
    Date: July 24th, Cultural Show @ GSSTL Center
    One of our most enjoyable events, the Culture Show, is coming up soon,  Saturday July 24th. Participants will perform live from our GSSTL CENTER, 7pm.  Deadline to register is Saturday July 10th.  To sign up and/or to get additional information, please contact Ishita Sanghvi 314 494 5594 or Kaushik Bhatt 314 443 8425. 
    Date: Jun 12th, Picnic & Blood Drive
    Thanks to all those who attended our picnic, in large numbers (approximately 300) people, and providing a great start to 2021.

    And thank you to all members who supporting the blood drive and impacting 42+ lives.
    Date: Apr 7th, Gujarati Samaj renews public non-profit status
    We are proud to inform our members that the Gujarati Samaj is now a public charity organization under sections IRC section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi). We continues to be exempt from federal income tax under IRS Section 501(c)(3).
    Date: Mar 13th, 7 pm, Sangeet Sandhya / Geetmala
    ​​Link for watching tomorrow's event - https://fb.watch/49NZ4z1Cvz/
    ​
    For those of you who have signed up, you will be required to attend a rehearsal at the GSSTL Center on Sunday March 7th between 2 and 4.   This will help eliminate technical difficulties and ensure your fabulous talents will be displayed.  We strongly encourage those of you watching online to leave comments while our performers are singing.   Please contact  Didi Patel 618-581-3096, Ishita Sanghvi 314 494 5594, or Gaurang Bhavsar 314 799 7287 if you have any questions regarding rehearsal.  

    GSSTL is proud to bring you our Geetmala event Saturday March 13th,  starting at 7pm.  This event is open for Gujarati Samaj members, with no age restrictions.  This is the opportunity to showcase your singing talents and share them with our community.  To ensure the best sound, lighting, and quality, the participants will do this live from our GSSTL CENTER.  The rest of the public will be able to watch live via the internet from the comforts of your home.  As with our past events this year when entering our GSSTL CENTER, we will continue to follow the COVID guidelines of temperature check, social distancing and masks.
    Date: Feb 6th, 7 pm, Sangeet Sandhya
    ​ You can watch this by going to our FACEBOOK page,  Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis.  Or click on this link  https://www.facebook.com/events/183038790240452/ OR http://tiny.cc/MusicFeb6
    If you have any questions, please contact either Didi Patel 619-581-3096 or Manharbhai 314-229-7979.
    ​Covid - 19 Vaccines in St. Louis County and St. Charles County

    St. Louis County and St. Charles County have launched online portals for residents to pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine.  Both counties say they are unsure when the vaccine will be made available to residents outside of Phase 1A,  but the portals allow for anyone to pre-register.  We recommend all members who reside in each of these counties to please register.  It is very simple, quick, and easy to complete.  Unfortunately, we do not have any additional information on the other neighboring counties in our St Louis Metro area.  PLEASE note, this is ONLY one option on how to get your vaccine shot, and you should not solely rely on the below links, as this is not a guarantee.  You should always continuously be checking other resources to see if you can get one quicker.

    St Louis County Residents ¬- please click on the link below to register for the COVID vaccine.  
    https://stlcorona.com/covid19-vaccines/
    St Charles County Residents - please click on the link below to register for the COVID vaccine.
    https://www.sccmo.org/2162/COVID-19-Vaccine-Information
    COVID Vaccination 
    ​
    “Some of us may not be in rush or may not be comfortable to get COVID-19 vaccine due to lot of political news surrounding it. People may not realize that the only way to eradicate this pandemic is get vaccinated and it is safe. Our Chairman for Board of Trustee, Sharad Parikh, has set an example to be amongst the first members to be vaccinated and set an example for all of us. Let’s all collectively join the effort to defeat COVID-19 by taking the vaccine when available to us.”
    CANCELLED Date: Nov 14th, 5:30 PM Onwards, Diwali Celebrations

    For those of you who have purchased tickets online, your refund will be applied to the same credit card that was used to purchase your tickets.  

    With the increase in COVID cases and destabilizing situation, along with the lack of ticket purchases, we have unfortunately decided to cancel this year’s Diwali Dinner.  We recognize this event to be our most popular, but we feel as our members and community are simply not ready or comfortable to return to our events at this time.  For those of you who have purchased tickets online, thank you again for your continued support.  Your refund will be applied to the same credit card that was used to purchase your tickets.  

    If you have any questions regarding your refund, please contact Jignesh Patel 314 616 2066
    Thank you again for your continued patience and prayers for the community.  Your relentless support to the Gujarati Samaj of St Louis is greatly appreciated.  
    Date: Nov 7th, 10 AM to 4 PM, Canstruction
    ​The Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis has organized a collaborative community project event, “Canstruction” drive, partnering with Bal Vihar of St Louis and the Hazelwood School District. As we navigate through the pandemic together, it is very imperative that we continue to give back to our community. We want to teach our youth the value of community service and to create a sense of oneness within our community. Projects like this can help put emphasis on team building for our youth; in unison, this cause can make a difference in our continued effort on beating hunger. As the youth construct a wall with the food cans, they will work on team building skills along with participating in other activities like debate, discussions, etc. The uniquely designed and created mural wall of canned goods will be on display for a couple of weeks at the GSSTL Center. Afterwards, the cans will be donated to the Hazelwood TEAM Food Pantry. 

    All Youth members will get credit for the number of volunteer hours contributed towards this project by Gujarati Samaj of St Louis. Any youth members, between the ages of 13 and 17 who are interested, please contact Ishita Sanghvi by email at [email protected] or by phone / text at 314-494-5594. You must sign up by no later than 10/18/2020.

    The unique design of the “can” wall will use very specific types of approx. 3000 food cans. 
    Date: Oct 24th, 2020, Navratri
    The decision to have Navratri was one that was not lightheartedly made. The wellbeing and safety of our members and community, family and friends is of paramount importance.  After calling and speaking with our members, we received great positive responses on to have the event.  We will have one night of Navratri on Saturday October 24th from 7 to 10.  Due to COVID-19, this will be a MEMBERS ONLY event.  We will have garba only followed by Arti.  WE WILL NOT DO Dandiya raas, due to COVID-19.  As with our past events this year, we will continue to follow the guidelines of temperature check, social distancing and masks.  You will be required to complete the standard COVID questionnaire form.  To save time and avoid overcrowding, we STRONGLY recommend and ask that you complete the form prior to arriving.
    Date: Oct 7, 2020 from 3 pm to 7 pm
    We would like to cordially invite you to attend the Open House of The Center, St. Louis' newest (and largest) state-of-the-art special event venue.  The event is being hosted by Parties & Props Event Production Group, which is the company the Gujarati Samaj of St Louis has hired to rent out our facility. Tours will take place every hour on the hour.  Guests will also enjoy live music, photo booth, and outstanding food selections from our preferred catering partners.

    CDC guidelines for social distancing will be strictly followed.  All guests will be required to do a temp check and wear a mask while inside the building and not eating or drinking.  

    Reservations ARE REQUIRED in order to attend.  It's very easy and quick to register.  Register today at www.thecenter-stl.com or by calling 314.963.0880.
    Date: Sept 12, 2020
    From Bollywood to the Taj Mahal, The Magic House’s next cultural exhibit will explore the wonders of INDIA! Our Namaste India exhibit will feature the vibrant art, food, festivals and traditions of this timeless culture within immersive environments commonly seen in India today.

    Namaste India will be making its debut in our World Traveler Gallery Spring of 2021 .

    The Magic House is actively fundraising in support of the development and creation of the exhibit. If interested in supporting this effort, donors are invited to contact The Magic House at [email protected] or donate online at https://www.magichouse.org/namasteindia/
    Date: Sep 3rd, 2020
    Members of the committee met with St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page promoting the upcoming Health Fair and other community projects organized by the Gujarati Samaj. This was very well received by Dr. Sam Page and his office with a commitment to work closing with us, in the future.
    Date: Aug 17th, 2020
    GSSTL paid the first note to Bank of Hillsboro towards the GSSTL Center
    Date: June 13th, 2020
    We are proud to announce that the GSSTL CENTER is now OPEN. Continuing to follow state & city guidelines,  the facility is available for use for up to 50%, or 500-person, capacity. The Samaj looks forward to hosting many events, in the future.

    Amidst chants of auspicious mantras (prayers) we performed the Havan for a promising beginning of our newest chapter in our Samaj.  We thank you for your participation, physically or virtually, and giving your blessings and good wishes.  
     
    Thanks to the generosity, of the attendees, we raised $8,000 during this event. 

    The successful event was executed by following all safety guidelines for the safety of all attendees: 
    1. each attendee filled out a simple symptom screening questionnaire. 
    2. Temperature checks were conducted at the entrance of the facility.
    3. Attendees were provided with masks and were required to wear them through the entire event. 
    4. Attendees maintained a safe distance of 6 feet from other attendees, during the entire event.
    5. Hand sanitizers were available at the facility.

    For the foreseeable future, these safety guidelines will be used at our other events at the GSSTL CENTER, so therefore it is especially important that we work together to adhere to the above guidelines. 
  • Membership paid after 16th May 2024 will incur a late charge of $25.00.

    We have heard you and we have made it very easy for you to renew your membership, directly from your mobile device or from your computer, in three easy steps:
    1. Click on this link https://www.gujaratisamajstl.org/pay-membership.html
    2. Select your membership level and
    3. Checkout (or pay)
    We would love to learn about your experience and continue to improve it.
Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis is exempt from federal income tax under IRS Section 501(c)(3). And is a public charity under IPC section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi). DISCLAIMER: Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis strives to protect the rights of our members. Any material on this site that need reviewed or photos requesting to be removed please Contact Us. 
  
Copyright @ 2019