Our Listening Post Volunteers
amisha bhatia
Amisha is a professional in mentoring and guiding young people to find solutions to issues they find hard to understand. Her ability to be a great listener with an encouraging personality assist her in dealing with complex problems. A diligent and empathetic person, Amisha connects well with people of all ages, thus making her very approachable and calm in her outlook. She is associated with Listening Post to help individuals and help with change.
Bhagyashree Walvekar
Bhagyashree is a postgraduate from BITS Pilani, with work experience in the Software Industry of 20+ years. A mother of 2 sons, now in their 20s, when she gets compliments about raising 2 good kids, she thinks the kids did an amazing job raising her! A student of Vipassana meditation, she feels it has helped her tremendously in her life. Being caring and compassionate by nature, she wishes to be of help to the community and grow further!
Dhawal Mehta
Dhawal has done his bachelor's in Engineering and is a technology enthusiast. He is passionate for social service, actively volunteering for a couple of causes. He sees challenges as a chance to learn and grow in life. He loves basketball and unwinds by either reading, solving sudoku, or playing video games. He feels it's our responsibility to give back and learn from the community, specially in being inclusive.
Hema Wagh
Hemaji is an inspiration for us at SHB. She looks after the admin, the workshop registrations and is a lively spirit around the office. She is a veteran volunteer and has been with SHB since inception. Hemaji is a compassionate soul and is often a "listening post" for all of us here at SHB and also a part of our 'Listening Post' team now. She often disappears to visit her grandchildren in Singapore, but when she is here, she comes in to work on Mondays.
Hemangini Inamdar
Hemangini is a retired school principal with over 30 years of teaching experience. She has worked with adolescent children and parents. With her work - life philosophy that "to teach is to touch a life forever". She has excellent pastoral skills. A patient listener with a calm and soft spoken demeanour, she instantly connects with all. Very enthusiastic about learning new skills and taking on new challenges she volunteered for Listening Post with the conviction that by lending a supportive ear to others will be an enriching and rewarding experience. She loves experimenting in cooking and dabbles in canvas painting.
Hiral Sawant
Hiral is a finance consultant and entrepreneur with varied interests in Fintech and EdTech. She loves running, trekking and traveling. She likes to connect with people of all ages and is an animal lover at heart. Her mantra in life is to stay positive and spread happiness.
Janaki Visvanath
Janaki is a professional coach and mentor. Her primary interests are in community development and believes in taking her HR skills to the Social Sector. Janaki is a Director in SHB Social Foundation and is a founding member of Listening Post. She’s also our primary resource person for senior citizen wellness and LGBTQ issues.
Lata Ananth
Lata is a genial, fun loving and patient soul. A teacher by profession, she volunteers in Listening Post. She's been with Listening Post since inception. Being an Army wife, Lata has spent lot of her time travelling to all corners of the country and has interesting stories from schools all over where she has worked. Lata has worked with very young children for a long time and is good with kids and parents.
Monica Mehta
Monica is a soft-skills facilitator and life-coach. She enjoys connecting with people, trekking, dancing, theatre & music. A dog lover and keen dancer, she believes in healing through connecting. She brings a certain compassion to the conversation, helping persons heal through the conversation.
Neena Khaire
Neena, a simple and clear-thinking person is good with adolescents and parents. She’s experienced and with Listening Post since inception. Level headed and focused, she’s able to connect very well with walk-ins and brings clarity to the conversation.
Ranjani Patil
Ranjani is a professional French and German translator. She is also a yoga enthusiast. She brings her spiritual healing energy to the conversation that helps people heal. She finds being able to offer emotional space at Listening Post to be a very rewarding life experience.
Rohita Kajale
Rohita has recently shifted to Pune, and loves people, music and fun! She comes with an MA in Counselling and used to head an online counselling centre in Mumbai. Rohita feels that her life experience helps her empathise with various age groups and being a Listening Post volunteer enriches her life skills.
Sapna Kothari
Sapna is a commerce graduate with vast experience in textile design, retail, and business management. Her passions include Yoga, spirituality, meditation, and everything that contributes to a more peaceful and content life. She resonates with the value of giving back to society and believes in the importance of mental health in building stronger and more resilient communities. For her, being an active listener and providing support to the community is a deeply satisfying pursuit.
Shantanu Kunte
Shantanu has just finished his bachelor's degree in Psychology, and is currently pursuing his master's degree in the field. Shantanu loves outdoor activities, such as trekking and hiking, and is an avid football fan. Volunteering helps him achieve self-confidence and he hopes to make a difference in people's lives.
Snehal Bagate
Snehal is a true Punekar at heart. She has been working as a people leader for almost 16 years in corporates across a range of age groups and generations. She loves to travel as she can learn from the various people from the diverse cultures that she connects with during her travels. Professional and personal exposure has helped her to have a deep understanding of human connections and become a lifelong learner.
Sonal Naik
Sonal is a teacher and a trained school psychologist. She loves meeting new people to observe and learn about their lives and backgrounds. She believes in always learning from the opportunities that life offers. She loves cooking, watching movies and spending time with her family. Sonal thrives on challenges and constantly sets goals which act as a steady source of her motivation and learning. Trustworthiness, enthusiasm and optimism are her strengths.
