Consulate@YourDoorstep Camp - A Historic Milestone in Spokane!

Spokane made history this month by hosting its first-ever Consulate@YourDoorstep Camp, organized by the Spokane India Forum in collaboration with the Consulate General of India, Seattle.

This landmark event brought vital consular services directly to our city, allowing community members to access essential support — from passport renewals and visa services to OCI applications and document attestations — all without the need to travel to Seattle.

Bringing the Camp to Spokane

The seed for this initiative was planted in September 2024, when Consul General Shri Prakash Gupta introduced the Consulate@YourDoorstep concept during a meeting with Indian diaspora leaders. Inspired by his vision I decided to explore the idea further, which ultimately led to the effort of bringing it to Spokane. Originally scheduled for October 2024, the camp was rescheduled and successfully held on August 9th, 2025.

A Day of Service, Connection, and Community

The services were provided by the dedicated team from the Consulate, led by Consul Soumith Raju Kanchanapalli, and supported by VFS Global. Community members received in-person assistance with a variety of services, including Passport, Visa, OCI renewals and applications, Document Attestations, Surrender, GEP, Miscellaneous services and General Consular Queries. We are deeply grateful to Soumithji and his team for their support and dedication. A heartfelt thanks also to Notary Jagjot Kaur, who generously offered free notary services to the community.

Dignitaries in Attendance

The inaugural ceremony was graced by Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson and Dan Bisbee, District Director for Congressman Michael Baumgartner. To add to the celebration, Spokane City Mayor Lisa Brown issued an official India Day Proclamation in recognition of India’s Independence Day (August 15) — a touching gesture that resonated deeply with our community.

The Team Behind the Magic

This initiative would not have been possible without the incredible planning and dedication of Rupali Joshi, Sowmya Surapaneni, Manish Gupta. Their behind-the-scenes work and tireless efforts made this event a tremendous success.

More Than Just a Camp

This wasn’t just about services — it was a celebration of unity, culture and civic engagement. The success of this camp marks the beginning of more such outreach programs.

Thank You, Volunteers!

A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time and energy to ensure the smooth execution of the camp. Your selfless service truly made a difference.

This is just the beginning — we look forward to hosting more outreach events to serve our growing and vibrant community. For future outreach events subscribe to our Facebook page Spokane India forum.

Himani Agrawal

Founder- Spokane India Forum