Indo American Sevak Foundation (formerly known as Oriya Sevaks) was formed soon after the devastating cyclone of Orissa in October 1999 by a handful of enthusiastic volunteers, mostly from Northern California, to render aid to the severely affected Cyclone victims. This group of motivated people collected generous donations from individuals, corporations and various other organizations through personal contacts and other fund raising events. It is a unique group with minimal organizational structure. The volunteers work through joint team effort and in a cohesive manner to coordinate various activities. The group meets once a month to discuss different projects and proposals. Our initial goal was to extend all our help to the Cyclone victims, however, as we move forward we have decided to expand our horizon to include other projects such as educational improvement in rural areas of Orissa. We are specifically interested in projects for developing and improving the quality of life of village people.

The Oriya-Sevak group works in collaboration with IDRF (Indian Development and Relief Fund), SEEDS and Cisco-Sevak to distribute funds for these charitable activities.