Community Outreach Day provides volunteer opportunities
More than 80 University of Houston-Clear Lake students, staff and community members of the local community put aside their own needs for a day and focused on serving others by participating in UH-Clear Lake’s Community Outreach Day in early February. Sponsored by the Center for Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement, this project started in spring 2003 and has become an increasingly popular activity.
For spring 2009, Community Outreach Day held three off-campus services projects and one on-campus. Baytown Habitat for Humanity, Houston Food Bank and the Star of Hope Mission offered off-campus service opportunities, while volunteers for the on-campus activities assisted with Super Sci-Tech Saturday, an event that helps middle-school girls get excited about math and science.
We’ve been involved with projects for Baytown Habitat for Humanity since our program’s inception and are enjoying helping to build ‘Alamo Village,’” explained Jennifer Clark, coordinator of student life and SLICE. “Our timing at the Houston Food Bank to help sort food was perfect as they had just completed their Souper Bowl of Caring food drive. We also had volunteers sort donations for the Men’s Development Center at Star of Hope.”
Christopher Mathey, a UH-Clear Lake sociology graduate student, became involved with Community Outreach Day through being a member of Sigma Alpha Pi, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and the group’s community service chair.
As an Eagle Scout, I have been involved with a host of services-based initiatives and outreach groups for years and I really believe in the philosophy of ‘leadership through service,’” said Mathey. “The majority of our Sigma Alpha Pi members participated in Super Sci-Tech Saturday. I chose this program as a way of giving back to and recognizing my mother.
Although this event may not affect her directly, it does have an impact on the young women who participate in it and that, too, sets in motion energies that fulfill personal successes for them.”
Clark says she hopes to expand the community engagement opportunities available in the future and include monthly service opportunities, spring break experiences and online tools to connect volunteers with projects.
We would like to host more volunteer opportunities beyond just the one service day like Community Outreach Day,” said Clark.
To learn more about the Center for Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement and future UH-Clear Lake volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.uhlc.edu/SLO/Student_Leadership_Institute or call 281-283-2550.
