Serving Others
UHD Gators lend a helping paw to Houston SPCA by volunteering for MLK Day
UHD GatorServe volunteers spent the day helping out.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
University of Houston-Downtown students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners answered on January 14 by volunteering at the Houston SPCA for the MLK National Day of Service.
More than 50 GatorServe volunteers spent the day walking dogs and providing animal care for cats, cleaning windows, building wildlife release cages, and more.
Their areas of service included the Adoption Center, Equine and Farm Animal Center, and Wildlife Center. The event was sponsored by UHD’s Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning.
“I learned that it takes a lot to care for an animal and helping with something small can make a huge difference in someone's life,” stated one Gator. “I plan to apply this to my everyday life by going out of my way to help someone.”
This year’s GatorServe reached record attendance for the Spring Day of Service event, representing the largest group of volunteers at the new Houston SPCA facility to date.
The broad representation included: 44 undergraduate students, five graduate students, eight staff members, five faculty members, five alumni (many of the students and faculty members are also UHD alums!), and 20 community partners.
Another GatorServe volunteer commented, “I will apply what I learned as a result of volunteering at the Houston SPCA by being more kind and patient.”
Service to others is a hallmark of the University of Houston-Downtown, and GatorServe completes projects in service to its neighbors for two National Days of Service, in remembrance of 9/11 and to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.
You can explore volunteering opportunities at the Houston SPCA and plenty of ways to donate here.
