The spirit of volunteering is strong on the University of St. Thomas campus community. Through programs like Best Buddies, Bread for the World, Habitat for Humanity, Literacy Initiative for Today, Pax Christi, and Society of St. Vincent de Paul, it is not unusual to find UST students making the city of Houston a better place to live. Part of that credit goes to the UST Office of Volunteer Opportunities.

Here students, staff, faculty and alumni are given the resources to increase personal and academic growth through community service. The OVO mission is to support the school in the fulfillment of its charge to engage students by providing community involvement opportunities.

 

“Volunteers come to understand their place in the world through engagement in service,” said Ellie Collier, director of the Office of Volunteer Opportunities. “Volunteering gives students a window on the real world and encourages them to take responsibility as members of the community for creating solutions to the seemingly intractable problems they encounter.”

 

In 2006-07, some 600 UST students gave an estimated 5000 hours of their time. Volunteer opportunities are as varied as the campus, consisting of student-led programs, one-time events and long-term volunteering.

 

The benefits of volunteerism are many. In doing community service work, students learn to explore social issues, exercise leadership skills and enhance the understanding of their role as citizens. It is not unusual for graduate schools or employers to recognize the value of volunteer work. Collier says the goal of OVO is to encourage community service so that it remains a component of students’ lives long after they graduate.

 

“Volunteering is an investment the students make in their own future, laying the groundwork for involvement in the world. The experience of volunteering helps to shape one’s values and instills in the participant a life-long passion for service,” said Collier.

 

There are several long standing programs that exemplify that passion for service. Best Buddies has been an active volunteer program on the UST campus since 1991. Students are matched to adult clients of The Center, which serves people with intellectual disabilities. LIFT is the English as a Second Language program at UST. It has also been active since 1991. Now more than 20 tutors volunteer their Saturdays to work with adults who want to learn English.

 

If you’d like more information on how you can become a volunteer, contact the Office of Volunteer Opportunities at 713-525-3800 or 3801 or email ovo@stthom.edu. You can also visit OVO, second floor of Crooker Center.