'Roos' Commitment to Service is Good News for Communities
A liberal arts education opens one’s eyes to the needs around them and equips them to take action. At Austin College, this has been intentionally taught and practiced from the institution’s beginning and continues today. To celebrate its 175th Year, Austin College set a goal of 17,500 collective service hours reported by members of ’RooNation. Between August 2023 and June 2024, alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff reported their volunteer work on campus and from coast to coast.
The Austin College Service Station helped manage the information by tracking hours logged at student service events and counting and recording hours reported by others online. A total of 48,256.5 hours were reported, which is equivalent to 5.5 years of ’round-the-clock time given freely to others.
Chaplain John Williams ’84, co-chair of the Milestone committee, said, “The tremendous response to the Make a Difference initiative indicates that Austin College students, through the years, have been encouraged to think about how their education should be good news for others in their communities.”
“To me, the most impressive thing about our Make a Difference invitation was the variety of the responses,” he continued. “So many alumni and others from different decades, in different locations, engaged in so many different kinds of service.”
These stories represent the hundreds of alumni who shared their service experiences for the Make a Difference campaign and show the ongoing spirit of service that is encouraged at Austin College.
Service to Earth
Vee Volpe ’90
I love this group of people [at San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance Volunteer Trail Crew] because they are the salt of the earth, and I would not have ever known them except for this joint love of nature and desire to do something about it. They make me happy and the support we get from the community is outstanding. We go out every Thursday and Saturday as a trail crew to work, enjoy each other’s company, and commune with nature. It’s the best.
Service to Animals
Leita Hatcher ’98
My kids and I discovered the joy of adopting rabbits for house pets three years ago and have since begun to foster rabbits for the Alamo City House Rabbits organization.
Service with Pride
Dr. Gary Howell ’00
I volunteered as the Gala Chair for Equality Florida Tampa and volunteered with their Pride parade efforts. I also volunteered and raised $6,000 for a 165-mile, two-day bike ride from Miami to Key West (The SMART Ride). I also give three hours each week in my clinical practice providing free support groups for trans youth, adults, and parents of both.
During my time at Austin College, I had two amazing mentors, Dr. Howard Starr and Dr. Roger Platizky, who were instrumental in my service work. I was already volunteering with the AIDS Resource Center of Texoma, so when they recommended I join ACCARES, it was a perfect match. I served as President of ACCARES my senior year at AC, and my involvement allowed me to bring AIDS awareness education to our college campus.
Service to the Ill
Iris Jacobs ’97
I logged three hours as an Imerman Mentor Angel. I am a breast cancer survivor living with cancer in remission, and I spent those three hours offering peer support to a patient currently undergoing chemotherapy for her breast cancer, which was diagnosed earlier this year.
Service to the Unsettled
Polly Johnson ’64
I have volunteered at Casa Juan Diego in Houston on Monday mornings for the past several years. Casa Juan Diego provides a temporary home for newly arrived immigrants in the U.S. They also provide groceries for the food-insecure in the surrounding community. We pack 200-250 bags with groceries for distribution on Tuesday mornings.
I love working at Casa Juan Diego. They are staffed by Catholic Workers who have taken a vow of poverty. They work with no pay, take meals to residents, and live with the residents in a very humble environment. It is a privilege to do a tiny bit of work with them.
Service to Country
Dale Labine
Father of Matthew Labine ’28
I am an active member of Sons of the American Legion. As a member, I volunteer monthly doing various activities to support veterans and their families. Those activities include things like meal prep, meal serving, fundraising, building repairs, etc. I am also an officer on a state level, which requires time and effort in support of the organization as a whole.
Service to Children
Nicole Christy ’00
Although federal nutrition programs provide meals for students during the school week, weekends can be especially challenging for children from food-insecure families. Snack Pak 4 Kids is one of my favorite volunteer opportunities in San Antonio! It usually lasts an hour to an hour and a half, and volunteers walk through lines to create snack bags for kids. I get my steps in while doing a great thing for the community! All of the people I work with are great, and we are making kiddos happy!
At Austin College, my favorite service project was at Sneed Prairie with Dr. Peter Schulze. I loved getting my hands dirty and seeing firsthand the tangible improvements we were making to the land. I must admit, when I sign up for volunteer events, I wonder “Why did I commit to this today? I am so busy!” However, I’ve never left an event regretting it. On the contrary, I always feel invigorated and inspired to do more. It reminds me that making a difference is far more important than the everyday worries we often get caught up in. Giving back and caring for others truly takes precedence.