CCESL's GatorServe Set for September 8
Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Day of Service
By Paige Caldwell
This fall, the University of Houston-Downtown’s (UHD) Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL) will host its bi-annual event, GatorServe, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8. GatorServe is a UHD tradition that brings together students, faculty and staff, alumni, friends and family to complete student-led volunteer projects that serve our community partners.
The CCESL has been working with student service leaders during the summer to develop plans for various community projects. UHD students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in community engagement projects across Houston with the option to volunteer for any of the seven different projects. On September 8, volunteers will be provided transportation, lunch, a T-shirt, and all required materials to perform a variety of small tasks for homeowners, small business owners, non-profits, schools and other community entities.
Here's a highlight of two of CCESL's seven projects:
“Enlighten to Make a Difference”, is led by UHD students Selena Garcia and Gregoria Uroza. They will be leading volunteers in building small house-shaped bookshelves to be placed on elementary school grounds across Houston to promote literacy during recess. They will also be building benches for these playgrounds to help facilitate the socio-emotional learning of students with difficulty expressing themselves.
Another student duo, Isbah Khan and Jesse Uppal will lead “Operation Woof”, which is aimed at helping local shelters reduce the stray animal population in Houston by advocating the importance of adopting. Some volunteers will visit local animal shelters, such as Friends For Life, to assist with general care and maintenance of the animals as well as donation sorting, walking dogs, showing animals to potential adopters, or taking photos of pets up for adoption. Others will be volunteering at a local animal adoption event with Veterinary Public Health.
For more information about the seven projects or to volunteer, visit GatorServe. If you would like to volunteer as a group, please contact CCESL at CCESL@uhd.edu.
The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.
