03
January
2020
|
12:27 PM
America/Chicago

UHD Community Helping Houstonians During GatorServe

Day of Service Set for Jan. 18 to Honor MLK

Summary

By Mike Emery

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”

That message was delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and continues to resonate with Americans. Those words are also taken to heart by University of Houston-Downtown Gators.

Each January, UHD Community members honor the Civil Rights icon’s memory during GatorServe. Coordinated by the Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning, the spring tradition provides Gators with a day of service to help Houstonians in need. This year’s event will take place Jan. 18 and partner UHD with Kashmere Gardens and Betsy Ross elementary schools. Participants will assist with painting, power washing, building shelves, gardening and other tasks.

The day will begin at 8 a.m. at Kashmere Gardens Elementary School (4901 Lockwood Dr.) where volunteers will assemble and split into groups. Texas Rep. Christina Morales will be in attendance to deliver remarks and greet GatorServe participants.

Volunteers over the age of 16 years can register here for this event through Jan. 17. Volunteers will be provided, a light breakfast, lunch, a T-shirt, and all required materials for service projects.

GatorServe is conducted twice a year. The spring event coincides with the National Day of Service conducted in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and a fall initiative recognizes those heroes who lost their lives during 9/11. More details about past GatorServe events and other Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning events can be found here.

About the University of Houston-Downtown

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.