A team of students, staff, faculty and administrators from UHD participated in the Partnership Walk Saturday, Nov. 2, as part of the City of Houston's Citizenship Month. Thousands of people gathered to participate in the event.

The goal of the Partnership Walk of Houston, which is an initiative of the the Aga Khan Foundation, is to raise awareness and funds to reduce poverty, illness, illiteracy and overall poor health in Africa and Asia.

During the event, UHD President William Flores, an honorary co-chair of Citizenship Month, welcomed participants and guests, saying, "Citizenship Month is a call to service and an invitation for Houstonians to transform our city through volunteerism. I applaud the Aga Khan Foundation for its efforts to build global citizenship and end world poverty."

Distinguished guests included First Lady of Houston Kathy Hubbard, Citizenship Month co-chairs Claudia Ortega-Hogue, southwest regional director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, and Dr. Noël Bezette-Flores, executive director of the UHD Center for Public Service and Family Strengths, who has overseen this initiative since its inception five years ago.

This event is part of the City of Houston's Citizenship Month, for which UHD is a primary sponsor, and was coordinated with the assistance of the UHD Center for Public Service and Family Strengths, which encourages civic engagement, service-learning, and partnerships with community agencies and nonprofits.