Being involved in the local community is important to students at Texas A&M University, and the Aggie men's swimming and diving team is no different.
For the fourth straight year, the Aggies volunteered with the MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley. For the 2011 community service project, nearly 30 team members cleared out a house and moved its contents to a storage warehouse for the organization's upcoming garage sale. They also performed general yard maintenance and pre-garden work.
MHMR Volunteer Opportunities and Public Information program director Janie Velasquez said, "These guys were awesome. You could see the dedication that they had in doing their service project. The students contributed 128 hours of volunteer service. Converted into $12.50 per hour, they contributed a total of $1,600.00 WORTH OF SERVICE. Wow! Congratulations to all of the swimming and diving team!"
Velasquez said that volunteers are imperative to the mission of the MHMR, which is to provide the highest quality of services, which promote dignity and independence, to individuals and their families who are challenged with issues related to mental disabilities and developmental delays.
"Volunteers are a godsend to us," Velasquez said. "They are our survival. It's a win/win situation for all of us. I hope the students gain a sense of satisfaction of giving of themselves to a center in need, and helping make a difference in the lives of those we serve affected by mental disabilities. Volunteer hours are important to us because they are converted into dollars, and utilized to provide the local match needed for all of the federal and state dollars that we receive."
The Aggie swimmers and divers aren't the only Texas A&M team that volunteers with MHMR, and Velasquez said there are many more opportunities for community service and volunteerism.
"The baseball team has painted a consumer's home and did landscaping around the house -- a beautiful job was done by them!" Velasquez said. "Some groups provide social outings for our consumers. Others provide monthly birthday parties for our Life Choices Programs. Really, the sky is the limit…lead the groups to us and we will create the projects!"
For more information on how to become involved with MHMR of Brazos Valley, contact Velasquez via email at jvelasquez@mhmrabv.org or by telephone at 979/361-9884.
For the fourth straight year, the Aggies volunteered with the MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley. For the 2011 community service project, nearly 30 team members cleared out a house and moved its contents to a storage warehouse for the organization's upcoming garage sale. They also performed general yard maintenance and pre-garden work.
MHMR Volunteer Opportunities and Public Information program director Janie Velasquez said, "These guys were awesome. You could see the dedication that they had in doing their service project. The students contributed 128 hours of volunteer service. Converted into $12.50 per hour, they contributed a total of $1,600.00 WORTH OF SERVICE. Wow! Congratulations to all of the swimming and diving team!"
Velasquez said that volunteers are imperative to the mission of the MHMR, which is to provide the highest quality of services, which promote dignity and independence, to individuals and their families who are challenged with issues related to mental disabilities and developmental delays.
"Volunteers are a godsend to us," Velasquez said. "They are our survival. It's a win/win situation for all of us. I hope the students gain a sense of satisfaction of giving of themselves to a center in need, and helping make a difference in the lives of those we serve affected by mental disabilities. Volunteer hours are important to us because they are converted into dollars, and utilized to provide the local match needed for all of the federal and state dollars that we receive."
The Aggie swimmers and divers aren't the only Texas A&M team that volunteers with MHMR, and Velasquez said there are many more opportunities for community service and volunteerism.
"The baseball team has painted a consumer's home and did landscaping around the house -- a beautiful job was done by them!" Velasquez said. "Some groups provide social outings for our consumers. Others provide monthly birthday parties for our Life Choices Programs. Really, the sky is the limit…lead the groups to us and we will create the projects!"
For more information on how to become involved with MHMR of Brazos Valley, contact Velasquez via email at jvelasquez@mhmrabv.org or by telephone at 979/361-9884.