Cooglife Magazine - The Involvement Issue - January 2021

Issue 43 // January 2021 // The Involvement Issue

January 2021

6-7

‘How can I help?’: How a UH student asked what he could do for the Houston community, and turned his words into action

8-9 Finding an organization that fits you: a student’s guide 10-11

Quiz: So, what club should I join?

12-13

‘Justice Pages’: UH student creates viral social justice resource website

14-15

Tips for getting more involved on campus

16-17

Advice: Making friends in a big, new city

19

How to socialize and social distance

20

How to get involved and give back anywhere

21 Giving back when it seems like you have nothing to give 22-23 Column: Volunteering at the Houston Food Bank

was the best thing that’s ever happened to me, here’s why

2

COOGLIFE • January 2021

EDITOR’S LETTER

Hey there readers, happy 2021! *insert celebratory kazoo noise here* Welcome to Cooglife Magazine’s first issue of 2021: The Involvement Issue.

Now I ask you, what does involvement mean to you? In the context of college, you might instinctively think it’s just about joining a club, which is a part of it of course, but for this issue we’re looking at the bigger picture. How do we connect with others in such an isolating and confusing time? How do we get involved with our community and give back to it? How do we build up the confidence to become part of something bigger than ourselves?

These are the questions that this month’s issue aims to look at. While there’s no straightforward, one-sizefits-all answer to any of them, (but really, does anything have that?) we hope that our content sparks some self-reflection and insight into your involvement with campus and your community. Also, we hope that this issue can help start your new year with excitement and hope towards what’s ahead of you. We’ve got interviews with phenomenal UH students, quizzes and guides on getting

involved in Houston and on-campus, personal narratives from students who conquered the daunting task of finding the right fit for them at UH, in their community, and more.

When I first started at UH, I only knew two people that went here. To say the least, I was pretty lonely, and I longed to find my place in this big university and even bigger city. Luckily during my first week here I had some spare time, and I attended an involvement fair where I got to meet leaders from The Cougar, our student newspaper at UH. Flash forward to three years later, and I was news editor of the paper and had found the most amazing friends because of it.

Anyways reader, I wish you the best of luck in finding your niche here, and the happiest of new years!

Sincerely, AUTUMN RENDALL

Executive Editor

EDITORIAL

Autumn Rendall, Executive Editor cooglife@thedailycougar.com

COVERS

Juana Garcia, Creative Director of The Cougar ame@thedailycougar.com

WRITING

Haya Panjwani Jordan Hart Jo’Tavia Norbert Sofia Gonzalez Anna Baker Yidan Ren Jiselle Santos cooglife @cooglifemag @cooglifemag

COOGLIFE • January 2021

3

because I said I would.

February 2 nd Live at 12:00 PM

https://uh.edu/studentcenters/special-programs/bisiw/ @uhstudentcenter

For event accommodations, please visit uh.edu/csd/services

Apply today on Get Involved!

ifee ogllif @cooglifemag /coog COOGLIFE//•NOVEMBER January 2021 COOGLIFE 2018 511

INTERVIEW

‘How can I help?’: help?’: How UH student Kelechi Iroegbu, public health junior, asked what he could do for the Houston community, and turned his words into action WRITING BY JORDAN HART | PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELECHI IROEGBU

Kelechi Iroegbu

A

s Kelechi Iroegbu, 20, drove down the streets of the Third Ward, he was met with a familiar scene to the Houston area: people experiencing homelessness asking for money.

Iroegbu knew he didn’t have the cash to help them, but it made him wonder what else he could do to help the many people he saw in need.

“I thought, ‘How can I help other than money?’’ Iroegbu said. “I’m not a millionaire, so I’m not able to provide monetary support.”

This question has resulted in a chain of service events organized and led by Iroegbu that were centered around people coming together to contribute to the community in ways other than financial donations.

How it all started As an SGA senator and RA at Bayou Oaks, Iroegbu’s network for potential donors was diverse. In February 2020, with the help of his residents and the residents of his fellow RA’s, he was able to gather 2,500 items of clothing from a simple tweet and a few GroupMe messages.

6

COOGLIFE • January 2021

“I was really happy to see it,” Iroegbu said. “Star of Hope Houston homeless shelter was happy to see it too.”

The massive success of his first charity event motivated Iroegbu to continue his quest to give back to those in need. His next event, Help Feed Houston, encouraged students to use their meal exchange as a donation. They were able to provide over 100 meals and raise over $2,000 to buy personal protective equipment.

“It was crazy, I never know if these events are going to do so well,” Iroegbu said.

Iroegbu used the momentous support from these events to extend his outreach. He decided to turn his attention to children who needed help. With this in mind, Kits for Kids was created.

Kits for Kids was a book and supply drive for Blackshear Elementary School of Houston Independent School District; the district consists of majority low-income families. Iroegbu was able to garner a large amount of supplies and over $2,000 in monetary donations.

“I spoke to Principal Lewis, and she was ecstatic,” Iroegbu said.

“There’s just so much we can do.”

Next on his agenda was Help Houston Shine, an event dedicated to cleaning up litter in the areas surrounding UH campus. It saw around 50 participants throughout the day.

“I just put the flyer out there, and it was amazing to see that many people volunteer their time,” Iroegbu said.

Although he is proud of the good he has accomplished, Iroegbu has remained humble about his success. Instead of highlighting his own impact, he recalled how those he’s helped have changed him for the better. One particular encounter from February has stuck with him.

He was surprised to learn that a man, who he thought was an employee of Star of Hope, was actually a member of the program experiencing homelessness. The man’s gratitude and joyous attitude struck a chord for Iroegbu.

“I learned more from him than anything else,” Iroegbu said. “He told me he saw a light in me.”

A new perspective on life He encourages people to go for what they want to accomplish because life is too short. This motto is one Iroegbu knows all too well after a cancer misdiagnosis during his senior year of high school. Iroegbu’s life of track practice and SAT prep was put on hold after a doctor warned him that he might have to start immediate treatment.

scare was enough to give him a new perspective on life.

“I always wanted to change the world later in life when I was more established in my career,” Iroegbu said. “The cancer scare changed that.”

One kind act can change the world His giving spirit has now motivated those around him to give back in their own ways. His friends have seen how he organized these events on his own and want to know how they can do the same in their communities.

“I hate when people say one person can’t change the world,” Iroegbu said. “That really puts people off from doing what they want.”

As for his future events, Iroegbu encourages students to stay tuned and follow him on Twitter @overlooked for more information.

Although a second opinion confirmed that he did not have cancer, the

Student volunteers at the Help Houston Shine event

COOGLIFE • January 2021

7

GUIDE

Finding an organization that fits you: A student’s guide WRITING AND GRAPHIC BY JISELLE SANTOS

What you need to know about student orgs

8

COOGLIFE • January 2021

F

inding an organization and joining one can be intimidating if you don’t know what to look for. Many students join organizations and clubs to meet new people, connect with others who share the same interests as them and maybe even for academic and career purposes.

You can find more information about organizations at UH through GetInvolved from your AccessUH account or events such as Cat’s Back and Weeks of Welcome, which the University often hosts at the beginning of the academic year.

The types of organizations you can find at UH can be the following: academic, cultural, social, recreational, community-service based, media, religious-based, student government/political, and sorority and fraternity life.

Academic organizations such as honor societies and clubs affiliated with your major can be something that can be added to your resume to gain experience in your career field. Some examples can be the American Advertising Federation UH chapter and the American Marketing Association, in which students can get involved with learning more about what these fields have to offer.

Cultural organizations at the University can be a way for many students to celebrate their culture and create inclusive spaces and emphasize the diversity among the community at UH. The Council for Cultural Activities, which promotes cultural awareness among students and supports other cultural organizations on campus is one of the many organizations many can join.

Then there are religion and faithbased organizations like Chi Alpha and Younglife, which encourage students to share their interests in faith and spirituality with others.

Social and spirit organizations at the University promote school

spirit and the community of UH by hosting events for all students. Some of these organizations are universitysponsored since they revolve around significant events such as Homecoming and Frontier Fiesta. However, events held all-year-round that promote school spirit and involvement can be seen hosted by the Student Program Board (SPB).

Organizations at the University allow for students to volunteer in the Houston community such as Metropolitan Volunteer Program. However, students can also find volunteer opportunities and help out the Houston community through IMPACT, a living-learning community under Student Housing and Residential Life.

Hobbies such as sports can be a great way to meet people, the UH Recreation Health and Wellness Center has intramural clubs that students can sign up for, ranging from basketball, tennis and other sports.

Some of the major media organizations that you can find at UH are located at the Center for Student Media: these organizations are CoogTV, Coog Radio, The Cougar and Cooglife. If you’re interested in writing, music, film and graphic design, these are some of the organizations to check out.

Student government and political organizations are also another way for students with interests in politics to get involved on campus.

Many tend to join the Student Government Association to pursue

this.

Lastly is sorority and fraternity life, many of which have established chapters at the University, helping students develop leadership, networking skills and being involved in their communities.

Consisting of chapters from the United Greek Council, Houston Panhellenic Council, Multicultural Greek Council and National PanHellenic Council, many of these councils have found a home for themselves at UH. However, learning more about organizations at UH and how you could benefit from joining them can be helpful when choosing the one for you.

Whatever organizations you may choose to join, find the ones that feel right to you.

COOGLIFE • January 2021

9

QUIZ

So, what club should I join?

F inding the student organization that’s your perfect fit on campus can be a difficult question to answer for yourself, but a Figuring out the right super-rewarding one once you figure out what’s right for you. student org for you Here’s a quick quiz to help you find your ideal org!

BY HAYA PANJWANI

START HERE

I want to get involved!

10

No

Yes

It’s totally OK if groups aren’t your thing or you’re too busy, but maybe see what your options are!

Cool! Continue the quiz on the next page:

COOGLIFE • January 2021

Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert?

Intramural/ Extramural Sports

Introvert

Do you like being active?

Do you prefer...

No

Yes

Sports?

Extrovert

Other

Reading and writing • Book clubs • The Cougar • Poetry or fiction writing groups

• Cultural Dance Team • Volunteering

Bonding

• Academic/ career-related orgs • LGBTQ+ alliance orgs • Cultural or religious clubs

Creating

• Art-based orgs • Coog Radio • CoogTV • Cooglife Magazine

• Student Government Association • Acting troupe • Student Program Board • Greek life

COOGLIFE • January 2021

11

INTERVIEW

JUSTICE PAGES

BY SOFIA GONZALEZ | PHOTOS COURTESY OF KEFFUSFALLS III

12

COOGLIFE • January 2021

Keffus Falls III, public relations senior, shares his experience creating the social justice resource website Justice Pages

K

indness is contagious, and even one simple idea can make all the difference. With all the social turmoil and uncertainty that 2020 brought, one student at the University of Houston used this moment as a time to give back to not only his community-but the world.

After the death of Houston-native George Floyd, public relations senior Keffus Falls III created “Justice Pages”, a social justice resource website with a variety of donation links, petitions and informative resources on global current events, social justice causes, voting, legal organizations, Black-owned businesses and more.

world fight social injustice.

“What originally was one single donation link on my ‘Chief Keffus’ website soon became a bigger idea,” Falls said. “I took the web concept that Isaac had given me for the playlists and applied it to build Justice Pages. The original platform only took a day or two to build, however, I did not expect it to blow up the way it did. That being said, once it went international overnight, I went four days without sleep to add links and sources wherever I could.”

Falls now hopes that one day his website will not only reach more people but also more recognition and success.

“Social injustice, without question, is intolerable to the fullest extent,” Falls said. “I sometimes find myself in a bind between where I stand versus how I express it. However, I am thankful that the launch of my social justice platform - titled ‘Justice Pages’ - allowed my friends and I to further express our dedication in making a difference.”

With the help of a friend, Falls was able to bring the idea to fruition.

“I hope that Justice Pages makes it somewhere on Forbes,” Falls said. “Had I not missed the 30 Under 30 2021 invitation, I feel like it may have made it onto the ‘Social Entrepreneurship’ list for 30 Under 30 this coming year.”

Despite the high hopes of making it onto Forbes, at the end of the day, for Falls, it is about helping people.

“As far as this age of social justice is concerned, I have not been directly affected myself, but that has never stopped my social conscience from acting,” Falls said. “I mean, look at where I’m at now.”

“I have a friend in Seattle named Isaac Maier,” Falls said. “He actually oversees my ‘Genius’ pages. We had been talking about creating a playlist website to help independent artists around the nation via Geniuslink.”

In the future, Falls wants to continue to use his knowledge from this website to create other ideas, expanding the help to other organizations and people that need it.

Falls’ Genius page originally only linked a few donations and petitions for the Black Lives Matter movement, but it soon became evident to him that this was not enough. It was at this moment when the website that Falls thought would be a help to independent artists transformed into him helping Houstonians and those around the

“I’m glad my page, Justice Pages, helped the way it did,” Falls said.

“I want to be able to one day come back to my laptop with another idea like this. This idea really showed me that if it’s good, people will believe in it. My friends rock for helping me out. They made this happen.”

Falls and Justice Pages were featured on ABC Nightline News on June 2, 2020 COOGLIFE • January 2021

13

ADVICE

HOW TO GET MORE INVOLVED ON CAMPUS Freshman Cooglife writer Yidan Ren shares her tips on getting more involved on campus: from raising self-confidence to finding opportunities that will help you in the long run.

WRITING BY YIDAN REN employment opportunities.

W

hen you research the top things you should experience as a college student, the importance of joining an org, volunteering, getting a part-time job, or finding some way to be involved on campus is certainly highlighted. Here are some of the personal experiences I have accumulated ever since I entered college in order to be more active, especially when it’s difficult to meet people normally due to COVID-19.

14

COOGLIFE • January 2021

In my case, I joined the Asian Business Student Join a student org that Association (a.k.a. ABSA) upon my enrollment to relates to your major UH because I wanted a Whether you’re majoring group of peers that can in the C.T. Bauer College help me understand more of Business or the College of the corporate world. It’s of Natural Sciences & also a great place to make Mathematics, joining an significant relationships organization that relates to your major will help you as I get to interact with not only fellow student greatly in a professional sense. As an undergraduate, members, but also the organization’s alumni. it’s really important to gain skills required in your future career field as well as Joining an organization that assists with exposure with your field’s professionals to widen your professional development

really helps you to get the hands-on experience you don’t get to learn inside a classroom. I’m really glad I joined ABSA because of the people I get to meet and the experience I get to learn; it’s also a place where I can challenge myself by running for a leadership position - which is something that looks great on your resume once you start job hunting.

Additional Tip: If you’re debating whether the organization you’re about to join will be a great fit for you, you can check out

their social media (examples being Instagram or Facebook) to see their weekly updates. From their platform, you’re able to gain an insight into the type of professional and social events they host, and you can use those to determine whether this organization is something you want to commit to.

Work on building self-confidence

During this time of the coronavirus pandemic, I would say students have the best chances to join and commit to an organization. With everything being held virtually, including professional workshops and social events, students have larger access to potential opportunities.

What really helped me to get out of my comfort zone is the fact that all these upperclassmen don’t really know who I am. Instead of feeling troubled by the possibility of me embarrassing myself in front of them, I view them more as mentors that will help me achieve the things I want to achieve.

Become a tutor or teaching assistant

a class you’re confident in. A good thing to know is that the CASA tutoring service is offered online via Microsoft Teams due to the pandemic, and anyone can sign up as long as they have taken a math course on the UH campus.

Tutoring other students is a great way to get a deeper level of understanding of the subject as well as meet new people along the way. With everything being virtual, scheduling is also flexible as you can choose which time/date you are available to tutor. You also get to earn some extra funds along the way.

Be more open-minded to opportunities

If you’re looking to utilize your knowledge on a particular subject, you can sign up to become a tutor or a TA for

My final tip is to just be more open-minded because you never know what kind of opportunity awaits you.

When I first joined Cooglife Magazine, I only thought about writing as a hobby to pass time. But as I got more immersed with this organization, I started to learn more about graphic design, a skill I hope to use further in this organization and in my future career. Throughout the many different types of involvement you choose to have as an undergraduate, you get to build wonderful relationships with those around you as well as acquire skills that will benefit you in the long run.

Start your semester with these interactive events!

WELCOME

BACK Coogs!

JAN 26 -29 MLK GALLERY 10am | Center for Diversity & Inclusion https://uh.edu/mlk

JAN 28 VIRTUAL INVOLVEMENT FAIR 1pm | Center for Student Involvement http://bit.ly/UHVIFair

FEB 2 “BECAUSE I SAID I WOULD.” 12pm | Student Centers

https://www.uh.edu/studentcenters/special-programs/bisiw/

COOGLIFE • January 2021

15

ADVICE

Making friends in a big, new city — Whether you’ve just moved to Houston or you’ve been here for years, feeling involved in the nation’s fourth-largest city can be quite the hurdle: Writing by Haya Panjwani | Graphic by Juana Garcia | Photo by Nick Bee of Pexels

16

COOGLIFE • January 2021

M

oving to a new city can always be intimidating, especially when it’s on your own. As someone that has moved many, many, many times (seven to be exact), I have some experience making new friends.

Here’s what has helped me in the past, and what I can only hope helps you in the Space City!

Find ways to explore your interests Do what you love, and you’ll love what you do! While this definitely applies to your career and lifestyle, it absolutely also applies to making new friends! When you explore your interests, you can make new friends that share the same hobbies as you. Let’s say you LOVE swimming, join your local swim club! You can make some friends while doing what you love, and hopefully, this shared interest will help create tighter bonds.

Religious or cultural groups

Workout classes

Sometimes, meeting like minded people can help adjust to life in your new city.

I’m both Pakistani, and Muslim, and the people I have met through religious services have become my lifelong friends.

A lot of times, I find it much easier to relate to people who share the same cultural and religious experiences as mine, since we usually have similar upbringings.

Another way to meet friends while also boosting serotonin is by working out!

Join a yoga class at your local gym, or find a boot camp to do. This way, you can sweat the stress of moving off, while also chatting with fellow city dwellers.

Volunteering There’s plenty of research on how volunteering can lift your spirits. Moving to a new city can definitely overwhelm you, and possibly bring about dreary emotions. Volunteering can not only lift your spirits, but can introduce you to all sorts of people from different walks of life. A great place to start hunting for volunteer work to do is https:// volunteerhouston.org

Local Facebook groups Not to sound like your parents, but Facebook groups are where it’s at. As per my own father, there are Facebook groups for the most niche interests, like the one he’s in for Houston Gardeners. A simple search with your interest and city will likely yield a plethora of page/group results, who may even have virtual or in-person meet ups where you can chat about your shared interest, and life.

Wishing everyone happy bonding, and the best of luck in your new city!

COOGLIFE • January 2021

17

READ

uh.edu/csm

thedailycougar.com

LISTEN WATCH

coogradio.com

coogtv.com

ADVICE

How to socialize and social distance WRITING BY ANNA BAKER | GRAPHIC BY JUANA GARCIA

T

he coronavirus pandemic has been going on for almost about 9 months and although vaccines are starting to roll out, we still haven’t seen the end of it. You’re free to see your friends still but gathering in groups is still risky. If you want to still socialize with your friends safely, you will have to do it from a distance.

Fortunately, in this day and age, there are many sociallydistant fun activities you can do safely with your friends.

One activity that can be good to do with a group of friends is Dungeons and Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop fantasy role playing game, and it’s a game most of us have probably heard of before.

You choose and create a character and then follow the Dungeon Master’s storyline, making choices to fight battles, raid villages, etc. It’s a game that can be pretty much anything you want it to be. Many people are hardcore and will play for hours on end, remaining in character. However, you don’t have to play for long sessions, or even have to remain in character the whole time. It can just be an excuse for friends to get together and socialize.

What’s great about the game is that it can totally be played remotely. You don’t need to be in a room with someone to play it, so you can have sessions over Zoom or Discord. If you don’t have dice ,you don’t have to worry! There’s a website online called dndbeyond.com where you can roll dice, choose characters and more.

That site has everything you need to be able to play the

game. It may be a little hard to get used to at first, but if you’re with a good group of friends, navigating the game should be fine. It’s an activity you can do, no matter how far away from each other you are.

Games are a great way of socializing with friends without actually being physically near them. Among Us is a great game to play with friends or even a campus club. It’s a game where like in the game Mafia, you try to find a traitor amongst the group. It’s super fun to play with friends. And what’s great is that it’s completely free on the Apple store! There are a lot of online games you can play with friends like Drawful, Cards Against Humanity Online and more.

With so much of our socializing, working, and free time taken up online, it might be nice to get out, safely that is. Many outdoor activities like frisbee or simply just playing a game of catch can be done while social distancing. Keep your masks on and have hand sanitizer on hand, but getting outside is good way to get exercise and change up your surrounding.

We’ve been in this pandemic for almost a year now and it can seem hopeless when trying to ease our boredom.

However, there are plenty of ways to socialize with friends without risking safety. With vaccines beginning to be dispersed, hopefully we’ll be able to all meet our friends in person again, but until then we must do what we can.

COOGLIFE • January 2021

19

ADVICE

How to get involved and give back anywhere WRITING BY YIDAN REN | GRAPHIC VIA CANVA

W

hile it is important to focus on your campus involvement, it’s equally important to find ways to be involved outside of campus and in our communities. In this time of the coronavirus pandemic, we should all help each other to get through our struggles. Here are some of the activities I participated during my time in quarantine to be a little more productive and involved, whether to practice a new skill or to help out my community, instead of lying on my bed and watching Netflix all day.

Volunteer your time or spare resources

Whether it’s donating spare resources to charity or stocking shelves for the food bank warehouse, volunteering is a great way for you to give back to your community by doing something good. There are many ways of volunteering other than going to the food bank; you can organize/clean books at the library, plant trees and pick up trash at a park, as well as hold performances at retirement homes. In fact, check page 23 for a list of a few Houston-area volunteering organizations you can donate your time to.

On a personal note, something I did with my friends in my orchestra group was that we performed Christmas songs at retirement homes. It was a fun experience I got to have with my friends, and it was amazing that we had the opportunity to bring in a bright holiday spirit to the retirement home. Another thing I did over the winter break was donate my old clothes to Goodwill as I moved houses. Instead of throwing the used garments away, I 20 COOGLIFE •

January 2021

donated them instead so they can be reused at a cheaper price.

Utilize your second language

This one is for those who have the capability to speak another language. You can use that ability and become someone who subtitles films or TV shows. I am a huge fan of Chinese dramas, and in my spare time, I like to help out the subtitle community on Viki (a website dedicated to translating Asian dramas to other languages officially) to translate some of my favorite films into English.

Another platform I would suggest is Ted Talks. They have a specific website where you can sign up to become a translator to translate speeches or educational videos (Ted-Ed), and you also are able to learn about a specific topic as you subtitle. You can form close relationships with the people you meet as you will be put into a team with other translators, and it’s a good way to put your second language into practice since you might not use it that much on a daily basis.

Support local businesses

Due to COVID-19, many small businesses are being forced to shut down due to a significant decrease in the number of customers. What we can do to help as a community is taking the time out of our day and buy something from a small, locally-owned restaurant or business to help support their business. These businesses don’t restrict only to local establishments, you can also support small, local creators online on Etsy where individuals sell a variety of handmade products.

ADVICE

Giving back when it seems like you have nothing to give DONATIONS

C

oming from a poor college student who’s barely able to pay tuition herself, I know what it’s like to feel like you have nothing to give.

When you’re not in class, you’re at work to pay for the education you so desperately need, and when you do have a little time and money, like any other young adult you want to spend it on your own struggling self. Trust me I get it, time is money. But let me tell you, giving back does not always mean having to spend money, and it can sometimes take only a few minutes of your time.

Here are three ways you can give back without breaking the bank:

Take an eco-friendly walk:

Next time you find yourself strolling down the street, do the environment a favor and collect trash as you go.

For bonus points, recycle recyclable materials and trash non-recyclable items. Not only is this completely free, but it’s a great way to protect the environment whilst encouraging physical activity. And remember do not litter unless you want to make the Earth bitter.

Recommendation: Have rubber gloves, a trash picker or both handy

Donate clothing you don’t wear anymore:

You know that pair of jeans you have in that drawer, that you can no longer fit in but they’re just too good to throw away? No, just me? Okay well, I know we all have that piece of something in our closet that we pass

WRITING BY TYRIANA TERRELL | GRAPHIC BY AUTUMN RENDALL

up every time we’re looking for something to wear. You know what they say about one man’s trash. That might not be suitable to you anymore, but if it’s still in good condition there’s no reason it shouldn’t go to someone else. If you’re not able to take them to your local donation center such as Goodwill or Salvation Army, no worries, there are drop-off boxes all over the state of Texas.

Send a free card to St. Jude kids:

What better way to give back to the community than by encouraging the kids. If you’re not familiar with St. Jude, it’s a children’s research hospital that specializes in treating “the toughest childhood cancers and pediatric diseases”. The first step in sending the free card is picking which artwork you want displayed on the card. Once you pick your design, you have two options. Option one, type your own message with a maximum of 200 characters, or option two pick a pre-written message.

The last step is for you to sign the card and send it off. If you’re feeling especially generous there’s also an option for you to donate to the hospital, but it is not at all required.

The easiest thing to do is make excuses for why we don’t give back, especially when we don’t deem ourselves as being in a position to do so. The truth of the matter is, if we actively try to make a difference today for a better tomorrow, then we did our part. That’s all you can ask for.

COOGLIFE • January 2021

21

COLUMN

Volunteering at the Houston Food Bank was the best thing that ever happened to me, here’s why

WRITING BY JO’TAVIA NORBERT | PHOTO COURTESY OF JO’TAVIA NORBERT

G

rowing up, our parents forced us to do the most dreadful of household chores. We cooked, cleaned, and above all, sobbed our hearts out; but that’s only because we were practically forced to perform those tasks. However, what if I told you that you could do those same exact duties, yet joyously and voluntarily?

This might be a daunting thought at first, but hear me out: Volunteering at the Houston Food Bank was honestly the best thing that ever happened to me, and here’s why.

In 2016, I joined an early college readiness program called Upward Bound. One of the perks of being apart of such an astounding organization was the numerous volunteer opportunities. My experience at the Houston Food Bank was a major eye-opener for me. Walking in, I couldn’t help but notice how welcoming the staff members were; their eyes burned with a desire that I knew all too well — the desire to help total and complete strangers. At first, I was slightly nervous but after being shown the ropes by many 22

COOGLIFE • January 2021

people, I eventually caught onto the procedures.

I was happily stationed at the senior box program, which was the area where the volunteers would construct cardboard boxes. Once built, these cardboard boxes were then filled with dozens of canned goods, pasta, cereal, and dairy products, all for the senior citizens. The amazing part about this whole ordeal was the fact that I was aiding many of the 11,000 seniors who couldn’t even afford to put food on their tables. This only made me think of my own grandmother and how she could’ve been one of those famished, sweet elderlies; I simply could not bear the thought of such torment.

As I taped those cardboard boxes together, I felt a sudden spark of gratefulness and gratitude stir inside of me. At that very moment, I became more present than I ever had been in my entire sixteen years of life. There was a reason why I came to the Houston Food Bank that day. No more was it about getting a gold star sticker or adding it to my list of “cool things I did in 2016.” It was about displaying selflessness and never taking anything in life for granted.

I’ve realized that food is such a basic yet important commodity and if it were ever limited, then the world would be utterly alarmed. But looking back, those seniors

were both limited and alarmed. They had no idea where their next meal would come from or how long they’d be waiting until social security finally returned their phone calls.

I went home that exact same day and opened my food pantry. Browsing around the preservatives, I smiled in thought. Before I was able to bag my groceries, a worker had long placed them on the shelves; and prior to that worker was the delivery people; and before that, came the factory workers and lastly, the farmers. This proves that we all lend a helping hand one way or another. I was just happy to be one out of 7.5 billion people who helped

Houston Food Bank volunteer programs: Aside from my personal experience with the Senior box program, there are numerous programs at the Houston Food Bank that you can sign up for. These programs include: -Community resource center (curbside food pick-up & additional assistance)

Other Houston nonprofit organizations to donate your time to: -Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation (advocates for literacy as a fundamental right for everyone) -Kids In Need of Defense, Houston (matches pro bono legal aid from top law firms and corporations with unaccompanied child immigrants

someone that day, and I’ll never forget it.

How to volunteer

In order to volunteer at the Houston Food Bank, you must first register for a volunteer shift on their website at https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/ways-to-give/givetime/volunteerwithhfb/ From there, you can choose which times and days work best for you. You are allowed to register 30 volunteers or more, however, make sure to adhere to all COVID-19 safety protocols.

-Food for change (distributes food to promote client participation)

-School Market (providing food to students and their families at middle schools and high schools)

-Kids Cafe (meals are provided to children in after-school and summer meal program sites)

-Teacher’s Aid (provides supplies for teachers in low-income schools)

-Nutrition Education (classes in nutrition, food safety, meal preparation & budgeting)

-Backpack Buddy (Nutritious, kidfriendly food provided for at-risk children in schools)

-Red Barrels (nonperishable donations)

-Community Assistance Program (Assistance in applying for statefunded social and health services)

and refugees heading to U.S. immigration courts across southeast Texas)

-The Center for the Healing of Racism (mission is to facilitate the healing of racism through education and dialogue in a safe and supportive environment)

-Montrose Center (Houston’s LGBTQ+ community center) -Galveston Bay Foundation (a nature conversation non-profit who’s mission is to preserve and enhance Galveston Bay as a healthy and productive place for generations to come)

-American Civil Liberties Union of Texas (the leading civil rights organization in Texas, and they work in the courts, legislature, and through public education to protect civil rights and individual liberty)

COOGLIFE • January 2021

23