800 students volunteer for annual TCU Day of Service

By Katie Mitchell, Staff Writer

Published Nov 2, 2023

Students gather in the Campus Commons for TCU Day of Service. (Katie Mitchell/Staff Writer)

TCU’s annual Day of Service was a major success, with over 800 student volunteers serving in the Fort Worth community. The day kicked off at 9 a.m. in the Campus Commons with over 20 organizations present. Students were greeted with breakfast burritos and a free t-shirt. Volunteers waited with their group before heading off to their service location.

A group of friends poses in the Commons. (Katie Mitchell/Staff Writer)

Groups were dismissed in order based on how far their service site was from campus. The last groups to be dismissed were the on-campus volunteers. Assignments included hygiene kit making and sandwich preparations for the Serenity Transformation Home, a maternity shelter striving to keep families together. At the volunteer site, the parents of these families went to a seminar about the organization while TCU students occupied the kids.

A group of kids colors with the volunteers. (Katie Mitchell/Staff Writer)

There were six stations of coloring, tower building with the use of straws and writing nice notes to their families. Junior communications major Felicity Holdsworth said that it was a great way to start her day and made her feel amazing. “This experience opened my eyes to how blessed I am, and I love nothing more than to give back to a community that has given me so much,” Holdsworth said. Tricia Hiros, vice chair of the board at Serenity Transfer Home, led an enlightening seminar for the parents and encouraged the volunteers to come back to help in the future.

One of the children builds a straw tower in the Dee J. Kelly Alumni & Visitors Center. (Katie Mitchell/Staff Writer)

She said she appreciated the volunteers’ help and felt that the Day of Service was a great opportunity to get involved in a nonprofit.