First Students Out the Gate with Volunteer Resource Program

UTPA Student Volunteers: Vanessa Patterson, Angelica Lopez and Matthew Martinez.
Photo © 2005, VRP

Edinburg, TX March 14, 2005 - The Volunteer Resource Program (VRP) participated in its first major event at the Fourth Annual Rio Grande Valley Youth Leadership Conference on Thursday, March 3, 2005 at the Abundant Grace Community Church, Edinburg, Texas.

This event, organized by the Coalition for Valley Families’s Youth Task Force, Region One Education Service Center and Workforce Solutions, provided positive leadership skills to Valley youth who would benefit from breakout sessions ranging in topics from college preparation to current issues affecting youth.

Over 570 students from over 15 Valley high schools attended the full day event. As part of the event, 17 University of Texas-Pan American students volunteered as presenters, ushers and clean up crew for the event.

These students represented the first of many UTPA Students who will utilize the Volunteer Resource Program (VRP) to donate their time and skills to local charitable organizations.

The VRP is a new program housed in the Division of External Affairs’ Southwest Border Nonprofit Resource Center (SBNRC). Funded by the Corporation for National & Community Service in 2004, the VRP’s mission is to support nonprofit organizations in South Texas to meet their volunteer management challenges, and to engage both college students and winter retirees in long-lasting volunteerism.

Angelica Lopez, UTPA Social Work Major, was on hand in the morning sessions to assist with set up and student control. “I was already volunteering at Buckner Childrens Home (in McAllen) when I heard about the conference,” she said. Lopez participates in the UTPA Student Leadership Program. Why does she volunteer? “It makes you feel good,” she said.

When asked what sparked her interest in volunteering, Valerie Patterson, UTPA Clinical Laboratory Science, credited high school. “In high school, I was exposed to volunteering by the National Honor Society. It made me feel good to help,” she said.

She was working the morning session along with UTPA History major, Matthew (Matt) Martinez who plans to volunteer in a slightly different way after UTPA. “I’m joining the military,” Martinez said, “I’m going to help out anyway I can. Volunteering helps make a person well-rounded.” In the military, he said, it doesn’t have to be just 4 years of service, but a way of giving back to where ever he’s stationed.

The main organizer of the event was grateful for the presence of UTPA student volunteers. Mark Kent, Coalition for Valley Families, Youth Task Force Chairman said, "On behalf of the Youth Task Force and the Coalition for Valley Families, I would like to thank the students from the University of Texas Pan American and student leader Angelica Lopez for their outstanding help at the Conference. The students were very cooperative and willing to work; the coordination of morning and lunch break activities ran very smoothly thanks to their support."

Being the first year UTPA students volunteered at the leadership conference, Kent felt an impact was felt.

"Thanks to UTPA's Volunteer Resource Program, UTPA volunteers served as role models not only to the high school students attending the event, but also to us, the adults, who saw first hand, how they were willing to give up their free time for service,” he said.

"Also having UTPA students presenting the workshop on College Preparation was very positive; high school students were able to interact and ask questions to students attending college and get tips on the college application process,” Kent continued, "We look forward to UTPA's Volunteer Resource Program's participation in the Coalition's upcoming events, including its Literacy Conference in May, and the Family's Task Force, Back to School Fair in August."

For more information on the VRP, contact them online at http://www.coserve.org/vrp or call 956/292-7566.