Texas Exes to Give Back During Project Worldwide

By Alex Vickery in Chapters, Special, TXEX on February 6, 2014 at 10:39 am | No Comments

February is the perfect time for Texas Exes to spread a little extra love within their communities.

Across the U.S. and around the globe, more than 1,000 UT alumni are expected to give their time to feed the homeless, plant trees, collect canned goods, and much more for Project Worldwide—the Texas Exes’ month-long volunteer initiative each February.

Project Worldwide was developed in conjunction with The Project, UT’s largest day of service, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year. Last year, some 62 Texas Exes chapters participated in events that ranged from food and clothing drives to cleaning up local parks, and even hosting arts and crafts at a children’s hospital. Now in its third year, the Project Worldwide has lived up to its names with the addition of international chapters. First-time participants include chapters from Mexico City, Beijing, Dubai, and India.

“The goal of Project Worldwide is to really unite alumni across the globe to give back to their local communities,” says Texas Exes chapters coordinator Madeline Ewell. “By showing the world how alumni are changing it, we are showing the power of Longhorns.”

Ewell also hopes to foster more project involvement through social media with an updated website, where participants can share photos and stories from their activities using the hashtag #UTProject.

Here are a few ways our chapters are participating in this year’s Project Worldwide:

• The Los Angeles Chapter will visit with veterans to show thanks for their service at West Los Angeles Medical Center on Feb. 15. Visitors are encouraged to donate items such as fleece blankets, t-shirts and hygiene items.
• On Feb. 7, the Arabia Network is hosting a 3-kilometer walk in solidarity with the millions of children in developing countries who walk long distances to go to school each day.
• The St. Louis Chapter will cook and serve dinner for families at the local Ronald McDonald House on Feb. 22.
• The Fort Worth Chapter will host a Valentine’s dinner for cancer patients, survivors, and families on Feb. 15.

Check to see if your local Texas Exes chapter has scheduled a Project Worldwide activity using our Chapter Events calendar. And it’s not too late to get involved! Email Madeline Ewell at ewell@alumni.utexas.edu if your chapter is interested in participating.

Photo by Jeff Heimsath.

Tags: Project Worldwide, texas exes chapters, volunteering