From Alaska to the East Coast, Chapters Take Up Service

By Jordan Schraeder in Chapters, TXEX on February 15, 2012 at 5:05 pm | 1 Comment

From sea to shining sea, Texas Exes do-gooders are mobilizing their local chapters to participate in Texas Exes Care About the Project.

The Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Alaska chapters took time last Saturday to give back to each of their communities.

In Baltimore, a group of Exes visited the Loch Raven VA Community Living Center, where they threw a pizza party for 40 veterans suffering from long-term illness and those who require assisted living. The eight volunteers enjoyed the opportunity to thank each of the residents for their service.

In D.C., the Texas Exes joined forces with Food and Friends, where they volunteered delivering meals and groceries to those incapable of cooking for themselves. Twenty volunteers spread out to locations in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland to drop off a week’s worth of meals to 50 people who are suffering from life-changing illnesses such as cancer and AIDS. The D.C. Chapter actually recruited a new member that day because the event was so heartwarming.

The Alaska Chapter also dedicated their Saturday to providing meals to needy individuals. A small group of 10 Exes braved the snowy weather—and a pair of moose that were blocking the road—to volunteer at Bean’s Café, a soup kitchen that provides hot breakfast and lunches, as well as sack dinners, to the homeless of Anchorage.

Alaska Chapter social chair Cathy Foerster says that the nearly 250 people they fed were thrilled to see the burnt orange T-shirts the Exes were wearing. Though most were native Alaskans, many recognized the Longhorn symbol and even threw out some “Hook ’ems” to the volunteers.

Making the experience even more special for the Exes, the UT-Kansas State basketball game was playing on a TV in the café, and the guests continually gave the volunteers game updates.

“The clients would come up to us and say, ‘You’re up by two’ or ‘I don’t think you’re going to win,’” Foerster says.

The Alaska Chapter’s project was so inspiring that they have decided to make volunteer excursions more often throughout the year.

“These people rarely get warm contact with human beings,” Foerster says. “They are usually looked down upon for taking up space, not dressing right, or not smelling right. We were more than happy to be friendly to them.”

There’s still time—get your chapter involved with Texas Exes Care today!

 Top, members of the Baltimore Chapter; middle, Washington, D.C. Chapter; bottom, Alaska Chapter.

Tags: alaska, baltimore, texas exes care, the project, volunteer, Washington D.C.