UTRGV students from the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses volunteered Monday at various locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
The third Monday in January is a national holiday in which all Americans are encouraged to volunteer to improve their communities.
In the Lower Valley, 82 students volunteered at eight different locations, according to Leadership and Social Change Program Coordinator Vanessa Sandoval.
“It was great to see everyone come out and support the cause,” Sandoval said. “I think it’s great. It was a great turnout we had this year. We had a variety of students and organizations and departments that came out to help us.”
At the McAllen Nature Center students helped improve the habitats of various plant and animal species by weeding, watering and planting.
“I am very happy that we have a lot of volunteers and everyone seems very enthusiastic to help out,” said McAllen Nature Center Supervisor Glenda B. Vallejo. “It’s really cool to have people, you know, helping out. It’s a great way to spend a little bit of time outside. It’s a really good stress reliever. It’s really awesome to be here.”
Jacquelyne Loredo, a nursing sophomore, volunteered at the McAllen Nature Center to enhance her scholarship applications. However, Loredo said she also enjoys volunteering outdoors and encourages other students to volunteer in their community.
“We are just clearing out the weeds so it won’t look so clustered,” she said. “It’s really relaxing. You just feel more content that you are helping out the environment.”
In Brownsville, students volunteered at Spanish Meadows of Brownsville, a nursing home for senior citizens. Students raked leaves, cleaned windows and painted the residents’ nails.
UTRGV psychology senior Yaneli Gallegos said she used to volunteer at Spanish Meadows of Brownsville in high school and decided to do the same for MLK Day. Now, Gallegos encourages other students to volunteer more often.
“It’s been good,” she said. “It’s just great to experience it over again. … It will help you in the future with your future career.”
–Roxanna Miranda contributed to this report.
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Political science sophomore Zitlalit Melgarejo digs out leftover weed roots after pulling them out by hand. This is done so that the native plants at the McAllen Nature Center will be able to grow up healthy and sprout easily. AALIYAH GARZA/THE RIDER
