It was early Saturday morning. The sun itself was not ready to rise as students, some sleepy and some wide awake, walked into University Center. They were not there for class, and none of them were there to study. The 14 students chose to forgo sleeping in and instead were ready to lend a hand to the community.

The UTA Volunteers — a student-run organization that plans and implements volunteer and community service programs — arranged a trip to the Arlington Animal Services shelter.

For more than three years, the volunteer group has donated time to the animal shelter.

When it came to describing her feelings about the group’s work, animal services manager Chris Huff only had one simple word to say: “Joy!”

She said the group always comes in and gets the job done, no matter what it is. The volunteers never know exactly what their visit will entail and each has his or her specific reason for attending the service project. Some say they miss their own pets back at home, others, such as Adrian Rodriquez,  like to help people.

“I never say no,” the mechanical engineering graduate student said as he moved heavy boxes from a closet to an outdoor shed. “If someone asks me for help, I always step up and I try to help the person.”

Volunteering was something he got involved with in high school. He said when he came to UTA and saw there was a group dedicated to it, he joined.

“I like to see that there’s other people that want to help for a greater cause,” he said.

He said some volunteers come and just want to get things done — which he said was good— and others like to interact. For him, watching the interaction between volunteers is rewarding.

“It’s a feel-good thing,” he said.

Some of the students, like Rodriguez, are seasoned volunteer veterans. For others like accounting junior Jason Nealy, this was his first experience with the organization.

Nealy decided to go because he has friends involved in the program and thought it would be fun.

“It makes me feel good about myself, like I’m doing something,” he said.

A sentiment many of his peers share.

For biology junior Gabrielle Hayes, who fell in love with a small fluffy puppy she named Pookie, coming out to the shelter on a Saturday is a wonderful way to spend the day, she said, “I just love the animals.”

While a majority of the volunteers specifically donate their time to the animals and environment committee with the UTA Volunteers, biology junior Sung Kim said it was her first time dealing with cats.

“I just found out I have allergies,” she said at the end of the day. But that did not stop her from dedicating her time at the shelter to cleaning out the feline cages.

Kim said she was surprised to see that cats have personalities.

“Some were cute and fun and others were fearful and stressed,” she said.

“There is a lot you can learn from an animal,” Huff said.

The act of giving goes both ways at the shelter, both the animals and the volunteer experience something special.

At the end of the day, each volunteer gets the opportunity to “socialize” the animals. This is when volunteers take dogs to a fenced in area in the back and give them special attention.

Business sophomore Salvador Cordero, who said he goes for the puppies, pointed out the animals do not get to interact with people that often, so this is a good way to show them human emotion.

Other members also point out that there are added benefits that come with being involved. 

“Being a director has made me realize my leadership qualities and has made me more outspoken and more of a leader,” said Angel Aymond, animals and environment director for the volunteers.

“It is nice to show the community that UTA has students that care,” she said.

 

For those interested in volunteering on their own time, the following four foundations are located within a mile of UTA

Where: Mission Arlington
210 W. South St.
Arlington
Distance from campus: 0.3 miles
Focus: Children and youth, disaster relief, homeless, religion, senior citizens, health and medicine
Contact: Jim Burgin 817-277-6620                            

Where: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tarrant County                       
205 W. Main St.
Arlington
Distance from campus: 0.4 miles
Focus: Children and youth tutoring
Contact: Roderick Miles 817-274-7964                    

Where: Salvation Army of Arlington
712 W. Abram St.
Arlington
Distance from campus: 0.5 miles
Focus: Children and youth, counseling, disaster relief, homeless and religion
Contact: Cpt. Andrew Miller 817-860-1836  

Where: Alliance for Children
210 W. South St.
Arlington
Distance from campus: 0.9 miles
Focus: Children and youth, domestic violence
Contact: LaShaunn Bold 817-795-9992