In its 25th year, to say TCU’s Day of Service has grown is an understatement. What started out as a literal day has now grown into a twice-yearly, weeklong initiative that brings about 1,000 volunteers to serve roughly 30 organizations each semester, culminating in the largest single-day volunteer opportunity in Fort Worth.
“TCU Day of Service is a great event where students, faculty and staff take a few hours out of their Saturday morning to go out into Fort Worth and serve their community,” said Chloe Guidry, a junior strategic communication major and the director of marketing for the TCU Service Board. “It’s a perfect opportunity to feel a part of something bigger than TCU and give back to the great city of Fort Worth.”
Now more than just a single day, this year’s Week of Service is the week of Oct. 20-25, with various events, including a wellness fair (learn about ways to serve yourself), volunteer fair (learn about ways to serve others), paint night and more. The Day of Service finale is on Saturday, Oct. 25, and will include volunteer opportunities at various sites throughout Fort Worth. Transportation, a free meal and a T-shirt will be provided to all volunteers.
“Being involved in TCU Service Day has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my faculty role,” said Vicki Brooks, associate professor of professional practice and director of graduate nursing in Harris College. “Each year, seeing a busload of enthusiastic TCU students arrive at Glenwood Park — a 36-acre site on Fort Worth’s South Side that was once an illegal dumping ground — reminds me why community engagement matters.”
Community Engagement, one of TCU’s four Strategic Plan pillars, stems from the TCU value of community, and it plays out in the Week of Service — not only in how TCU values its outward community, but how it builds community from within.
“As faculty, I find immense value in mentoring students beyond the classroom,” Brooks said. “My favorite moments come from seeing students recognize that their service contributes to something larger than themselves.”
Bryan Partika, coordinator of Leadership & Experiential Learning at TCU, said that is exactly the idea.
“For us, service doesn’t stop after one day,” he said. “We want students, as well as faculty and staff, to continue to volunteer, learn about other ways to connect with Fort Worth and help fill the needs that exist in our community.”
Jordan Stroope, assistant director, fitness in the TCU Rec Center, has participated in the event three times.
“There is something about the group effort of hundreds of volunteers at the same time that really helps you feel like you are accomplishing something big,” he said. “Participating has led to me volunteering with some of the participating organizations on my own as well, which has been super rewarding.”
The service events are organized by the TCU Service Board, a student leadership group that meets weekly, advised by Partika. Student board members participate in fundraising efforts, coordinating volunteers, day-of operations logistics, marketing and everything in between to make the Day and Week of Service a success.
Ellie Adamson, senior political science major and John V. Roach Honors student, is the board’s executive director. Adamson volunteered for Day of Service as a first-year student but notes how exciting it was to experience the event from a board member’s perspective the following year, visiting a majority of the event’s 20 sites.
“Driving back and forth across Fort Worth allowed me to see the scope of the event and the sheer number of people our volunteers were impacting,” she said. “Everywhere we went, there were TCU students in our blue shirts smiling and serving — I remember feeling so proud to be in this organization."
Natalie Pelan is a junior majoring in both communication studies and political science, and she serves as this year’s Director of TCU Week of Service. She also got involved with the Day of Service as a first-year student and says that service strengthens the bond between fellow volunteers, TCU and the greater Fort Worth community.
“Although many TCU students will only call Fort Worth home for four short years, service can help us to give back to the community that gives us so much,” Pelan said. “TCU Day and Week of Service are extra special because they also bring us together as a TCU community.”
To volunteer, email Bryan Partika.
Read more about the Glenwood Park Day of Service project from Harris College.