AUSTIN, Texas—About 2,000 volunteers from The University of Texas at Austin community plan to join with area residents on Feb. 24 in beautifying and cleaning a neighborhood area, schools and creeks in North Austin and Quail Creek during an annual day of service called Project 2007.
The student-initiated, student-led program of the university’s Volunteer and Service Learning Center, in partnership with Keep Austin Beautiful, has the goal of establishing a sense of a service tradition associated with being part of the university community, said Stephanie Phillips, student affairs adminisrator with the Volunteer and Service Learning Center.
She said the volunteers include students, faculty and staff members working together in shifts from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on assigned tasks, including painting buildings, cleaning trash and working on playgrounds and gardens. The volunteers are picked up on campus and transported to and from the project area.
Each year the project chooses a different Austin community as its focus and works closely with the people of the community to plan and coordinate the event. This year Project 2007 has partnered with Barrington and Wooldridge elementary schools, Lanier High School and the North Austin Civic Association to identify projects to beautify and clean up the neighborhood, schools and creeks in North Austin and Quail Creek.
Project 2007 also will host a community fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wooldridge Elementary School, 400 Cooper Dr., offering free hearing and eye screenings, dental consultations, financial services, nutrition facts, games for children and programs by the Austin Police Department’s North Central Command.
For more information contact: Robert D. Meckel, Office of Public Affairs, 512-475-7847.
