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UT Volunteers Are United To Serve
Heavy rain does not stop service to patients, families and the community in UT System-wide event
Student InterCouncil President
Stephen Kry chaired United To
Serve, a joint event of the UT Health
Science Center at Houston and UT
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Photos by Ester Fant
Mothers and sons, classmates and friends, faculty and staff members from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center met on a rainy Saturday morning as volunteers to serve patients and families.
United To Serve in Houston continued to be a leader in the UT System-wide event for the third year.
“Serving others and our community is an important aspect of our mission,” said UT Dental Branch at Houston Dean Catherine M. Flaitz, D.D.S., who greeted about 100 volunteer participants April 29 at the kickoff breakfast in the Dental Branch. “Anyone who works in the health care field understands that it is the compassionate human touch that often makes the difference in healing.”
After a light breakfast accompanied by music from a volunteer jazz band, several speakers briefly commended the volunteers.
“We really do appreciate what you’re doing for the community, for the Texas Medical Center, for the patients and for the families that come here in need,” said L. Maximilian Buja, M.D., executive vice president for academic affairs, whose office helped coordinate the day. “We’ve had more than our fair share of opportunities to be volunteers and guardian angels with the rash of hurricanes last summer. But the need for volunteerism doesn’t come to an end when a crisis has passed. There’s a need for volunteerism every day. We’re very grateful for all of your efforts and your contributions.”
Jeremy Chance, D.D.S., who originated United To Serve for
the
entire UT System, performs an oral screening on a young
visitor
to the John P. McGovern Museum of Health and
Medical
Science.
Jeremy Chance, D.D.S., who originated United To Serve when he was a senior at the Dental Branch, returned again as a volunteer. “I’d like to thank all the volunteers for being here,” said Chance, who has a dental practice near the Texas Medical Center. “It means a lot to me and even more to see those who helped to put this dream together three years ago are still volunteering today.”
Acknowledging Chance’s leadership, this year’s event chair, Stephen Kry, said, “United To Serve has been a wonderful example of the power of one – one person with one great idea has turned National Volunteer Week at UT into hundreds of volunteer hours through United To Serve.”
Kry, who is a student at the UT Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston and president of the Student InterCouncil, thanked not only the volunteers, but also all those who made the event possible through planning and support:
- From the UT Health Science Center — the Office of the President, Auxiliary Enterprises, the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Public Affairs, the Dental Branch and Student InterCouncil.
- From the UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center — the Office of the President and the Communications Office.
By Ina G. Fried, Public Affairs