CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Faculty and staff of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi will lend a helping hand to the Coastal Bend this morning as part of Giving Tuesday.
The unofficial holiday takes a place each year on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
For the past eight years, faculty and staff at TAMU-CC have take part in Giving Tuesday.
Organizers say that more than 270 people registered to help at 21 local agencies across the Coastal Bend, including the Veterans Cemetery, the USS Lexington, the Botanical Gardens and at the Corpus Christi Catholic Charities doing everything from picking up trash to sorting food.
"We have gone out to different locations and helped them prepare for the holidays," TAMU-CC dean of students Ann DeGaish said. "We have gone to the cemetery to help the maintenance crew clean up the headstones. So, we'll spend the day cleaning the headstones."
While some organizations donate money on Giving Tuesday, TAMU-CC volunteers say they choose to go out into the community instead.
They will visit the following:
- USS Lexington, located at 2914 N. Shoreline Blvd. from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers will be working on maintenance projects that may include painting, cleaning aircraft, polishing brass and other small projects. They may also be assisting Lexington staff in decorating for the holidays.
- Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, 1900 N. Chaparral St., from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will decorate the museum for the holidays.
- Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures & Education Center, located at 1809 N. Chaparral St. from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers will be working outside in the gardens to refresh the museum’s landscaping.
- South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, 8545 S Staples St., from 1-4 p.m. Volunteers will work outdoors doing gardening, maintenance and small projects.
- Gulf Coast Humane Society, 3118 Cabaniss Rd., from 1:15-4 p.m. Volunteers will be socializing, walking, bathing, and playing with the dogs outdoors.
- Glenoak Therapeutic Riding Center, 1517 Glenoak Drive in Flour Bluff, from 1-4 p.m. Volunteers will clean and clear existing trails or walk and brush horses and clean saddles.
"We're trying to role model that experience so our students will also see the importance of that and give back," DeGaish said. "I think that our community can also look at the agencies we're going to and ask, how can we help?"
The Corpus Christi Catholic Charities says it needs as much help as possible right for its annual Community Christmas.
"We have lots of preparing to do. First of all, we get all the boxes ready, we also need volunteers to help us put all the food into those boxes," said Elma Ortiz, director of Crisis Assistant. "We have groups come in to sort out the toys and then another group to sort toys and put them in bags for all the kids who signed up to get a toy."
Community Christmas will take place the week of Dec. 20-23.
