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Volunteering Before the Holidays

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Texas chapter.

Thanksgiving came extremely fast this year. Before heading back home for the holidays some friends and I decided to do some last minute volunteering. The last few weeks of the semester will be filled with finals and are going to be hard to have fun around. For a few weeks now, my friend and I have managed to stop by at Austin Pets Alive for some friendly dog walking and playtime with kittens. I never had a pet when I was a child, and helping out with ones who don’t have homes is rewarding (not to mention it makes up for my childhood). Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for everything we have but even more importantly giving back to those who aren’t as fortunate. There are many ways to give a helping hand such as volunteering at homeless shelters, donating to organizations, or volunteering with animals like we did. It’s really easy to get involved by simply checking out the web page www.austinpetsalive.org . If you aren’t a cat person it’s okay, the dogs are just as adorable and full of energy.  Looking at the sweet little animals can really make a difference in your day. Sometimes we don’t realize how quickly life is passing us by and we hardly stop to look at the little things.  A few moments with this little fur ball brightened my day immediately. With the stressful weeks ahead of us I am really glad I got the chance to do something so relaxing, helpful, and yet fun. Maybe animals aren’t your thing, but there are so many ways to give back to the community while taking a break from your busy college student life. 

Bernice Chuang is a fourth year double majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Communication Studies-Human Relations and doing the Business Foundations Program (aka business minor) at the University of Texas at Austin. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Bernice is a fan of good country music and yummy barbeque! At UT, Bernice is a resident assistant at an all-female residence hall and currently serves as a senator representing her residence hall, Kinsolving, on the Resident Assistant Association. She also leads a small group bible study for Asian American Campus Ministries and sings with her campus ministries’ a cappella group. When she’s not juggling her various roles and commitments, Bernice enjoys exploring downtown Austin, shopping with her fellow RA staff members, reading books on faith and spirituality, learning how to cook and tackling various dessert recipes, and spending quality time with friends.