Through the Volunteer Time Off Program, an employee is eligible to take a regularly scheduled workday per fiscal year and contribute time to their community.
Here are reflections and experiences from Baylor employees who have participated in the program.
Volunteer Reflections
I am on the board of directors for the South Central Region of Canine Companions for Independence - Baylor Scott & White Health – Kinkeade Campus. CCI is a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. At the South Central Region in Dallas, they just started a veterans initiative to provide service dogs for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They have graduations four times per year after the dogs and candidates are matched and complete a two week class together called "Team Training." This picture is of Marguerite, my CCI hearing service dog.
I selected to provide my time to the 2018 Holiday Pratham USA Luncheon hosted at Junior League of Houston. My responsibility centered on welcoming our primary donors, while being the lead organizer during the SAKS Fifth Avenue fashion Show backstage (i.e. dressing the models, collection line up, hair and makeup, etc.) My gravitation to Pratham USA is centered on their sole mission that every child has the right to a quality education. Pratham USA is one of India’s most successful non-governmental education organizations having affected the lives of more than 58 million underprivileged children. I am proud to work for an organization like Baylor, which not only supports, but also encourages me to find meaning and reward by serving others.
I recently volunteered with the Harris County Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which helps resolve conflicts with elderly care residents. This program emphasizes the importance of caring for others because one day you will need to be cared for. I cannot stress enough how important the VTO program is. It truly shows Baylor giving back to the community.
In October 2018, I had the amazing opportunity to partner with the African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association to provide Clinical Gynecologic Care to the women of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria. The AWCAA is a nonprofit organization, established in 2004 by a coalition of African immigrant women health professionals in order to address disparities in awareness, prevention and access to healthcare for African immigrant and descent communities that face cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. It was truly a refreshing and restorative mission in which the people of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State truly captured my heart. I cried with the women. I laughed with the women. We shared together and we grew together, in knowledge, culture and in strength.
I volunteered for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on the Horse Show Committee. Our committee provides the necessary manpower and support to build out the arena equipment and maintain the footing for the horse show events. Without volunteer support, HLSR wouldn't be able to donate millions of dollars back to the community through educational scholarships or generate the hundreds of millions in economic activity for the Houston area. I am proud to be a part of an organization that values the community and supports its employees by providing time off to devote to service activities.
I coordinated the raffle for the Turkish Festival during November 2018. It was hard work, but a lot of fun for volunteers as well as our guests. I volunteer to give back to the American Turkish community and set an example for my children.
