Mustang Heroes volunteers with Head Start of Greater Dallas in February 2012. (Courtesy of Mustang Heroes)
Mustang Heroes, a student-run program that “encourages the SMU community to give back to Dallas and the world through engaging, sustainable and impactful service projects,” according to its Facebook page, is gearing up for the rest of their Second-Annual Heroes Week.
“In the five minutes it took you to wait in line for coffee this morning, 23 children will die from hunger-related causes,” members of the Heroes Week Committee Molly O’Connor and Katie Maiers said.
This week, Mustang Heroes will address these issues of hunger in the Dallas community as it hosts Heroes Week to promote community service and engagement on campus.
The 60-member organization hopes to raise $2,000 for the North Texas Food Bank through a series of advocacy, volunteer and donation opportunities.
To kick off the event, Union Coffee will host Mustang U-Nite Wednesday from 6-9 p.m.
Professors, community members, other service groups on campus and fellow students will share experiences serving the Dallas community.
Additionally, the organization is hosting a series of service trips throughout the week that are available to all students.
Thursday from 12:30-4 p.m. and Friday from 8:15 a.m. to noon students can volunteer at the North Texas Food Bank.
On Saturday, there will be a trip to Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. as well as a trip to the Monticello West Nursing Home from 2-4 p.m. A shuttle will leave from the flagpole each day to take students to each location.
For students who cannot donate their time, Mustang Heroes has created an online Virtual Food Drive from which all proceeds will go to the North Texas Food Bank.
Mustang Heroes hopes the programs available this week will interest students who are not already part of a service organization and encourage them to get involved.
“Sometimes, all people need is a little information about what’s going on just a few minutes away from campus to get interested in becoming a part of our team,” Heroes Week Chair Anna Norkett said.
