Volunteer – Page 4 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Empty Bowls: The Arts, Culinary and Otherwise, for a Good Cause

Every spring, the Wynne Home sponsors “Empty Bowls,” a program that manages to promote ceramics, the culinary arts, and to fight hunger–all in the same event. This year, the event–organized by Angela Robinson–was particularly successful, with a record number of attendees and a lot of fun! And for approximately the 15th year in a row, the LEAP Ambassadors were there to help.

The primary purpose of the event is to raise funds to fight food insecurity. The program, which is international in scope, is administered fully by local communities, and in Walker County, the program is administered by the Wynne Home, and the funds raised go to the “Meals on Wheels” program at the Senior Center.

Wynne Home staff reach out to businesses and other organizations to donate soup while HEB also offers finger foods, giving “customers” many food options. This year, soups were donated by Sam’s Table, City Hall Cafe, Huntsville High School, Fives Loaves Deli and Potato Shack.

Each customer, then, buys a lunch for a suggested donation of $15, and these funds are then donated to the Senior Center.

If this is all there was, it would still be a worthwhile program, but there is much more to it. Throughout the year, ceramicists offer training courses, helping local residents shape and glaze materials into pottery. Some locals reserve their pottery, which means they can pick it up on (or around) the Empty Bowls date, while others donate their product to the event.

LEAP Ambassadors Prepare Their Bowls for Glazing

Then, as “customers” purchase soup at Empty Bowls, they receive one of the pieces of pottery, not only as a work of art to keep, but also as a reminder that some people face empty bowls every day.

Those with the most skill at crafting bowls–many of SHSU Professor Lauren Clay’s students, for example–donate their bowls for silent auction, which raises additional funds.

Beyond the record crowds this year, much fun was involved. People enjoyed the decor in the wonderful Wynne Home as well as the art from the latest exhibit featuring the work of Mary Ann Vaca-Lambert.

Aron Kulhavy, the City Manager, was in attendance…

…and his fun-loving staff were sure to pick out a bowl for him.

Speaking of his staff, they were, as usual, hard at work, while being surrounded by all their friends and supporters.

For everyone else, the companionship and satisfaction of joining a good cause was enjoyable…

…as it was for the LEAP Ambassadors.

Congratulations to the Senior Center, and many thanks to the Wynne Home for strengthening our Huntsville community through this noble cause!

Reagan Dinner 2024

Morgan Robertson

In what amounts to a Republican “President’s Day” event, many GOP counties host a “Reagan” (or Lincoln) Dinner in February. This year, some (Republican) LEAP Students volunteered to help, so Jessica Cuevas, Chrissy Biello, Ashlyn Parker, and I found ourselves assisting and enjoying the Walker County Reagan Dinner.

We received our direction from Linda McKenzie, Walker County Chair, and coordinated with other volunteers as guests began arriving. Chrissy and Ashlyn were the first to welcome people in and direct them to their tables or to the enticing array of baked goods.

Each year the Walker County Republican Women host a dessert silent auction to raise money for the organization, and supply guests with delicious desserts. This year, over 45 desserts were donated.

Jessica enjoyed perusing the donated desserts and snapping photos of some serious bidding deliberation.

Mrs. McKenzie began the evening by thanking everyone in attendance, thanking us for our assistance, and recognizing each elected official and candidate. Constable Gene Bartee gave the invocation and County Clerk Kari French led the Pledges.

This year, we were honored to dine with 10th Court of Appeals Justice, Matt Johnson and his wife Melissa and 12th Judicial District Court Judge David Moorman and his wife Christie. Our conversation varied between the upcoming 10th Court of Appeals Hearings at SHSU on April 3 and our favorite musicals– Melissa Johnson, it turns out, is a Professor of Musical Theatre Voice at Baylor University.

In anticipation of the second part of our volunteer duties, Mrs. McKenzie sent our tables to eat first, so we may deliver the desserts to the highest bidders. Dinner was catered by Humphrey’s American Grill and everyone was beyond pleased with the meal.

County Judge Colt Christian, and Congressmen Morgan Luttrell and Pete Sessions addressed the crowd briefly and thanked both the County Party and Republican Women for hosting such an event.

The keynote speaker this year was Dr. Robin L. Armstrong, MD and Galveston County Commissioner. Dr. Armstrong spoke on his experience as a doctor during the COVID-19 pandemic when a majority of is patients were in nursing homes. He spoke of some of the struggles he faced during the unprecedented times and how he overcame many of the challenges.

Dr. Armstrong concluded his speech by encouraging the crowd to continue to stay active and make sure to vote. Speaking of, early voting began on Tuesday, 2/20!

It wouldn’t have been a Walker County Reagan Dinner without a coordinated photo with the present elected officials and one with the candidates…

We were able to thank Dr. Armstrong for his time and even snap a selfie with him and some of our friends.

A LEAP Week in the Life of a LEAP Ambassador

With today being Leap Day, we thought it only appropriate to reflect a bit on what a week in the life of a LEAP Ambassador looks like. We get a lot of questions about what LEAP Ambassadors do, and the answer isn’t easy, because our activities are diverse and numerous. Perhaps a look at our last week will provide some insight!

The LEAP Center has only two staff members, so our job is to assist the Center with the events. In the process, we have the benefit of networking, gaining professional skills, and learning new things. So, here’s our week leading up to LEAP Day:

Monday: Every other week, we begin with a general meeting, which usually lasts around three hours. Much planning goes into this meeting, and it allows us to maintain an every-other week meeting schedule (we have advisor-less meetings on off weeks) and be prepared for our upcoming events.

Tuesday (Afternoon): We offered a Mock Law class taught by South Texas College of Law Professor, Val Ricks. You can read about it here, and as usual, Professor Ricks did a great job teaching. This event also gives an insight into the LEAP process.

Note: The above event provides some insight into how LEAP works. More than 45 students attended the event, plus a local judge and a teacher from HHS. All attended without being given credit, “service/engagement hours,” or extra credit. Moreover, some had to take off work, and all had to do readings before hand. If you offer quality programs, people will attend without artificial inducements, and they will get more out of the program.

Tuesday (Night): That evening, a few of our Ambassadors volunteered at the Reagan Dinner, enjoying dinner with Judges Smith, Moorman, and Johnson and seeing some old friends, while others did additional preparations for our upcoming photography exhibit at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library.

Wednesday: We had our first Pre-Law Society meeting of the semester. With a record 96 members (!), we showcased LEAP Alumni, including first-year attorney Victoria McClendon, 3L student Quinn Kobrin, and Blake Roach. Afterward, we had a chance to catch up additionally over dinner. We also did a photo-op for a recently established pre-law scholarship following donations of $25,000!

Thursday: This was just our regular day of classes, office hours, and work. Among the five LEAP Ambassadors, they have 7 jobs–and a collective 3.70 GPA!

Friday: On Friday, we attended “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” written by Tom Stoppard and performed by SHSU’s Theatre Department.

Saturday: We joined 25 other community members to plant trees at Huntsville Elementary. This event, which you can read about here, was with our friends at Trees for Houston. And we met new friends at Huntsville Elementary, where we discussed with Principal Cross the possibility of returning in the fall to do social studies presentations to students and a “Mock Election.”

In all, we participated in events with more than 750 people, we hosted a program for the University, and developed our (and others) knowledge of pre-law, politics, theatre, the sciences (the environment and botany), landscape architecture, and event planning! A typical week in the life of a LEAP Ambassador!

Trees for Houston–and Huntsville!

One of the LEAP Ambassadors favorite events in 2022 was assisting the Boys and Girls Club with tree-planting, a project sponsored and supervised by Trees for Houston. So it was a special treat for the LEAP Ambassadors to work with City Fellows intern Lulu Lopez, staff from Huntsville Elementary, and community volunteers to plant two dozen trees on a Saturday morning.

We were able to meet Abby Clark (Development Director), Natalie Roberts (Volunteer Manager), Sarah Trippel (Assistant Project Coordinator), and Katherine Newton (Projects Director) for the first time, and we were pleased to work again with Travis Weedle (Project Coordinator) and landscape architect Falon Mihalic.

We went through a training session, led by Natalie Roberts with an assist from Travis Weedle…

…and then we got down to business:

…measuring the area to dig…

…digging…

…which occasionally involved a pickax…

…planting…

…and filling in. It was a great education, while also working toward a worthy cause.

Professor Yawn showed his age a bit, slowing down in the hot sun, but he soldiered on. Lulu and Morgan got the toughest soil to dig into, with rocks populating their area.

But with LEAP-grit, they finished the job. Cinthia and Olivia hummed along, finishing first; while Michelle proved herself a trooper, despite having a general aversion to manual labor.

And along the way, we formed additional relationships. We met the Principal and Assistant Principal of Huntsville Elementary, Christy Cross and Meolody Saladiner. We even discussed the possibility of future partnerships, particularly a potential collaboration on a “Mock Election” in the fall, which would serve to teach young people about the electoral process.

But the matter at hand was planting trees, and with approximately 30 volunteers overall, we were able to plant the mini-grove of maple, elm, and sycamore in a little more than two hours. It was a day of learning and, in more ways than one, planting seeds for the future.

President’s Day with the Lion’s Club

If it’s a federal holiday, you’ll likely see the LEAP Ambassadors helping the Lion’s Club with their “Flag Project,” a project involving the placing of flags on approximately 1.5 miles of downtown area streets.

This morning began early (6:00am) and with a near-freezing temperature (33 degrees), but the Lions Club and the Ambassadors are old pros at this. So, we took a look at the empty streets in the early dawn…

…and we got to work! The process is simple, alternating Texas and US flags down the street, while also placing a half-dozen or so “Support the Lions Club Flag Project” signs.

Seventy minutes later, we were done, a fact that made Brenda very happy!

And since its “Presidents Day,” we wanted to thrown in a couple of fun facts!

Wade Thibodeaux, Publisher of Walker County Press, is the President of the Lions Club.

Brenda Poe, Editor of the Huntsville Item, is the Flag Coordinator (sort of like the Betsy Ross) of the Lions Club.

Morgan Robertson, a History Major and Political Science and Criminal Justice minor, is the President of the LEAP Ambassadors. She is planning on a career in City Government, and she is off to a great start, having interned at the City of Huntsville (twice), the Old Town Theatre, in the Texas Senate during a legislative session, and is currently interning for the City of Madisonville.

As a final bit of trivia, Presidents Day falls in February (third Monday) because George Washington’s Birthday is February 22. He will be 292 in three days! Over time, this holiday also came to incorporate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, whose birthday is February 12.

The LEAP Ambassadors have studied these (and other) Presidents over the years!

Including, of course, Sam Houston!

Chilly at the Lodge: Food, Fun, and Fundraising

by Michelle Cardenas

In a small town like Huntsville, Texas, tradition beats it all. So when the first Saturday in February rolls around, everyone is eager to indulge in one of the tastiest community events of the year!

For the past 3 years ,“Chilly at the Lodge” has brought together the community and chili chefs from all over the country for a chili cookoff. The fundraiser has proven to be a great success and fun-filled event, with much of the work being led by Karla Christian and a team of community volunteers. All the proceeds go to support the Josey Scout Lodge, where the event is held.

This year, the LEAP Ambassadors were fortunate enough to be guest judges for the community youth and adult division. Although our credentials for cooking chili are a bit lacking, we can determine what we like. As the time for judging approximated, we all headed into the judges’ area in the lodge. We were greeted by many familiar faces, including Mac and Leanne Woodward; SHSU’s Gene Roberts; former City Attorney of Huntsville Thomas Leeper;

…Assistant City Manager Sam Maisel; SHSU’s Mandy Dunbar; Pete Sessions’ District Coordinator, Jeff Murski;

…and former LEAP ambassador and current City of Huntsville Economic Development Specialist Miranda Estrada. We also had the privilege of meeting Walt Pinegar, former investigator for the Walker County District Attorney’s office.

The judging process was very official; we began with a judges’ meeting directed by Don Cullum, six-time International Chili Society World Championship qualifier.

The stakes were high, and we did not take our roles as judges lightly. We were soon divided into two groups and so Olivia, Cinthia, Jessica and I ended up judging the community youth category ,while Morgan judged the community adult chili. We quickly grabbed our ballots and got to tasting!

There were other categories such as traditional red chili, veggie chili, chili verde, and homestyle chili. With such an extensive amount of chili to be tasted, there was a wonderful lineup of judges, including Mayor Russell Humphrey, City Manager Aron Kulhavy, Michelle Lyons, and our very own, Professor Yawn.

After judging, we couldn’t help but sample the other delicious chilis from across the country, one of which was California! The chilis ranged from all walks of spice and fixings and while it was hard to choose a favorite, we ultimately cast our ballots for the ‘People’s Choice’ category (for the winners, see the bottom of the article). We had a wonderful time conversing with the many people in attendance. Who knew that chili was such a good hors d’oeuvre!?

Many thanks Leanne Woodward and Karla Christian for the opportunity to participate as judges at this amazing chili cook-off. We had a great time, and it is always a pleasure to take part in the happenings of this amazing community!

To see the winners, go to Chilly at the Lodge!

MASH: Making A Smile Happen in 2023

M*A*S*H* may have gone off the air in 1981, but KSAM’s “Make A Smile Happen” event has been going strong for the past 17 years.

This annual event, which solicits gift donations for six local non-profit organizations in time for the holidays, is sponsored by KSAM, and is supported by a host of community businesses and organizations–one of which is the LEAP Ambassadors.

And so it was over a period of 20 hours on December 6 and 7, the LEAP Ambassadors worked dusk till dawn to market the event, accept donations, and sort and sift donations.

The on-air personalities such Bryan Reeder, Tracey Downey, and Glenn Edwards performed their jobs on-site, promoting the events, bringing sponsors on-air, and, of course, playing their normal music sets.

In addition to the on-air personalities, the Ambassadors had the chance to spend time with old friends such as Tim Johnson (KSAM’s GM); some of the sponsors such as Dr. Lane Aiena and Tim Rushing; and some of the beneficiaries. Perhaps most inspiring was seeing the big-hearted generosity of many of the donors. The Heberts and the Rushings, for example, combined to donate 21 bicycles!

Scores of people stopped by, donating food, pet food/supplies, and toys. This year, the big winners were children, with some 1,771 toys donated. But the drive also elicited more than 1,147 canned items, hundreds of pounds of pet supplies, and, perhaps most important, $10,461.85 donations in cash and gift cards.

These donated items go to one of six local non-profit organizations/ government organizations: HISD’s Social Services, Rita B. Huff, SAAFE House, Good Shepherd Mission, Boys & Girls Club of Walker County, and Santa’s Helpers. Also, Vera Bank matched $1,000 in donations, helping us bring the total donations over the $10,000 mark.

Obviously, this helps fill the goal of the event, which is to support local families during the holidays. But beyond its designed benefits, it also helps the LEAP Ambassadors learn more about the community and the non-profits that benefit the community.

Today was the last day of finals, and we were working while also worrying a bit about grades and the stress of the last week of school. But this event has a way of reminding us of our good fortunes: the love of family, many friendships, the opportunities afforded to us by SHSU, and the good fortune we share by living in a generous community.

A Homecoming “Visit” to Huntsville & SHSU

In our ongoing quest to see Huntsville with visitor’s eyes, we’ve previously stopped in to the Sam Houston Statue and Visitor’s Center, dropped in for a bite to eat at Louise and Oleta’s, and this month, we decided to enjoy a Sam Houston football game–the homecoming game, no less!

To get the full experience, we first enjoyed the tailgating, stopping by various booths, playing some games, and sampling diverse food options.

Our favorite booths were College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Campus Activities and Traditions, where we ran into some of our favorite people!

For those who haven’t been to a football game lately, the tailgating has really picked up, with 30-40 tents present, music blaring, and lots of folks connected to SHSU–staff, faculty, administrators, students, and alumni.

It’s a lot of fun!

We also picked the right game to attend. Although SHSU’s first season in Conference USA has been a rough one with an 0-8 start, there was reason to believe this game might be different. They weren’t facing a powerhouse; Kennesaw State entered the game with a 2-5 record, and that was against mostly FCS-level competition.

Games, however, take on a life of their own, and this one began poorly for the Bearkats. They seemed overmatched, plus they made sloppy errors, such as turnovers and penalties.

They also dodged a couple of bullets–specifically, Kennesaw State missed a couple of field goals.

For much of the first half, the most interesting scenes, from a Bearkat’s perspective, were the fans and the spirit squads.

With the first half mostly forgettable, fans focused on half-time festivities, such as the band, more spirit squad, and the Homecoming court.

But the Bearkats turned it around in the second half.

Their defense shut out Kennesaw State in the third and fourth quarters, while their offense scored 17 points–10 in the last four minutes.

The game turned on several moments. Kennesaw State’s Conor Cummins missed two field goals, ultimately proving the difference in the game. But the Bearkats also helped their own cause. They converted a couple of crucial fourth-down attempts to keep drives alive, and with 3:49 left in the game, they converted a key third-and-goal, with receiver Jay Rockwell laying out for an improbable catch in the end zone that, with the extra point, tied the game.

And, finally, following an interception by Bearkat Da’Marcus Crosby…

…kicker Colby Sessums connected on a 31-yard attempt to win the game–with no time on the clock.

The victory left the players and the fans thrilled, with much post-game celebration.

It was a wonderful fall weekend in Huntsville, with plenty of socializing, football, and Bearkat spirit to make a visit to Huntsville worthwhile.

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