It’s that time of year again. The heat. Buying school clothes; buying school supplies. Preparing for the school year gets expensive quick. To prepare students (and parents) for the 2016-17 school year, volunteers from all over Austin came together at Webb Early College Prep Academy on Aug. 18 to assemble school supply kits, reorganize the school library, aid teachers in preparing their classrooms and landscape the flower beds around campus.
One of the sponsors of our Aug. 18 Back to School Readiness Event at Webb was Texas Mutual Insurance Company. Texas Mutual has a very large and active volunteer base, one of which is their IT Senior Manager, Peggy Wilson. Peggy has been volunteering with UWATX for just over a year and she loves it. She explains, “The reactions to volunteering at UWATX are very positive – we love it.”
Read our brief Q and A below to get to know Peggy and her experiences volunteering at UWATX.
1. What inspires you to volunteer?
People say volunteering is unselfish, but I actually think it feels good to help others. In a way, it’s self-serving, as corny as it sounds. You get away from your own problems for a while when you focus on others. It’s also nice to learn about other people – whether they’re those you’re helping or those you’re working with.
2. What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m pretty simple – I like to spend time with my husband, Chris and my dog, Otis. I enjoy being with some of my close friends, eating good food and watching some of my favorite TV shows.
3. Do you have a funny or interesting story about volunteering or working at Texas Mutual?
Recently we did a team building volunteer day at Webb where we were helping in the garden. I am NOT a green thumb at all, and I’m also very OCD about doing things right. Apparently there is no “right way” to rake dirt or plant things, and I was really uncomfortable with the whole thing. It was quite funny actually. I realized that’s why I’m not a good cook either – I need formulas and specific diagrams for everything. I ended up washing clothes, and I felt great about that!
4. What makes Austin greater?
The people. Austin has amazing people – of all backgrounds and interests. People love to live here for the most part and are happy here. I think when people are happy, they inspire others to keep the community great.