What is Bridging Texas?

Bridging Texas is an organization comprised of volunteers from the University of Texas at Austin who dedicate their time to foster intergenerational relationships between students and seniors in the Austin community.

Who are we?

We engage with residents of retirement, assisted living, and nursing home care facilities. We offer various programs that are designed to best meet the needs of our seniors who experience a wide spectrum of health-related issues. Our student volunteers join us from diverse educational backgrounds, from liberal arts to engineering. Many of our members hope to pursue careers in the medical field, as volunteering with Bridging Texas provides valuable perspective into realities of modern healthcare.

Who can join? 

Any current and/or former undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin is welcome to join Bridging Texas in making a difference in our community. Join us on Hornslink and sign up for our interest form to receive important information via email. Please contact us at bridgingtexas@gmail.com if you are not a current and/or former undergraduate student of the university but interested in joining us in our endeavors.

What can I expect as a volunteer?

We offer a variety of programs that are designed to best meet the needs of our seniors who experience a wide spectrum of health-related issues. You are welcome to participate in any one or more of these programs, many of which are offered on both individual and group bases. Please check the “Programs” tab for more information on a list of current programs; however, keep in mind that you are by no means limited to these activities. Moreover, current members of Bridging Texas have access to the “Membership Portal” page which offers services such as our online volunteer hour log. We confirm and validate these hours with the respective facilities in which you volunteered, and you are welcome to use us as references for any future application processes.

What is expected of me as a volunteer?

We require all members to undergo background checks, free of charge, to ensure the safety of our residents and volunteers. Exceptions are granted for potential members and one-time volunteers. In addition, Bridging Texas holds meetings every other week that serves as forums to address important issues concerning our organization. Often, we have guest speakers who provide insight into their experiences in the healthcare field. We expect our members to be present for at least 4 of the 6 total meetings that are scheduled for the Fall 2019 semester. Contact us at bridgingtexas@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering with us but have a serious time conflict with the meeting times. Please refer to the “About” page for specific meeting dates (subject to change).

When can I volunteer? What if I have a busy schedule? 

No worries! Our members regularly visit our facilities on Thursdays from 6 to 8 pm and on Saturdays from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Even if you can’t make it to our scheduled classes and activities that are planned in advance, we welcome you to spontaneously volunteer alone or in small groups. We enable our members to visit with our seniors whenever they are available, whether it be the morning, afternoon, evening, weekday, or weekend.  However, please keep in mind that without any prior notice, our residents often go to bed early and wake up early. We recommend that you do not arrive any later than 8:00 pm unless you planned to volunteer in advance. There is no minimum number of hours that you are required to volunteer every semester as a general member of Bridging Texas.

Where do I volunteer?

We interact with residents of two unique retirement, assisted living, and nursing home care facilities. It takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to drive from the UT main campus to arrive at our partnered facilities. Capital Metro services are free for all UT students with their IDs, and bus routes are available to both of our facilities. Not accounting for waiting times, it takes approximately 20 minutes on the bus to arrive at our partnered facilities from the UT main campus. Bridging Texas considers commuting times when recording and validating volunteer hours.

What if I don’t have access to a reliable method of transportation?

Carpooling is available for scheduled programs and activities. For individual and small group trips, we try our best to coordinate rides, though this option is not always available on a short notice. As stated above, Capital Metro bus rides are always available. We understand that you are spending time to travel to volunteer at our facilities, so we take commuting times into account when recording and validating your volunteer hours.

How can I support Bridging Texas? 

We welcome ideas to expand our programs and improve our services. Please do not hesitate to contact us at bridgingtexas@gmail.com if you are part of an organization that may be interested in collaborating with us! Bridging Texas has been expanding rapidly, and our leadership team is always searching for motivated individuals to join us!

For further questions or concerns, please contact us at bridgingtexas@gmail.com