It has been announced that UHD now has a student-led mutual aid network on campus. The UHD Mutual Aid Network was created to bring students together through a collective idea of “people helping people,” as this newly founded organization is sparking community action and student involvement.
Mutual Aid is the idea of peers helping peers through collective action as it is found in many social organizations, with the shared exchange of skills, resources and ideas to help build a community around similar experiences and values.
Mutual aid aims at helping students use resources through the UHD system and other student benefits throughout Houston. The group’s goals include helping students navigate student benefits here at UHD and services provided to students for free or at low cost.
There are already many benefits to being a UHD student, such as receiving up to 120 pounds of free food a month from the food market, access to basic needs resources, such as a food stamp concierge, a free gym membership, and a fitness center.
Becoming a student group member brings many opportunities to build a strong community of civic engagement and academic and professional success. A recent 2022 study from the University of California has data to support a significant effect of student involvement and reported student success rates.
“Academic engagement is a strong predictor of persistence on all campuses. Student engagement was found to positively affect post-college employment outcomes,” stated University of California Institutional Research and Academic Planning.
Getting involved in any student organization is a great way to stay up to date on campus life and student events, aimed at helping students just like you.
Group initiatives have included gathering bags for the food market and taking surveys to better get to know the needs of UHD students. This network is looking for innovative ideas and community partners at UHD. Any suggestions should be sent to the group, via CampusGroups survey.
Meetings are held on Wednesdays and are announced through UHD CampusGroups.
