The Vision
It’s all about Giving Thanks by Giving Back. In a city that is always mentioned among our nation’s favorite places to live, work, and raise a family, the people of Austin have innumerable reasons to show their gratitude for all that our city has given us. Few other cities can match the recreational, educational, and employment opportunities that Austin affords us in the beautiful hill country of Central Texas. Committing ourselves to a day of service to our community is an entirely appropriate way of expressing our appreciation for what we have received.

The Past
The Service Austin vision has existed in Austin since 2007, and the Service Austin Days event has grown every year since that time. In 2010, approximately 800 volunteers invested their time and energy in close to 40 service projecs all over the City. With each volunteer typically working 3 to 4 hours, that's a whole lot of Giving Thanks by Giving Back! Projects were designed by our volunteers or by other partnering organizations such as Austin Parks Foundation and the Texas Ramp Project, a group dedicated to building access ramps for the homes of Austinites in wheelchairs. As always, our appreciation for our volunteers was shown by providing them with breakfasts and Service Austin T-Shirts at their job sites.

The Future
An idea this good simply has to grow! In preparation for Service Austin Day 2009, an interactive website was developed to inform people about our vision, enable prospective volunteers to consider available projects, and facilitate the volunteer sign-up process. A number of service organizations have partnered with the Rotary Club of Austin to develop service projects that will attract the attention of Austinites who love their city and are committed to making a tangible expression of thanksgiving. In addition to the projects developed by the Service Austin Committee, people all across the city are invited to develop their own service projects to occur during Service Austin Days, the weekend before Thanksgiving. By contacting the Committee via the website (at www.serviceaustin.org), project developers can arrange for the Committee to add their projects to the ever-growing Table of Projects and make use of the interactive aspects of the website to sign up volunteers. In addition, the Committee hopes to support all such service projects, current and future, by supplying volunteers with breakfasts delivered to their project sites, T-shirts to show their commitment to Service Austin, and recognition for their respective participating organizations. It is our hope and intention to encourage the growth of the Service Austin vision until it becomes a city-wide tradition. When Austinites look at their calendars and know that the weekend before Thanksgiving is the time of Giving Thanks by Giving Back, the vision of Service Austin will have become a tangible reality.