AC volunteers impacts community not just at holidays, but year-round

The College mirrors the community in that much of its workforce contributes to civic or humanitarian efforts of one sort — or many. But there is one particular pocket of altruism that keeps raising the bar at AC.

Just a couple of weeks ago, one contingent of AC women gathered to fill gift bags for residents of the Downtown Women's Center. It's a twice-a-year effort that will be repeated next spring. This time the sacks were filled with holiday treats and soaps, razors and other necessities that the volunteers gathered.

Now the benefactors are highly engaged in arranging a sit-down Christmas dinner to be served Dec. 20th to 130 folks at the Acts Community Resource Center in Amarillo's San Jacinto neighborhood. Members of the AC women's group can be found every Thursday night at Acts, assembling snack packs that help San Jacinto seniors make it through the weekends, but this holiday meal is something special.

"We found out they usually have pizza or chicken sandwiches, but we wanted them to have something special this year, a hot meal they don't usually get," said Tamra Rocsko, AC instructor of nuclear medicine and unofficial architect of this benevolent assemblage of AC volunteers called WAGES, which stands for Women about Growth, Encouragement & Success. AC men have long since responded to Rocsko's calls to action, too.

It was certainly a coed effort when the group spent several weekends and weeknights painting a daycare facility last summer for the Downtown Women's Center. And Rocsko says both AC men and AC women are equally involved in service to Acts.

"We have a wonderful and committed group at the College, people who really care about helping those less fortunate. Our local businesses care, too," she said. "We're getting 130 enchilada meals donated from Leal's Restaurant, drinks and ice from Water Still, and desserts from all over. We're looking forward to it.