Each semester the incoming Ember class of the Texas Blazers is tasked with a service project that they must develop over the course of the semester. Ember projects have been a long tradition within the organization and have provided new members the opportunity to bond with each other, interact with other organizations around the community, and add to the legacy of the organization's commitment to service.
Fall 2023: we are blood
The Fall '23 Class, in collaboration with We Are Blood, undertook an impactful service project this semester to address the critical blood shortage in Austin. The Embers organized two highly successful blood drives, providing a crucial influx of life-saving donations to the local blood bank. In addition to the tangible impact of the blood drives and $1500 raised, the Embers created a compelling awareness campaign video. This video artfully conveyed the significance of blood donation, inspiring the community to participate in this life-saving act.
Spring 2023: Caritas of Austin
The Spring ‘23 Ember Class raised over $1800 to support Caritas of Austin, an organization working to end homelessness in Austin. The fundraising went towards providing a full day of meals at their local kitchen downtown where the Embers volunteered for the day. Additionally, the Spring ‘23 Embers made and donated over 200 care packages. They will continue to work closely with Caritas of Austin throughout their time in Blazers, building upon the work they have already done.
Fall 2022: Mobile Loaves & Fishes + Casa Marianella
The Fall ‘22 Class project aimed to support the unsheltered population in Austin through partnering with two local organizations, Mobile Loaves & Fishes and Casa Marianella. The Embers volunteered with Mobile Loaves & Fishes to host their annual Village of Lights that supported formerly unhoused craftsmen and artisans. The Fall ‘22 Embers also volunteered at Casa Marianella’s shelter throughout the year and donated over $1800 worth of resources they raised through Cheap Lunch.
Spring 2022: Global Impact Initiative + HOFT Institute
The Spring 22’ ember project was centered on helping out refugees from the fall in Afghanistan through the Global Impact Initiative and the HOFT Institute. Through our work, we connected with local businesses to make an Iftar Celebration for the breaking of the fast of Ramadan. We were able to feed over 100 refugees in the Austin area and collect toys for all the kids present. The Global Impact Initiative provides transformative education & learning, professional development, skill building, and mentoring to those individuals, families, and communities most in need. It was an honor to work with them to help new Austin residents feel at home.
fall 2021: keep eastside beautiful
The Fall ‘21 Ember project aimed to revive the 'Keep Eastside Beautiful' program at Eastside Early College High School. Not only did they fundraise to resurrect the program after its discontinuation due to a campus move, but they also created gardening spaces and a chicken coop to facilitate hands-on learning for the students at Eastside. They aimed to empower students with practical knowledge about food production and sustainability while fostering a deeper organizational connection with Eastside Early College High School, especially after the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
SPRING 2021: TX Prison Education Initiative
The Spring ‘21 Ember Class raised over 1000 dollars for the Texas Prison Education Initiative to support literary programs for incarcerated folks in Texas and ease the rehabilitative process. Additionally, the spring ‘21 embers crafted a Little Free Library bookshelf to go in the Texas Union Presidential Lounge and collected books from Blazers Membership and the student body to stock the bookshelf as a resource for students!
fall 2020: atx fREE FRIDGE
The Fall ‘20 Class virtually partnered with the East Austin ATX Free Fridge to raise money through social media. They also had members donate food to stock the fridges on multiple occasions.
fall 2019: days of Blazers miracles
The Fall '19 Class partnered with Austin's local Helping Hand Home (HHH) to increase engagement with foster children and raise awareness about their experiences. The core project was carried out through "Days of Blazers Miracles". The Days collectively aimed to increase foster care visibility, bring foster children to the UT campus, and celebrate the holiday season with their. These engagement days were supplemented by a fundraiser, in which the Embers raised over $2,900 to support HHH's Holiday Toy and Clothing Drive.
spring 2019: One book at a time
The Spring ‘19 Project consisted of a major book drive and fundraiser for local homeless shelters of Austin, specifically the ARCH (Austin Resource Center for the Homeless) and the Austin Shelter for Women and Children. Around 750 books and $2700 were donated to the mentioned shelters. In addition, there was a short awareness campaign surrounding homeless literacy rates.
fall 2018: eastside sustainability
The Fall ‘18 Project consisted of building and maintaining four garden beds at Eastside Memorial High School. The purpose was to allow students to be more hands on with fresh food options and teach them about topics like food conservation, sustainability, healthy eating, and climate change.
spring 2018: eastside campus closet and blazers bash
The Spring ‘18 class focused on giving back to Eastside Memorial High School for their Class Project. Together, they raised $1800+ for a campus professional closet, the Spring Field Day, and a professional development workshop. By focusing on a variety of projects and ideas, they hoped to help Eastside in a tangible way that benefited the students directly.
Fall 2017: Coats to the Coast
The Fall '17 Project, Coats to the Coast: Army Against Harvey, consisted of campus events such as a rubber duck race to fundraise for recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Texas Blazers made two service trips to Port Aransas in November and December of 2017 to work hands on with the community, cleaning up debris and aiding in reconstruction.
Spring 2017: Solidarity against slavery
The Spring '17 Project, Solidarity Against Slavery, was a collaborative effort with Allies Against Slavery and The Refuge to raise awareness of modern forms of slavery. The project included events at Gregory Plaza, a Fireside Chat with an expert panel in the Union Building, and a benefit concert at Space 24 Twenty. Solidarity Against Slavery raised over $3,500 through the Spring '17 class Cheap Lunch and Freedom Fest fundraisers. All profits were donated to The Refuge, a home-away restoration community for survivors of sex trafficking.
Fall 2016: A DRIVE TO PROVIDE
This project included collecting donations for refugees in the Austin area. With the help of multiple organizations and other fellow students, this class was able to assist refugee families as they transitioned to their new homes by organizing a drive to collect everyday household items to donate to families.
Fall 2016 collected goods from November 14-18, 2016 . In addition to creating the drive, the Embers also set up fundraisers to donate to larger refugee assisting organizations in the Austin area.
Ultimately, this Project sought to welcome refugees to their new homes and ensure that they have the resources they need to smoothly adjust to their new lives.
SPRING 2016: CAMP CAMP
#NamesNotLabels sought to show that differently-abled individuals have unhindered skills, interests and passions. Having a disability is only one aspect of a person; when a person is referred to only by their disability, it suppresses the value of their name, their heart, and their character. With this campaign, the Class of Spring 2016 and the rest of the organization continues hope to end that mentality.
Texas Blazers was thrilled to contribute to this conversation by spotlighting just a few of the incredible students on campus with different abilities throughout our Week of Inclusion. Additionally, the Spring 2016 Class will be hosted several events on campus to engage students in the promotion of #NamesNotLabels and the celebration of the important roles and perspectives that differently-abled individuals bring to the UT Austin community.
Fall 2015: MeNCANEND
The Fall 2015 Class of Blazers created the MenCanEnd project that held a variety of events, including a screening and facilitation of the documentary "The Mask You Live In", a fair of campus and local resources for survivors, and a fundraising banquet for the Voices Against Violence (VAV) Survivor's Emergency Fund, featuring UT's Vice-President of Student Affairs, and a performance by Spitshine Poetry . At the conclusion of the fundraiser, Texas Blazers donated $4,500 to the Voices Against Violence fund.
Due to reoccurring interest in this mission, the organization created a committee of Blazers to continue MenCanEnd as its own project.