Title:Day of service returns after pandemic hiatus

On April 30, alumni from around the world came together for the ninth annual Hoyas Give Baxa, a coordinated day of community service.

This uniquely Georgetown event invites alumni and their families to participate in such projects as hosting youth clinics for basketball, working to feed the unhoused, cleaning park trails, and more.

“One of our core Jesuit values is being a person for others,” says Sam Sanders (C’07, G’13), director of regional engagement for the Georgetown University Alumni Association. “I’m thrilled that our alumni around the world choose, year after year, even with the impact of COVID-19, to help others in their hometowns.”

After a two-year hiatus necessitated by the global pandemic, the GUAA team brought the event back with a hybrid option: regional clubs could choose to participate virtually or in person. The 2022 event saw 30 domestic projects and one international virtual one. Over 230 alumni participated.

“Hoyas Give Baxa is one of the best alumni programming events each year. It invites us to come together, to work together, and offer service rooted in justice and love,” shares Gabrielle Lambert (C’96), president of the Club of Los Angeles.

Each club chooses the local organization they will serve. For many, the event is a celebration of service as well as a project. For those who participated this year, Hoyas Give Baxa offered a chance to reconnect with fellow alumni after the forced separation of the pandemic.

“Volunteering at the LA Mission in particular allowed us to offer our time and hands to an organization that breaks the cycle of homelessness and poverty by stabilizing people in a safe and spiritual environment,” adds Lambert. “That community support is exactly what being people for others is all about!”