University of the Incarnate Word

09/24/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/24/2026 10:27

UIWSOM Mission Day of Service

On Meet the Mission Day, University of the Incarnate Word students and employees served the greater San Antonio community. The University of the Incarnate Word School of Medicine (UIWSOM) hosted its first Mission Day of Service, bringing the Mission Groups' commitment to fellowship, service, connection and community impact to life. More than eighty OMSI, OMSII, and OMSIII students, along with faculty and staff, volunteered across five community service sites: Any Baby Can, San Antonio Food Bank, St. Stephen's CARE Center, the SOM Garden and The Race for Mental Health. The day provided an opportunity for the UIWSOM community to serve together, strengthen connections and make a meaningful impact. This initiative was organized through the Mission Groups under the Office of Student Affairs.

Dorian Chavez, OMSI student, stated, "Attending the food packaging event at the San Antonio Food Bank allowed me to serve my local community. It's something that I have done before, but being able to help feed the community that raised me is something I want to continue to practice as I train to be a physician. Seeing that we generated ten thousand meals through our efforts on Saturday allowed me to give back to the city and people that I love. Being able to do this with my friends and seeing the effort of other organizations was very fulfilling, and I can't wait to do it again."

At St. Stephen's CARE Center, volunteer Robert Anaya, OMSII, shared, "I was able to stock and clean shelves for families and individuals to have a shopping experience that provides them with the dignity and respect they deserve. I was also able to connect with my peers and faculty."

"I believe my experience with Any Baby Can was truly transformative and helped me understand more about the importance of care holistically and how to approach children and parents that are struggling. It also creates a model for truly helping others in a manner that addresses their needs." expressed Sriharish Bellamkonda, OMSII.

Quynh-An Phan, OMSI said, "This event highlighted the role of care facilities, such as St. Stephen's, in overseeing the welfare of those who are not routinely cared for. Dr. Villalpando's efforts for SOM Mission Day of Service to be a tradition make it easy to be a part of UIWSOM's pledge to serve."

The Mental Health Race event uplifted the community. Especially, Gursimranjit Waraich, OMSI, who shared, "Through this service activity, I was able to help create a positive, supportive environment for race participants and members of the community. Encouraging participants as part of the cheer squad with fellow students... helped create a fun, energetic atmosphere for this race for mental health."

Since the first Meet the Mission Day, the event has grown to over 400 members of the UIW community who deploy to over 25 Community Partner sites performing service projects on a single day. Meet the Mission is organized and sponsored by the Office of Mission and Ministry under the leadership of Vice President of Mission and Ministry, Sr. Walter Maher, CCVI, and is held every September.

University of the Incarnate Word published this content on September 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 24, 2026 at 16:27 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]