Mavericks Give Back

Debbie Schraeder volunteers extensively across Omaha, dedicating her time to arts, education, service, and community outreach. Since retiring, she has embraced volunteerism as both a way to give back and to stay deeply connected to her community.

“I volunteer because I believe in giving back and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. It also allows me to show kindness to others and it’s a great way to meet new people,” said Schraeder. “Volunteering gives life more meaning and fulfillment!”

Schraeder serves as an Omaha Performing Arts Ambassador, regularly donates blood through the American Red Cross and volunteers with her church, teaching Sunday School and helping with the youth group. She is also an active volunteer at UNO, donating her time to support the UNO Alumni Association’s Career Closet, judging at the Student Research and Creative Activity Fair, assisting with the MathLink Conference, and participating in UNO Days of Service, including projects benefiting the Ronald McDonald House.

Jennifer Leverett serves as the Delegation Manager for the Southwest Iowa Challengers Special Olympics team, a role she has held since the team’s founding in July 2023. What began with eight athletes has grown rapidly to 20 by the end of the first year and an expected 40 athletes this year.

“I do it so athletes of all abilities get an opportunity,” said Leverett. “I do it for the pure joy seeing these athletes grow and seeing they can do more than they ever thought.”

Leverett manages all aspects of the team, including athlete safety, fundraising, social media, volunteer recruitment, community partnerships, and practice facilities. She also serves as one of the head coaches. In addition, she raised the most money as an individual participant in her local Polar Plunge fundraiser this year.

On average, Leverett dedicates five to seven hours each week to the team. Her motivation is deeply personal, sparked by her role as a caregiver and forever family member to a young adult who needed a team after high school.

“Volunteering with Special Olympics will change your life. I’m the lucky one who gets to do this,” said Leverett.

Dorothy Rasgorshek volunteers her time and leadership through Chi Omega and the Omaha Panhellenic Alumnae Association (OPAA), supporting scholarships, philanthropy and alumna engagement.

Rasgorshek played a key role in organizing Chi Omega’s annual Founders Day event, “Eleusinia,” coordinating with advisory and collegian leaders on publicity, scholarship selection and event logistics. As a House Corporation board member, she helped oversee the selection of three scholarship recipients and shared outreach through the XO Foundation Ambassador newsletter. Through her service on the OPAA board, Rasgorshek also helped judge scholarship applications.

At this year’s celebration, Rasgorshek received her 70th‑year Chi Omega certificate, marking decades of continued involvement and service alongside fellow UNO Zeta Delta Chi Omegas.

For UNO Alumni Month of Service 2026, Don Hotz volunteered at UNO Gratitude Day on campus with his grandnephew Zach Gutowski, who is a sophomore at UNO. He also donated time as a speech judge, parking attendant, photographer and any other duty assigned at the District 24 Toastmaster Annual Conference.

“I volunteer because I know that if these organizations don’t have enough people willing to step up and volunteer, many events would not be able to happen,” said Hotz. “I just believe in doing my fair share; dates back to the way my parents raised me.”

Ashley Mott volunteers with the Belleville Area Humane Society (BAHS) in rural Illinois. She takes adoptable animals to the local news station and speaks about animal welfare, upcoming events, and programs.

“I enjoy working with outreach efforts with BAHS because it has allowed me to better my public speaking skills while feeling connected to the community,” said Mott.

King has volunteered with the Christian Benevolent Pantry in Plano, TX for close to 10 years. When she started, they served 180 families. Today, the pantry, run solely by volunteers, provides food to nearly 400 families or 1,350 people. 

King also volunteers with the MS Society each spring. Her and her husband worked at the Dallas MS Walk earlier this month and now she is busy helping prepare for Bike MS, a 150 mile fund-raising bike ride through Northern Texas. 

“I volunteer for the MS Society because my daughter has suffered with MS for over 20 years,” said King. 

King also serves as a UNO Alumni Chapter Lead for the Dallas/Fort Worth Mavericks, helping to connect UNO alumni in the area, planning events and engagement activities. 

Wilson volunteers at The Durham Museum. He is pictured here at the “What is it Wednesday” station, where an artifact is on display and patrons get to guess what it is. On this day, it was a flask owned by Emil Brandeis that was recovered with him when he perished in the Titanic disaster in 1912.    

“I volunteer because it feels right to give back and I find it fun to engage with new people and kids who visit the museum,” said Wilson. 

Thomas holds weekly creative writing workshops for incarcerated individuals at the Marshall County Jail in Indiana. Through incorporating trauma-informed pedagogy, he provides opportunities for participants to embrace their own creativity for self-expression, write about their own trauma and struggles within a supportive environment and learn techniques to use writing as a healthier way to handle life’s difficulties. 

“Starting early in my teaching and writing consultant career, I have frequently worked with students recently released from incarceration. They show me the importance of writing in their recovery and rehabilitation. I have also been inspired by the work of one of my graduate program classmates, Dustin Pendley, who works for UNO and has developed a writing program for incarcerated individuals in Nebraska, and Dr. Lisa Knopp’s (one of my writing professors at UNO) involvement with incarcerated individuals.” 

Kathy and her dog, Sophie, are one of four teams of certified pet therapy dogs representing the “Love on a Leash”—Omaha chapter. They visit Boys Town pediatric hospital unit where residents, staff and family members enjoy pet therapy by relaxing with the dogs. The duo also visits Sunridge Village retirement facility each month. 

“After 40 years as a professional, I looked forward to continuing my work as a Speech-Language Pathologist during retirement, but in a different capacity. I knew of animal assisted therapy and felt I would enjoy giving back to my community through pet therapy. I chose Sophie, a Bernadoodle, as the breed is reported to have a good temperament. She is a wonderful member of our community and deserves all the accolades (and pets) she receives. We both feel rewarded through our activity with Love on a Leash.” 

“I frequently volunteer with Habitat for Humanity helping build affordable houses in North Omaha. This week we were framing a house on 34th and Bedford. I volunteer with Habitat because general construction is a skill that helped pay for my education at UNO. It seemed like a great way to give back to the community.” 

Since retiring, Gene served on the Board of Directors of Nebraska Trout Unlimited for 16 years including two as President. He is now a volunteer Youth Education Coordinator helping teach school-aged children about raising trout, their food sources and how to fly fish throughout the state of Nebraska. This month, he shared his appreciation and expertise at field trips for more than 100 schools and outdoor events hosted by the Nebraska Game and Parks. 

“I want kids to learn about and appreciate the outdoors so there will still be advocates for the appreciation of the outdoor resources that we have for future generations,” said Kathol.