Meals on Wheels is a private non-profit organization committed to helping seniors in isolation and in hunger. Meals on Wheels Lubbock is a chapter of Meals on Wheels America a national organization who oversees more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country. Volunteers deliver nutritious meals to homes, visit with individuals who may be lonely or live alone, and perform safety checks to enable seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. Their mission is to empower local community programs to improve the health and quality of life of the seniors they serve so that no one is left hungry or isolated. Over the years, Texas Tech's Mandela Washington Fellowship cohorts have partnered with Meals on Wheels by commuting throughout the Lubbock area delivering meals to those in need.

 Ariel Djomakon joins in a day of delivering meals with a experienced Meals on Wheels volunteer.. 

The South Plains Food Bank, inc. is a humanitarian organization dedicated to serving West Texas by providing those who experience food insecurity with a helping hand. The South Plains Food Bank, inc. also extends opportunities for community members to both engage in service, as well as for employment within an environment that promotes community interaction and is enthusiastic about aiding the conclusion of the poverty cycle.

As a subdivision of Feeding America and Feeding Texas, the South Plains Food Bank is a community-based organization with the resources of a national campaign, currently employing more than 9,000 volunteers per year, with annual volunteer hours totaling over 40,000, and an outreach that extends through 20 counties in West Texas. South Plains Food Bank is appreciative to the many volunteers who help make our mission statement a reality.

The University of Texas System is one of the nation's largest systems of higher education, with 14 institutions that educate nearly 240,000 students. Texas Global advances UT Austin's academic mission by leading, supporting, and coordinating the university's international engagement efforts, fostering strategic partnerships on campus and abroad, welcoming a cadre of impressive international students and scholars to campus, and creating opportunities for students and faculty to engage with peers and institutions around the world.

The University of Texas at Austin has hosted the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (MWF-YAL) since its launch in 2014. During their six weeks on the Forty Acres, 25 emerging leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa are immersed in a Business and Leadership Institute developed in collaboration with the McCombs School of Business. Texas Tech University's Mandela cohorts collaborate with the University of Texas cohorts during the Fellowship by participating in community service events in Austin, Texas for Mandela Day.

2019 Fellowship visit to UT 

Texas A&M AgriLife Research is the state's premier research agency in agriculture, natural resources, and the life sciences. They conduct hundreds of projects spanning many scientific disciplines to deliver life-sustaining and industry-changing impacts to citizens throughout Texas and around the world. Texas AgriLife Research is a state agriculture agency that is part of Texas A&M AgriLife, which provides funding for research across many fields.

Lubbock is fortunate to have a satellite research station, which has been key to addressing issues for Southern High Plains producers. They develop and deliver information and technology that help production agriculture remain viable and profitable while preserving environmental resources and improving the quality of life for the region. The Lubbock Center was established in 1909 and serves a semi-arid agricultural region with over “six million acres of dryland and irrigated crops.” Research farms located in the region focus on improving regional crops such as cotton, corn, grain, sorghum, peanuts, and potatoes. Water conservation is another major focus extending to irrigation efficiency, cropping systems, algae biofuel systems, and water conservation for the Ogallala Aquifer.

Established in Lubbock in 1946, the United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. The Lubbock Area United Way top priorities include, ensuring all children are school-ready by kindergarten, eliminating child abuse and sex trafficking, and providing access to mental health services. The United Way also works closely with other non-profit partners in the community to collaborate their efforts to tackle a problem from many different angles and produce measurable outcomes. The United Way in Lubbock has been a recurring partner for Texas Tech's Mandela Washington Fellowship, and provides Fellows with educational academic sessions, site visits, and networking opportunities with United Way professionals.

Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, Citibank has more than $3 billion in assets with 28 branch locations and 17 mortgage locations throughout Texas and New Mexico. Since 1941, Citibank has been committed to offering its customers revolutionary products and services to stay in touch with their needs. Through this commitment, Citibank offers additional banking services including mortgage lending, trust, insurance, investments, indirect lending and private banking.

  The Lubbock City Council works closely with the Mayor and the City Manager to fulfill the legislative functions of the city, compose city ordinances and develop policies. The council looks at major projects, overall city goals and create initiatives to improve infrastructure. The city is divided into 6 districts which are each overseen by one council member. The general public is welcome to attend City Council meetings, and may speak about matters listed on the meeting's agenda. The Lubbock City Council welcomes Texas Tech's Mandela Washington Fellows each year along with Mayor Dan Pope.

Mayor Dan Pope

Dan Pope was elected as Mayor of the City of Lubbock on May 7th 2016 and was re-elected in November of 2020. Mayor Pope's goals are to serve the entire community, to create better communication between our citizens and City Hall, and to promote the positive aspects of life here in Lubbock. Public safety, creating new job opportunities, and bringing common sense leadership to City Hall operations are additional priorities of Dan's administration. As Mayor, Dan Pope honors the Texas Tech Mandela Washington Fellows each year with honorary citizenship certificates for Lubbock County.