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Printer-Friendly ModeAlternative Break students to help four U.S. communities next week
February 26, 2007 —
During spring break, four groups of SVSU students will give up their week off school to help others in need as part of the Alternative Breaks program.
Each trip focuses on a specific issue that they will base their volunteer work on.
"[Alternative Breaks] looks for people who are committed to doing quality work and putting their whole heart into the organization," said sophomore and Student Coordinator of Alternative Breaks Jamey Latocki.
The first group will be traveling to Bedford, New Hampshire, and will be focusing on the issue of youth and children. Site Leader Nick Tereck and 11 other students will be helping the Girl Scouts of the Swift Water Council with after-school activities.
The second group will be traveling to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and will be focusing on the issue of literacy and education.
Site Leaders Jessica Sanchez and Julie Phenis and 10 other students will be helping Cherokee Nation with their Head Start Program. With the Head Start Program, students help kids with their reading and writing abilities.
Cherokee Nation is not a reservation, but rather "a federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and thereby had sovereign status granted by treaty and law," according to their official Web site, Cherokee.org.
The third group will be traveling to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to team up with the United Way and MTV Storm Corps and will be focusing on health and wellness. Site Leaders Tiffany Giattino and Ashley Holdsworth and 10 other students will be helping rebuild a high school football stadium and helping rebuild and gut-out homes for hurricane relief.
The fourth group will be traveling to the Dominican Republic and will be focusing on diversity and culture. Site Leaders Jamey Latocki and Thad McGiness and 11 other students will be staying and working in an orphanage. In addition to working in the orphanage, they will also go to local schools to help teach basic English to elementary students.
Alternative Breaks is a student-run organization that offers an opportunity for people who may or may not have a passion for a particular issue to volunteer their time and money to help out with a variety of issues.
"We want people to be able to connect [with] the issue and come back to the community and want to [continue to] help the issue," Latocki said.
Students who are interested in applying to go on an Alternative Breaks trip should not be discouraged if they do not have prior volunteer experience, as previous volunteer work is not a requirement.
"We understand that this could be the organization that creates a life-long active citizen," Latocki explains as the reason why previous volunteer experience is not necessary.
"[We look for] people who have time, people who are going to be committed, [and] people who have a passion and love for the issue," Latocki said.