Date: 2/27/08
Contact: Marc Lebovitz
A record 144 students and 11 faculty and staff from Illinois State University will leave campus heading south and heading east on March 8 to spend their spring break helping those less fortunate.
The registered student organization Alternative Spring Break, hosted through the Leadership and Service Unit of the Dean of Students Office, will be sending a group of 45 to Atlanta, Ga., 55 people to New Orleans and 55 others to Philadelphia, Pa., to volunteer for projects helping the elderly, refugees, children and neighborhoods.
Alternative Spring Break (ASB) provides students of Illinois State with the opportunity of a lifetime a weeklong trip to locations across the country to help meet needs in the community. Students can volunteer to help build homes for those affected by Hurricane Katrina, feed hungry families, tutor young children and much more. Past trips have included gutting homes affected by hurricanes, environmental cleanup, preparing meals for seriously ill people and facilities work for an organization that works with at-risk youth.
Harriett Steinbach, Community Service Specialist at ISU, oversees the program, which over the years has helped break down public stereotypes of how college students spend spring break.
“The students participating in ASB are amazing,” Steinbach said. “They show a tremendous commitment to community service and social justice. These students are the future civic leaders.”
Thirty people group going to Atlanta will be volunteering at Wesley Community Center assisting elderly people with projects/home repair. Fifteen others in Atlanta will be working with the Family Heritage Foundation, a program that assists refugees, tutoringkids and preparing apartments for new refugees.
All 55 people going to Philadelphia will be doing park/community center/ playground/neighborhood cleanup and revitalization. The group of 55 going to New Orleans will help build houses with Habitat for Humanity.
“ASB,” said co-coordinator and senior Ashley Velon, “is a great opportunity for students to travel, connect with other students, broaden their horizons and learn about social issues, all while helping people in need.”
The Alternative Spring Break groups will leave campus on Saturday, March 8, at 8, 9 and 10 p.m. from Bone Student Center and will return to that location on Saturday, March 15.
