While many of their peers head off to the beaches of Cancun and Florida for colleges' annual spring break, 96 students from Hamilton College are packing up to do volunteer work in eight cities during Hamilton's break, from March 15-29. The students are participating in Alternative Spring Break, a series of trips geared toward community service.
Alternative Spring Break is intended to increase students' awareness and concern of social issues while generating a life-long interest in community service. This year Hamilton students will take trips to:
- Urban Plunge, Washington D.C., where they will work with various sites for homeless and hunger issues and community involvement;
- Nature Conservancy, Douglas, Ga., where students will help to preserve nature;
- YWCA, Jacksonville, Fla., students will live in and assist community programs sponsored by the YWCA;
- Habitat for Humanity, Hickory, N.C., building a new house for a needy family;
- New Orleans Urban Plunge, work with various sites for homeless and hunger issues and community involvement;
- Home for Girls in Rockhill, S.C., help with maintenance projects combined with interaction with the home's residents;
- Nature Conservancy, Tennessee Trails, Crossville, Tenn., where participants will help to maintain trails and ecological projects.
Hamilton's Alternative Spring Break program (ASB) is sponsored by the Hamilton Action Volunteer Outreach Coalition, a student-run organization that provides community service in Oneida County. The Alternative Spring Break program was started in 1993 when 20 students traveled to Miami to work on Hurricane Andrew relief with Habitat for Humanity. The following year the number of students doubled; each year since, the number of participants has increased.
Participants in the ASB trips hold a number of fundraisers throughout the academic year to earn money for their expenses, which include van rentals, accommodations, meals and, in some cases, site fees.
