Hamilton's 13th annual Alternative Spring Break (ASB) will take a new turn this year as all six volunteer service trips will travel to cities in Louisiana and Mississippi that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Students have embraced the idea, with the maximum number of 66 participants signed up for ASB 2006: Cleaning Up After Katrina.
Sharon Hakim '06, co-director of ASB with Dan Nelson '06, said the group decided to refocus Alternative Spring Break because "We really felt that help would still be needed in March, even when the media attention is not on that area anymore."
Normally Hamilton's Alternative Spring Break offers trips to several different cities to work with such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, the Nature Conservancy and the YMCA.
Hamilton's ASB program was initially sponsored by the Hamilton Action Volunteer Outreach Coalition (HAVOC), 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; the number of participants has steadily increased and now ASB offers six trips per year. ASB has now evolved into its own student organization with an executive board, that runs the program with Hamilton's chaplaincy.
Hakim said this year's Katrina clean-up trip will be a challenge financially. "We chose not to raise the cost per participants because we don't want to discourage people from volunteering" said Hakim. "But our operating budget this year is $23,000 versus $16,000 last year, due to the greater distance, the rising cost of gas, more time spent volunteering and charities that really can't afford to support us while we are there." Because of the distance involved – 1,400 miles from Clinton -- the students will go for nine days of their spring break, instead of the usual five or six days. Participants will work with organizations on a variety of projects.
* United Way, New Orleans. Hamilton students will help dig schools and charities out from under rubble that remains. This effort is being coordinated through alumna Amanda Smithson '00, who works for the New Orleans United Way.
* The Nature Conservancy, New Orleans. Volunteers will do trail work at a nature preserve that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
* Louisiana State University Baton Rouge. Students will do outreach, working with Louisiana State's own Alternative Spring Break group because their resources are strained.
* Triangle of Hope Ministries, Bogalusa, Louisiana. Students will do construction/repair of homes damaged and will conduct needs assessment. After undergoing training they will go door to door to see what residents need so non-profit groups can then assist them.
* The Boys and Girls Club, Baton Rouge. Outreach work will be done with Louisiana State.
* Heritage Conservation Network, Biloxi. This group protects historical homes. Students will help with construction and repairs.
ASB's biggest fundraiser, an all-day silent auction, will take place on March 2 at the Annex. A live auction will begin at 7 p.m. Hakim said the group would welcome donations of items for the auctions as well as monetary contributions to defray the cost of the trip. Contact her at shakim@hamilton.edu.
