Laker Life

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Alternative weekend breaks open for winter service

By Susie Skowronek GVL Laker Life Editor
1/20/2010

For those students who cannot find the time or money to embark on an alternative spring break, the students organization Alternative Breaks offers a weekend option.

Weekend breaks offer service opportunities for those without a free week during spring or winter breaks as well as those who cannot afford to participate in the lengthier trips.

"There are fewer barriers for the weekend trips," said Alisha Wallace, weekend and winter break chair. "They are like introductions to Alternative Breaks."

Participants do about 15 hours of service on each of the five total weekend breaks scheduled this school year. Weekend trips cost $45, which covers travel, food and lodging.

On the next weekend trip scheduled for Feb. 27 and 28, students will provide sports therapy for individuals with disabilities. Participants will assist with outdoor activities such as skiiing.

Future weekend breaks include women's health on March 27 and 28, and youth and education on April 10 and 11.

Saturday and Sunday, a group went to a mystery town to assist individuals with disabilities at a camp.

"Disabilities are some things people don't encounter every day," Wallace said. "Participants went outside their barriers."

Wallace added some people did not have experience working with people with physical or mental disabilities. Nonetheless, students did arts, crafts and other camp activities with the campers.

Wallace said Alternative Breaks operates using a continuum. At the bottom of the spectrum are members, people who do not care about issues and do not volunteer. Active citizens work at the top of the spectrum, putting community first in all their actions.

"We want to take someone who is a member or volunteer - someone who does not know exactly what an issue is or what it means to him or her - and transform the person into an active participant," Wallace said. "We want people to return to their communities and ask, 'Now what am I going to do?'"

She added Alternative Breaks will not necessarily rocket a member to an active participant in one volunteer experience.

Wallace said serving with Alternative Breaks has made her re-evaluate herself as a person and as a citizen.

"It wasn't until I returned to an organization and saw how important it is to foster citizenship in members that I felt like a conscientious or an active citizen," Wallace said.

Last semester, students worked with an inter-generational community. They cooperated with a nonprofit organization that provides outreach to the elderly through in-home care and relationship building.

"This service strengthens the relationship between older and younger members of the community," Wallace added.

In one instance, students cleaned a woman's home. Trip participants also painted rooms in a living center - a task the elders could not do.

Her freshman year, Wallace participated in her first spring break trip with Alternative Breaks - animal rights. Since then, she has participated in or led several weekend breaks, including individuals with disabilities, inter-generational community and youth and education.

"Alternative Breaks is a huge passion of mine," Wallace said. "You get to focus on service and learning at the same time. Participants are able to reflect on what they had done and apply it to what they do on campus."

Alternative Breaks will still accept applications for spring break trips, which will send students to work on one of 17 causes. Trips cost $275.

For more information about the spring break trips, visit http://www.gvsualternativebreaks.com.

lakerlife@lanthorn.com

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