Newswise — Instead of lounging on sunny beaches or enjoying the familiarity of home, six students from Central New York's Ithaca College will travel 250 miles to spend spring break (March 9 to 13) sleeping on open-bay bunks and volunteering at the Community for Creative Non-Violence. One of the largest homeless shelters in the country, the Community daily provides up to 2,500 poor and homeless people with food, shelter, clothing, medical care, case management, and educational support. The Ithaca College students will support those efforts by preparing meals from donated food, doing clean-up projects, and building relationships with the residents. Their efforts are part of Ithaca College's Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program.
"We started the ASB program in 2003 as a way to give students a chance to perform community service during the week of Spring Break," said Deborah Mohlenhoff, assistant director of community service and leadership development. "We've found that a lot of them are nervous about stepping out of their comfort zones, but once they take the plunge, they come back knowing they have the ability to positively impact other people's lives."
The students will be at the Community for Creative Non-Violence from Monday to Friday, March 9 to 13. The trip coordinator at the Community will be sophomore Ayshea Khan, cell: (678) 687-0911. Interested media are invited to call her on site.
For more information on the Alternative Spring Break program at Ithaca College, contact Deborah Mohlenhoff; cell: (607) 351-0047; office: (607) 274-3222; e-mail: [email protected]
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