The punch list of projects is long, but the 84 students and staff members volunteering their time this week are determined to make a difference during The University of Akron’s annual Alternative Spring Break.
The volunteers are working on a wide variety of service projects in one of three locations — Asheville, N.C., Atlanta, Ga., and Winder Ga.
For the last 12 years, UA students and staff have dedicated their week “off” during Spring Break as a time to give back to the community. The ASB program, overseen by the Department of Student Life – serveAkron, originated on campus following Hurricane Katrina. Over the years, the program has expanded to provide a variety of service experiences for those who participate, each targeting different social justice issues, service projects, nonprofit partners and populations served.
By the end of their five days of service, the UA teams will have dedicated more than 2,630 hours of service, the equivalent of more than $21,480 in minimum wage work, through their time off campus, estimates Alison Doehring, assistant director of Student Life.
“This year, groups will work to influence social justice issues such as sustainability, homelessness, poverty, environment, and youth education,” says Doehring. “Our participants are not only giving back to the community in which they are visiting, but they are also developing meaningful relationships with their peers, which, as we know, leads to connectedness to campus and a deeper sense of pride for their institution.”
Here are some of the projects on the punch list for the UA teams:
- In Ashville, a group of 15 volunteers is working with GreenWorks on such environmental projects as tree planting, roadside clean up, orchard planning and community gardening.
- A team of 25 volunteers in Atlanta will partner with City of Refuge to tackle issues of homelessness and poverty. They will be working with children in an after-school program, landscaping around the agency’s campus and organizing donations. They will also have intentional discussions with agency residents about the cycle of poverty and overcoming obstacles.
- For the 6th consecutive year, the volunteers based in Winder, who are all members of UA’s fraternity and sorority community, will volunteer with Camp Twin Lakes. This agency, dedicated to providing a welcoming camp environment for various nonprofits, has a long list of projects. The 44 volunteers will be spreading mulch around the camp, painting decorations for camp dances, installing sod on a new baseball field, constructing chicken coops, gardening and performing maintenance on an equestrian area.
The three Alternative Spring Break teams are doing a takeover of The University of Akron’s Snapchat account. You can follow along all week – username “uakron.” You also can follow @serveAkron on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
