Alternative Break gets ready for Spring

By Sarah Casson

With the February 9 deadline for AltBreak fast approaching student organizers have been working for a long while to plan everything from the trips’ mode of transportation to how to feed their student volunteers.

The student coordinators begin the process for AltBreak trips 2 to 3 months before trips, that they may or may not go on, occur. Together they get the planning process going, select leaders in an application process, facilitate transportation to the sites and more. This begins in December or January and in the fall the process starts about 2 weeks into the school year.

This spring break there will be three trips, all differing in the type of community service they provide. One will go to Milwaukee where the crew will work on a community garden. Another will go to Umay, Arizona to help at a veterans’ event where services such as health care will be provided to them. The last will go to Mananda County Forest, California to be part of a conservation program. All are opportunities to do good for communities around the country.

According the AltBreak leaders students with any level of experience are welcome to apply for the spring break trips. Students who have a service project that they would like to see done can easily apply to be a leader of a trip for next year. “You don’t have to have any previous experience, you don’t need to have gone on a previous trip,” says Zach Razavi ’08, one of this break’s coordinators. “All you need is a co-leader and a well written application.”

Of course, to put in all that effort, students must feel strongly for AltBreak. “I love AltBreak, it’s just a great way to give back, and to get out as well,” said Justin Erickson ’10, another trip coordinator.