Rather than basking in the sun on an exotic island, some Ohio State students have opted to spend their spring break doing volunteer work.
Organizations such as Project Community, Habitat for Humanity and Residence Education are sending a select number of students to different service sites around the country and even abroad.
Project Community is hosting its first service-oriented spring break trip this year. Thirty-four students will work in New York City from March 23-28.
“We have a good variety of students,” said Jen Bossard, coordinator for Project Community. “They’ve been selected through an application process. We’re taking three to five students from 10 to 12 organizations.”
Volunteers are picked from service organizations and social and honorary groups.
During spring break, Project Community will work with Youth Service Opportunities Project, a New York service organization.
“They organize all the service agencies that we’ll be working with,” Bossard said.
The students will volunteer in soup kitchens, homeless shelters and drop-in centers, serving meals and cleaning food pantries. Volunteers can spend the evenings on their own. The $50 cost for the trip includes a performance of the play “Rent.”
Habitat for Humanity is continuing its annual Collegiate Challenge in Jacksonville, Fla., from March 23-30.
“We like it there (in Jacksonville),” said Kristin Freudenreich, president of Habitat for Humanity at OSU. “They have lots of projects for us, and it’s warm.”
About 12 students will be working with Habijax, a Jacksonville affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, the sponsor of the group’s trip.
“We’ll be building houses all week long with other university groups,” Freudenreich said. “But we’ll have a couple of nights to eat dinner and have fun.”
Volunteers do not need to be members of OSU’s Habitat for Humanity to attend the trip, but past experience is preferred.
“We do suggest that they have worked on construction sites in the past so they’re not shocked or bewildered,” Freudenreich said.
A specific fee has not been determined, but Freudenreich estimates a $250 fee for each volunteer.
“The cost goes toward a donation to the affiliate, a place to stay and meals,” she said. “Another part (of the cost) goes toward gas.”
The Multicultural Understanding through Non-traditional Discovery Opportunities (MUNDO) living-learning program at OSU will be taking students overseas.
March 21-29, 10 undergraduates, two graduates and two staff members will volunteer at the American Church in London.
“We’ll be helping clean up the facility and serving meals to lower-income families,” said Julius Mayo, coordinator for Residence Education.
The $1,000 bill for each student goes toward transportation, housing, meals and extra activities.
“We’ll be having lunch with the British League of Muslims,” Mayo said.
To prepare for the trip, volunteers were required to complete a minimum of 30 service hours as well as the EDU P&L 271M course during winter quarter. The course focuses on American and British culture, and cross-cultural issues.
“The goal of MUNDO is to gain cross-cultural understanding,” Mayo said.
He hopes students will utilize the course in London and apply their experiences when they return.
“The Conflict in Change agency helps resolves differences. They help people live together better,” Mayo said. “We hope to take some of this back to the U.S.”
