Students Help Others on Alternative Spring Break

From March 3-7, six NSU undergraduate students participated in the Alternative Spring Break trip called Leaders Gone Wild.

On Monday, March 3, the group embarked for Albany, Ga., to build houses with Habitat for Humanity. Tuesday morning, due to a tornado watch, the group was informed that they would be unable to work on the houses. Determined to serve, the group found out that St Paul’s Episcopal Church was badly in need of volunteers to help with their soup kitchen. The students spent the morning serving food and interacting with those whom they served. While serving at the soup kitchen, the news anchor of the local NBC affiliate filmed and interviewed them for a story seen here: http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=7964907&nav=menu37_3 . Later that day, the group visited the international headquarters of Habitat for Humanity where they learned about global poverty and had an opportunity to walk through the different culturally sensitive homes that Habitat for Humanity builds internationally.

On Wednesday, NSU students worked all day alongside two other college groups. Over dinner, the students discussed the value of service and contribution. One highlight of the day was the opportunity to work alongside the family whose house they were building. The future homeowner brought her son, nephew and a friend to work together in the construction of the house.

Thursday was the last day at the site. The students worked diligently in the morning to complete their tasks. At 11 a.m., students from Lincoln Elementary School picked up the group and brought them to their school. They had saved their pennies to provide lunch. The Lincoln Elementary School Chorus performed three songs, including “It’s a Small World” and “Raise Me Up.” The Student Council members took the NSU group on a tour of the school. It was a treat for both the college and elementary school students to get to share that time together.

The trip was led by Marcie Washington and Terry Morrow in the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. Students on the trip were Renato Balducci, Naika Gabriel, Chau Leminh, Stanley Evariste, Vivian Martin Del Campo and Vanessa Moody. Balducci is working with the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement to develop a NSU chapter of Habitat for Humanity.