Sign-up begins today for Alternative Breaks
Kirsten Trombly wanted to get involved.
That, and her desire to increase her awareness about social issues, inspired the Metamora junior to sign up for an Alternative Break, a program offered by CMU for students to take weekends or even spring break to volunteer around the state, country or the world.
Trombly said she enjoyed her experience doing civil rights work in Tuskegee, Ala., so much, she decided to sign-up for another break. Her second service project took her across the globe to Poland and Germany.
She and her site mates found themselves restoring barracks in Auschwitz and other Holocaust concentration camps. The camps now operate as museums that educate people about the Holocaust.
Trombly said her volunteer experiences were empowering.
“I feel like now I can go out and educate people all the time,” she said.
Making an impact
Sign-up for domestic Alternative Winter Breaks and the International Alternative Spring Break starts at 7:30 a.m. Monday on the Volunteer Center Web site, volunteer.cmich.edu.
Alternative Breaks Advisory Board Chairwoman Danielle Schmutz said service projects give students the opportunity to become better citizens.
“In every action they do, they are taking into consideration its impact on their community,” the Rockford senior said.
Although students will have a variety of issues to choose from, including civil rights, youth and hunger and homelessness issues, they will not be notified of their break destination until sign-up ends.
Schmutz said the Volunteer Center does this to ensure students volunteer care about the issue and do not view alternative breaks as a vacation.
“It’s not about the location you are traveling to,” Schmutz said. “It’s about the service you are providing to the community and impact you’ll have.”
Paw Paw senior and Volunteer Center student staff Brooke Willis said participating in Alternative Breaks has made her more open-minded about different issues.
“You can help people better if you get to know them personally, rather than just as a group,” she said.
‘A lifetime trip’
Willis has participated in at least five Alternative Breaks, helping with at-risk youth, immigration and border control and elderly issues.
Willis, leading an alternative break to Belize this year, said the experience taught her that every day is an opportunity to perform a kind deed.
“Act as if every single day is a service trip,” she said. “Make it a lifetime trip.”
The 2009-10 Alternative Breaks will include new issues such as rural poverty, LGBT issues, prison reform, Native American issues and women’s issues.
“We look at what students are interested in, what are pertinent issues right now,” Schmutz said. “It’s going to be a meaningful way (for students) to spend their break.”
