AWB Virginia Pre-Trip

This winter break I'm traveling to Virginia with Alternative Breaks. We're going to be working with Camp Baker which serves as a respite camp for adults and children who have developmental disabilities. During one of our pre-trip meetings we took a short trip to two different local group homes. Group homes give adults with disabilities independence, while maintaining staff on site at all times to provide a supportive living environment. In Virginia one of my group's main shared goals is to foster personal bonds with the campers. We're also going to be helping with the maintenance of Camp Baker, such as painting. We'll be back next week and I'll let you know how it went!

AWB Mississippi Pre-Trip

After being selected to attend the Mississippi AWB, it was first important to attend the pre-trip meetings. A lot of the time spent at these meetings was getting to know the other members of the group as well as learning about the community that we would be traveling to. Clarksdale, Mississippi the home of the blues and also a struggling educational area would pose a task but also an opportunity to showcase the students who want to help those in need. The best part of this trip looks to be the group dynamic that we have already established and also the amount of community service will we be doing. Personally, I am excited to work in the school since it has always been a dream of mine to teach in some capacity. As it draws nearer to January 2, I am excited to head to Mississippi with the spirited members of RU to provide our support in helping those in need.

Rutgers Baseball Tees Fundraiser

Want to support Alternative Breaks? Buy our designed Rutgers apparel!

Purchase a Rutgers baseball-tee style shirt! Shirts cost only $12. If you would like to order one, please contact rualternativebreaks@gmail.com for more information.

Article about Alternative Breaks

This winter, thousands of college students nationwide will cut their sleigh riding and hot chocolate sipping short to travel around the country and the world on service trips.

About 72,000 students went on "alternative" break trips in 2009, most of them spring break. But of 1,430 winter, spring, summer and weekend alternative breaks, about 140 were during winter break, says Samantha Giacobozzi, programs director for Break Away, an alternative-break resource that represents more than 140 participating colleges.

"Alternative breaks are meant to cultivate "a society of active citizens, of people who make community a life priority," Giacobozzi says. "We see alternative breaks as being a catalyst for pushing students to become activist citizens."

"Alternative breaks can really get a young person into doing this (service) and then when they go back home, they seek out similar experience near campus," says Maureen Curley, president of Campus Compact, a national coalition of more than 1,100 colleges dedicated to community service and civic engagement.

"Episodic volunteering is a way that you can introduce a student to the power of service," she says.

Read More: http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/mind-soul/doing-good/2010-11-29-sharing-alternative-break_N.htm

Ready for Alternative Winter Break Trips?

Hello!

December is an exciting time for Alternative Breaks. We're prepping for our finals, holding our last semester meetings, and getting ready for our 4 Alternative Winter Break trips!

This year, we'll have designated student bloggers and photographers for the trips, so you'll be able to glimpse into the experience on this website.

We're sending our best wishes to the participants going on the following Rutgers alternative break trips:

Mississippi Delta - Home Rehabilitation/Educational achievement gap
New Orleans - Disaster Relief
Virginia - Issues of developmentally disabled adults and children
Florida – Give Kids the World Village

Check back for more updates!