Engaging young people in a volunteer immersion experience
Spring Break is often a notorious time for partying, but it can be so much more. Young people all around the country are taking Alternative Spring Breaks and using this time off to give back.
United Way of America has teamed with local communities across the Gulf Coast, including Lake Charles, LA, to mobilize the power, energy, and dedication of young adults to help rebuild after the devastation of Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, and Rita. These volunteers dedicate a week of their lives to rebuild communities.
Two such volunteers currently live right in Hamden, Connecticut and attend Quinnipiac University.
Julie Beck
Julie Beck, a senior Quinnipiac University student from East Brunswick, NJ, returned to Lake Charles, LA for the second year on her Spring Break to help revamp a park. As the leader of her group, she motivated 8 other students to paint, mulch, and clean debris with the help of the Parks Department. After two Alternative Spring Breaks with United Way, she is proud to see so many young people, like herself, who truly care about the state of our country.
Christine Su
Christine Su, a junior Quinnipiac University student from West Windsor, NJ, sought out an alternative spring break through the internet when her trip with Quinnipiac’s Campus Crusade for Christ fell through. Always going on community service trips, she decided to go by herself and helped to remodel a 2-part house to make it available for rent. The group painted the inside of the house and replaced the kitchen floors and the house fans.
