AliciaStrusa21810

=Alternative Spring Break=

By: Alicia Strusa strusaa@students.nescom.edu


 * ORONO** - The tragedy in Haiti has affected us all. With spring break just around the corner, it's a perfect opportunity for some students to give back.

To help those in Haiti, why not start small? For 11 years, students from the University of Maine in Orono have been taking part in the Alternative Spring Break program. (ASB) Students spend their time volunteering throughout the United States where their help is needed. Rebecca Workman, volunteer for the Alternative Spring Break program, said there are many students volunteering this year. "Throughout the year, we do service here on campus, and in our local area. We strive to do anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 hours of community service in a local area before we go on our trip," said Workman. "Every student does anywhere from 40 to 60 hours of community service on their spring break trip."

This year, 90 students are taking part in the Alternative Spring Break program. UMaine student, Sean Campbell, has done the program before and said it's a great experience.

"Last year I went to Jacksonville, Florida to help out the Boys and Girls Club, and each day we went to different Boys and Girls Clubs and worked with the kids," said Campbell. "ASB is just such an amazing experience... You get to help out the community and travel and see problems in the world that you wouldn't get to see otherwise. We do stuff in Maine too and it's a good experience to have."

Places like Miguel's Mexican Restaurant in Bangor, agreed to donate 10 percent of their tip share to help fund the trip.

In the past, the ASB group has gone to New York, Florida, New Orleans, California and Washington D.C.

For more information or how you can help to donate money, you can e-mail the Alternative Spring Break Coordinator at rebecca.workman@umit.maine.edu media type="youtube" key="5oJaRWIamBM" height="274" width="339"