Boston University Community Service Center
Alternative Spring Breaks 2011
Boston University Community Service Center
Alternative Spring Breaks 2011
March 12-20, 2011
Alternative Spring Breaks (ASB) promotes community service, develops leadership skills, and creates strong bonds among its participants. Each year, Boston University volunteers and faculty/staff Chaperones spend their spring breaks participating in volunteer work throughout the country addressing issues such as environmental protection, affordable housing, hunger, elders’ issues, education, HIV/AIDS, and disabilities.
Each of the trips is comprised of two Coordinators, ten to thirteen volunteers, and one faculty/staff Chaperone. The Chaperone has certain responsibilities that are critical to the operation of the trip. These responsibilities are as follows:
- The Chaperone is in charge of handling the transfer of money for all group expenses. Money will be provided to the Chaperone prior to the trip’s departure. The Chaperone must monitor all group spending, such as gas, tolls, and groceries, and save all receipts for those expenses. Those chaperones on flying trips will be responsible for picking up and driving one of the rental vehicles in the destination city.
- The Chaperone should take charge in case of an emergency or in the case of a Coordinator not fulfilling his or her responsibilities, but please be aware that the Coordinators are the primary leaders of the trip.
- Chaperones are charged with promoting the “Zero Tolerance/Substance Free” nature of the trip and the standards of Boston University.
- Have fun! Chaperones on ASB are volunteers too! Typically, ASB Chaperones experience the same personal growth and broadened perspective that the volunteers experience. Instances in which a Chaperone must specifically intervene as a leader are extremely rare.
- Further details will be provided once Chaperones are selected.
Please turn in the application as soon as possible. We assign trips on a first come, first serve basis. If you have any questions about being a chaperone, please contact Dana Couch or Ray Curran at 617-353-4710 or at .
Thank you!
Alternative Spring Breaks 2011 Destinations
Please read the descriptions and rank the sites from 1 to 10, with 1 being the trip you would most like to participate in. Mark with an “X” any sites you are NOT willing to participate in. We will do our best to fit you with your top choice, but we can make no guarantees.
Thank you for you interest in ASB 2011!
Affordable Housing:
_____ Macon, GA: Rebuilding Macon
Volunteers will work with Rebuilding Macon, an affordable housing program that builds homes for the elderly, people with disabilities, low income families and families with children.
Children:
_____ Memphis, TN: Target House
Volunteers will work with Target House, which provides housing for patients and families with long term stays at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Work will include cleaning and organizing as well as recreational activities with the residents.
_____ Natchez, MS: Natchez Children’s Home
Volunteers will help at the Natchez Children’s Home, a center that provides a safe environment for abused and neglected children, by participating in activities such as cleaning, play therapy with the children, reading to children and being read to by children.
Disabilities:
_____ Springfield, MO: Champion Athletes of the Ozarks
Volunteers will be assisting this organization, which allows children and adults with disabilities to participate in sports competition and new opportunities that usually are not accessible for them, while teaching self-confidence and social skills.
_____ Stone Mountain, GA: Friends of Disabled Adults and Children
Working with FODAC, volunteers will help build wheelchair ramps for people with disabilities, rebuild wheelchairs, and work on assisted living home modifications.
Environment:
_____ Lake Metroparks, Ohio: Lake Metroparks
Volunteers will be working on a number of different environmental projects for Lake Metroparks, depending on the weather during the week of Spring Break. It could be a lot of environmental clean-up and removal of invasive species or if it’s snowing working in the Wildlife Center.
HIV/AIDS Awareness:
_____ Atlanta, GA: Project Open Hand
Volunteers will be working in the kitchen at Project Open Hand preparing food and packaging meals for those suffering from chronic illnesses, as well as driving delivery routes around Atlanta.
_____ Washington, D.C.: Food and Friends
Volunteers will prepare, package and deliver meals and groceries to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancerand other life-challenging illnesses throughout the greater Washington, D.C. area, which has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS in the country.
Hunger:
_____ Bronx, NY: POTS (Part of the Solution)
Volunteers will be working to serve all who are hungry in the surrounding community, as well as offer a comfortable and welcoming environment to those who come to eat there. There will be a number of jobs working in the kitchen and the dining room.
LGBT:
_____Des Moines, IA: Homeless and Runaway Street Outreach Center
Volunteers will assist in organization of events for LGBT youth that have left or been kicked out of their homes. Volunteers will also work with other homeless services in the Des Moines area to round out their service during the week of ASB.
_____Detroit, MI: Triangle Foundation/ Ruth Ellis
Volunteers will help to organize and coordinate events and advocate for the rights of those bullied at school because of their sexual orientation. Volunteers will work to connect various LGBT groups and give them a sense of empowerment in their community.
My experiences as a chaperone for Boston University’s Alternative Spring Breaks program havebeen the highlight of working at BU. I have an amazing job that allows me to interactwith many students on a daily basis, but nothing has impacted my life as much as ASB.
From the moment I met my Coordinators on both trips, I always counted down the daysuntil we departed for South Carolina in March. Each year, I went to Greenville, South
Carolina, and was rewarded with an experience that went beyond the service that wegave to the community. The relationships that I built, the conversations that I had, and thepersonal growth and learning that resulted from these trips will last a lifetime.
Having never participated in a trip like this during my undergraduate experience, andhaving never been on a “real” road trip, I jumped at the opportunity to hit the road with10+ strangers. It is amazing how people from different backgrounds can come togetherfor one week, having never met eachother, and make such a big impression on oneanother.
Although at times it is difficult to not get caught up in everything going on around you,the most difficult part of the trip (besides saying goodbye), is trying not to step in whensituations arise. The fact that you have great coordinators to lead the trip, really helpsmake this a lot easier. I have had the fortune of having 4 great coordinators who handled problems efficiently and effectively, while making sure to keep everyone on theright track.
Although ASB is not for everyone, I would recommend it many staff or faculty membersat BU. You need to get over the awkwardness of sleeping next to students in a smelly, dirty van, and stop to smell the roses. This is an amazing experience that I can’twait to take part in again.
Thank you!
Alan Fioravanti
Coordinator of Programs
Boston University
Alternative Spring Breaks 2010 Chaperone