As part of the University’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program, two groups of ETSU students went south for spring break to engage in community service.
One group of five undergraduate students and a graduate staff learning partner spent the break at Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, Florida.
These students served as activity pals to children on ventilator assistance as the children and their families relaxed at the camp.
Another group of eight undergraduates, one graduate student, and a graduate staff learning partner spent their break working in solidarity with a rural African-American community in Neshoba County, Miss. that has historically been targeted for organizing around civil rights issues. The students provided labor and resources to the community’s ongoing efforts to organize and rebuild their community center, which mysteriously burned down in 1982.
These are some of the journals, stories, and reflections of the students – but the important stories are those of children and their families struggling with adult diseases and those of a community struggling to organize and address its own issues despite decades of oppression.
We hope the students’ stories will inspire you to listen to the stories and voices of those in our society struggling against great odds.
Moreover, we hope you will commit to learning about the root causes of social issues and to working in solidarity with people addressing these issues.
Alternative Spring Break is sponsored by Community Service Programs. If you’d like to learn more about Alternative Spring Break or are interested in next year’s service trip, e-mail serve@etsu.edu.

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