While many students head home for fall break, 92 Volunteers will head to cities across the Southeast to lend a hand to populations in need during the Alternative Break program offered by UT’s Center for Leadership and Service.
Participants, trip leaders and staff learning partners will depart campus by 7 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6. They will return to campus Sunday, Oct. 9.
The trips, held during UT’s fall and spring breaks, are one way the center works to fulfill its mission of educating and engaging all students to lead and serve in the global community. The service hours students log during the trip will contribute toward the 200,000-hour goal the center hopes to achieve by its fifth anniversary in May.
Here’s a look at the work participants will be doing:
Marginalized Youth: Montgomery, Alabama
This trip will focus on ongoing youth issues including the societal barriers youth encounter in diverse communities. Students will serve at the Montgomery Area Food Bank, Boys and Girls Club of the River Region, Adullam House, Common Ground Montgomery and Friendship Mission.
Identity and Inclusion: Atlanta, Georgia
This trip will focus on how assisting others from diverse backgrounds, even for a short time, can make a big impact on a community. Students will serve at Homestretch: Homeless Housing Repairs, International Rescue Committee, Atlanta Children’s Shelter and the Atlanta Pride Festival.
Reconnecting Minority Youth: Memphis, Tennessee
This trip will focus on working with programs and organizations that keep children in school and toward a path to a successful life. Students will serve at Impact America: FocusFirst, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis and Youth Villages.
Restoration of Substandard Housing: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
This trip will focus on providing residents with tools needed to possess and sustain housing of their own. Students will work in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity Tuscaloosa, Project Blessings and the Hope Initiative.
Health and Wellness in Appalachia: Elizabethton, Tennessee
This trip will focus on mental and physical health setbacks some Appalachians face. The students will serve at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee and at Pine Ridge Care and Rehabilitation Center.
Accessibility Awareness: Charlotte, North Carolina
This trip will focus on raising more public awareness of accessibility needs. Students will serve with two organizations, Love Inc. and Nevins Inc., that work to support individuals with disabilities.
CONTACT:
Katherine Saxon (865-974-8365, ksaxon@utk.edu)